Gazpacho products withdrawn from sale amid ethylene oxide fears

THREE batches of Gazpacho products have been withdrawn from the market by FACUA amid more ethylene oxide fears

Today, Friday, October 1, the Spanish consumer rights association, FACUA, reported that it has withdrawn three batches of gazpacho sold by the Alvalle brand, from the market. The action was initiated after the products were discovered to contain traces of oxide containing ethylene.

Ethylene oxide has been banned in the European Union since the 1990s, as it is a pesticide considered a mutagenic, toxic, and carcinogenic substance that could cause cancer in extreme cases.

This move follows another recent crisis a few weeks ago when the exact same substance was found in ice cream products, leading FAUCA to withdraw products from Mars and Nestle.

The three lots that have been recalled are L5243, which is Gazpacho with beetroot, along with L1236 and L1244 from Gazapacho Gourmet.  All three have an expiration date of November 2021.

Controls made by the company brought the problem to light, when they detected a higher quantity of ethylene oxide than is legally authorized for consumption. The Gazpacho products withdrawn have the affected ingredients of white pepper and cayenne.

Although these products have already been withdrawn from sale, consumers are asked to make sure that they do not have any at home with these characteristics. If so, they should contact the company to alert them of its existence, by calling 900 164 164, or email contacta@pepsico.com, or, via the Alvalle website.

Both FACUA, and the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) have warned of the presence of ethylene oxide in these batches, pointing out that it could harm the health of the workers who manufacture these products.

In addition, FACUA has criticised the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) for not publishing updated lists of products affected in this regard for some months, as reported by 20minutos.es.

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