Europe 1 with AFP 6:40 p.m., August 9, 2022

In Belgium, seven new ice creams from the Häagen-Dazs brand have been withdrawn from sale in recent days, announced the federal agency for food safety (AFSCA).

This withdrawal follows a European alert triggered in early July when residues of a carcinogenic compound were discovered in control batches.

18 brand products have been withdrawn from sale in France.

Belgium has had seven new Häagen-Dazs ice creams withdrawn from sale following a European alert triggered in early July by the discovery of residues of a carcinogenic compound in batches during checks, the federal agency announced on Tuesday. for food safety (AFSCA).

“Several variants of Häagen-Dazs brand ice cream, sold in Belgium via the Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Intermarché stores, are withdrawn from sale,” the agency said in a statement.

"This recall follows a notification via the RASFF system (European Food and Feed rapid alert system)", specifies the FASFC.

Belgium had already had ten Häagen-Dazs products withdrawn from sale on August 4.

An alert was launched by France on July 8 via the RASFF system (European Food and Feed Rapid Alert System), judging "serious" for health the risk presented by the presence of ethylene oxide residues (ETO ), a carcinogenic pesticide banned in Europe.

Several EU member states have since had ice cream removed and issued consumer warnings.

18 products withdrawn in France

France removed 18 products from the brand on August 5 and Spain removed 20 products on August 8, according to national food safety agencies.

The ice cream manufacturer, the American group General Mills, found during a check the presence of traces of 2-Chloroethanol (2CE), an indicator for the presence of ethylene oxide in a batch of Häagen-Dazs products. , had indicated the FASFC in a press release on August 4.

A vanilla supplier has been identified as the cause of the problem and General Mills has decided to recall all products made with vanilla from this supplier, the FASFC explained.

The Belgian agency has published the list of the seventeen offending ice creams, including Belgium Chocolate, with the expiry dates, the withdrawal of which has been demanded in all stores in the kingdom.