The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) in cooperation with the Customs Administration of the Czech Republic managed another successful intervention.Within the framework of foodstuffs import control  a consignment of jelly in the form of mini-cups containing the gelling agent caragenan (E 407) has been detained. The consignment originating in Vietnam contained in various doses altogether 270 kilograms of these sweets.

Jelly in mini-cups contains additives made of seaweed and gums, as it is the case of caragenan. These additives have been banned in the EU since 2004 because they are considered to be dangerous. Due to the shape, size and the way consumption of this jelly type the consumer is endangered by suffocation risk. In addition, caragenan makes melting in the mouth more difficult and this enhances the suffocation risk even more.

From the above mentioned reasons CAFIA issued a binding position not to release this consignment onto the market; therefore consumers are not endangered. Other EU Member States have been informed about this case by means of the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).