After pizzas, cheeses, chocolates and sugar, it is now a food product that is the subject of a recall at Carrefour. Can we talk about a food scandal? In any case, this has reason to worry consumers. We tell you everything.
Food scandals follow one another
Food scandals have followed one another in recent weeks. Indeed, in March 2022, Buitoni brand Fraîch’Up frozen pizzas were recalled as a preventive measure. The reason is that they have been considered by the French health authorities as the cause of several serious cases of contamination of children by the E. coli bacterium in France.
However, on April 6, 2022, no less than 24,000 cheeses from Fromageries de Normandie (Lactalis Group) were subject to a recall. These are bries, coulommiers, camembert and small camemberts from the brands Normanville, Bon Normand, Pâquerettes, Graindorge, Traditions de Normandie. Health authorities have identified a “probable source of contamination” of the bacterium responsible for listeriosis.
During the same period, the Ferrero group also recalled chocolates from its Arlon factory in Belgium. These were Kinder products from the Kinder Surprise, Kinder Schoko-bons, Kinder Mini-Eggs, Kinder Mix, Kinder Happy Moments and Kinder Surprise 100g ranges. The recall was prompted by the discovery of a link between the plant and the poisoning of European children with salmonella.
Consumers are worried
Also in April, the Intermarché group recalled sugar sold by Top Budget following the detection of broken glass in the said products. Today, it is the cordons bleus sold by Carrefour that hit the headlines. Indeed, these products would contain foreign bodies whose ingestion could have serious consequences on health.
These successive recalls are worrying consumers. Thus, since March 2021, there have been 4,377 non-compliant or dangerous food references.
Who would have thought that in 2022, children would fall ill because of chocolates, pizzas or sausages bought in supermarkets. Since the scandal of dairy products for children produced by the giant Lactalis which took place in 2017, controls on food products have intensified. In addition, the precautionary principle has been more strictly applied.
Carrefour stores recall products
On April 27, 2022, the Carrefour brand launched an alert concerning the cordons bleus sold in its stores. However, the consumer reminder indicates that these are chicken cordons bleus sold in pairs in 200 g boxes. They bear the number 29022095B with an expiry date of 04/30/2022. These products may contain plastic which may cause “adverse effects after ingestion”.
This recall is done just after another that affects the sausages. However, it is the Veritable Jesus of Lyon sausage from the Reflets de France brand (600 g bag). They were sold between March 14 and April 21, 2022 in Carrefour brand stores.
The references are as follows:
– Batch 205080
– Global Item Number (GTIN) 3560071431839
– Use-by date, April 29, 2022
If you still have it in your cupboards, avoid consuming it. Finally, return them to the Carrefour store for reimbursement.
What will happen to Carrefour? Questionable control…
The debate on the control of food products is coming back to the fore because of these numerous health scandals. Some associations believe that the self-monitoring system entrusted to manufacturers is no longer sufficient.
Since the scandal of Lactalis, Ferrero, etc., leaders in their respective markets, confidence in these large multinationals has collapsed. Many are calling for a reform, like Karine Jacquemart, general manager of the consumer defense association.
For the latter, the succession of these health scandals is proof of the failure of the control system itself. As for Quentin Guillemain, president of the association for child health, he points to the lack of control carried out by the health authorities.
“No lesson has been learned!” The real controls by the health authorities of these factories hardly exist any more”, deplores Quentin GUILLEMAIN.