The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) has found four unsafe batches of sorghum flour that contained atropine and scopolamine, alkaloids hazardous to human health, which may not occur in food. The following products were concerned:
- Green Apotheke 400 g, best before date: 04. 2016, batch L0001., distribution: MEDIATE s.r.o., Dolní Libchavy 325, 561 16 Libchavy;
- Adveni 250 g, best before date: 28. 02. 2016, distribution: ADVENI MEDICAL, spol. s.r.o., Brno, Renneská třída 407/29.
- Natura 400 g, best before date: 02. 12. 2015 and best before date: 09. 07. 2016, producer: NATURA Hustopeče s.r.o., Na Úvoze 4, 693 01 Hustopeče, Czech Republic;
In Green Apotheke 400 g flour, the laboratory analysis has proved presence of atropine in the amount of 1.5 mg per kilogram (mg/kg); and scopolamine content of 0.46 mg/kg. In Adveni 250 g flour, the atropine content of 1.2mg/kg and scopolamine content of 0.36mg/kg were measured. The two abovementioned batches of Natura flour were produced from the same batch of the raw material as unsafe batches of Green Apotheke and Adveni.
These substances get to flour by contamination from fields from the plants containing alkaloids (e.g. plants of the solanaceae family). They may not occur in food but as for health, it is the consumed quantity that is decisive.
The abovementioned batches were delivered in big quantities, among others to the stores selling healthy food. The entire list of purchasers is the subject of further investigation. All the consumers who have the above mentioned batches of food are advised by CAFIA not to consume the products.
Source: Bezpečnost potravin
