Breadsticks withdrawn from the market due to microbiological risk: the affected lots

New alarm in the supermarkets Italians, with the Ministry of Health once again issuing notes for the withdrawal of some products from the shelves. This time, after having published several recalls for physical risks on its website, the finished product under the magnifying glass could cause microbiological problems.

Specifically we are talking about a brand of breadstickspresent in several supermarkets, which was immediately recalled due to errors in production and consequent lack of communication which could cause quite a few problems for end consumers.

Breadsticks withdrawn from the market

Those included in the recall published on the Ministry website are: Opus organic breadsticksproduced by Arianna Convertini's Opus APIS SAS in the factory in via Morelli 15 in Bassano del Grappa, in the province of Vicenza.

Not one, not two, but seven product lines affected by the recall, all breadsticks of different variants that have the same problem. In fact, in the notes published on the Ministry of Health website, we read that the breadsticks must be collected for possible presence of undeclared allergen on the label, i.e. the mustard.

A significant problem that affected the following products:

• Organic gluten-free sesame breadstick;
• Organic gluten-free breadstick with ginger and turmeric;
• Organic gluten-free breadstick with tomato and oregano;
• Organic gluten-free breadstick with rosemary;
• Organic gluten-free breadstick with smoked butter;
• Organic gluten-free breadstick with saffron and poppy;
• Organic gluten-free breadstick with nutmeg and chestnut honey.

All products, according to the recall notes, are in 180g glass jars or 25g single portions, with the affected lots having expiry dates from March 2024 to December 2024, but also with expiry dates in January, February and March 2025.

Allergen problem

This is a recall that is often implemented to prevent any type of problem for the final consumer, as in the specific case there would be no the warning mandatory by law: “The product must not be consumed by individuals allergic to mustard“.

EU Regulation no. 1169/2011, which entered into force on 13 December 2014, in fact introduced the obligation for producers and businesses to reportin foods, the presence of substances that can cause allergies or intolerances.

We talk about allergens when we refer to 14 substances which must be indicated as:

• Cereals containing gluten;
• Crustaceans;
• Egg;
• Fish;
• Peanuts;
• Soy;
• Milk;
• Nuts;
• Celery;
• Mustard;
• Sesame seeds;
• Sulfur dioxide and sulphites;
• Lupins;
• Clams.

Food safety first

As mentioned, food safety is put first by the Ministry of Health which monitors as best it can the quality of products sold in supermarkets. Specifically, this mechanism is possible thanks to food sector operators (FBOs) who have the obligation to inform their customers of the non-compliance found in the foods they place on the market and to withdraw a product from the market.

In addition to the recall, if the product has already been sold to the consumer, the FBO must carry out the recall, i.e. it must inform consumers about the products at risk, also through signage to be placed in the points of sale, and publish the recall in the specific area of ​​the portal of the Ministry of Health.