Trade packs of cake mixes from suppliers including Domson and Bako have been withdrawn over fears they may be contaminated with fipronil.

Eight 12.5kg products – including carrot cake and sponge mixes – have been withdrawn from sale, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) announced today (31 August). For a list of the affected products see below.

The mixes are the latest products to be implicated in the fipronil contamination scandal that has also seen sandwiches and liquid egg products withdrawn from sale in the UK in recent weeks.

The contamination source is believed to have been the use of fipronil – a broad-spectrum insecticide not legal for use near food-producing animals – on farms in the Netherlands to combat parasites on chickens. While exports from implicated farms were banned, some eggs had already entered the UK.

ADM, which supplied some of the withdrawn products, said it contacted its premix supplier and any potentially impacted customers when concerns over the possible contamination were first raised.

"We withdrew all unused products following Food Standards Agency guidelines, and there are no concerns with any ADM cake mix products currently available," the company added. "Customers with questions should contact their local ADM sales manager."

Last week, FSA set out guidance stating that products would be withdrawn if the amount of implicated egg was more than 15% of the product.

“Where the amount of implicated egg in a product is less than 15% of the product, we can be confident fipronil exposure is below the safe intake for all consumers, including infants,” the FSA said at the time.

“If products contain more than 15% implicated egg, food businesses must show that the egg ingredient used is compliant with the EU maximum residue level (MRL), which is 0.005mg/kg. Any products in which the egg ingredient is above the MRL are non-compliant and should be withdrawn.”

The FSA said it remained “very unlikely” that there was any risk to public health.

UK-laid eggs are currently being tested for the presence of fipronil as a precaution, and all results so far have been clear.

Products withdrawn on 31 August

  • Domson’s Carrot Cake Mix 12.5kg / Lot No 17132 / Best before 29/01/2018
  • ADM Carrot Cake Mix 12.5kg / Lot No 17134 / Best before 29/04/2018
  • ADM General Purpose Cake Mix Mass Balance 12.5kg / Lot No 17140 / Best before 30/04/2018
  • Bako Sponge Mix Mass Balance 12.5kg / Lot No 17168 / Best before 01/04/2018
  • Bako Sponge Mix Mass Balance 12.5kg / Lot No 17170 / Best before 01/04/2018
  • AB Mauri Toffee Cake Mix Mass Balance 12.5kg / Lot No 17222 / Best before 29/04/2018
  • Cuisine de France Mix & Bake Crème Cake Muffin 1001378 12.5kg / Lot 17604 / Best before 08/05/2018
  • ADM Madeira Cake Mix 12.5kg / Lot No 16761 / Best before 26/04/2018

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