Tea with a Dangerous Surprise: What Was Discovered in Products from Armenia at the Latvian Border

Residues of a banned pesticide were found in green tea from Armenia, and the mustard seeds from Kazakhstan exceeded the permissible levels of erucic acid. Both batches are prohibited from sale. According to reports, the violations were detected during border control and confirmed by laboratory tests. In a batch of green tea of Armenian origin weighing 57.6 kilograms, with the number 8810, specialists found residues of tolfenpyrad—a pesticide whose use is banned in the European Union. Additionally, laboratory analyses showed that the maximum allowable levels of two other pesticides—lambda-cyhalothrin and thiamethoxam—were exceeded. Violations were also identified in a large batch of mustard seeds that arrived from Kazakhstan. In a shipment weighing 22 tons with batch number 248K-2013, the erucic acid content was found to be above the established standards. Erucic acid is classified as a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. It naturally occurs in oilseed crops, including rapeseed and mustard, as well as in the oils produced from them. However, excessive levels in food products can pose health risks. The PVD emphasized that the distribution of both batches is prohibited. The products are planned to be destroyed or sent outside the European Union to a third country. Information about the identified violations has already been transmitted to the European Union's rapid alert system for unsafe food and feed.