Misbranded strong beer and dangerous snus – record number of misses

Dangerous snus, salmonella – and strong beer mislabeled as alcohol-free beer.

2024 looks set to be a record year for the number of recalls of food products.

Listeria in cheese. Foreign object in the chorizo ​​sausage. Salmonella in minced meat. Plastic pieces in tropical juice. Metal pieces in cookies. E-coli in garlic sausage. Glass pieces in honey.

Consumer interest in recalled goods is great – and one of the most common ways for producers to reach out with information is via the Swedish Food Agency’s website.

This year’s list – which is based on the companies’ voluntary reporting to the Swedish Food Agency – contains 63 recalls made up to and including the end of October.

That is the same number as in 2023, when a record number of recalls were reported to the Swedish Food Agency.

Then there will be a few more before the end of the year, so it’s going to be a real record year, says Mats Lindblad, infection control coordinator at the Swedish Food Agency.

Misbranded beer

According to Mats Lindblad, recalls are usually about the discovery of bacteria such as listeria or salmonella. It could also be that plastic or glass has been found in the product or that an allergen is not listed on the content declaration.

At the same time, there are rarer cases where strong beer is mislabeled as alcohol-free beer.

Among the goods that will be added to the list are, among other things, portioned snus, which was recalled in December due to excessive values ​​of the carcinogenic substance benz(a)pyrene.

The obligation of companies

At the same time, the large number of recalls should be seen as a good sign because it means that the food producer has carried out its routine checks and reported emerging safety risks.

If a company discovers a danger in a food or in a product, the first step is to withdraw the product. If the product has reached consumers, the company must issue some form of recall that reaches consumers, says Mats Lindblad.

Recalling products and informing consumers is the duty of the companies.

Should it not be complied with, there is an opportunity for control authorities to make decisions about recalls, says Mats Lindblad.