Canadian grain industry officials say they are mystified by reports that a cargo of Canadian durum shipped to Italy last fall was contaminated by a dangerous fungus.
They say tests done in Canada on samples from the cargo in question show no such contamination.
“We are monitoring the situation and seeing what we can do to get accurate information out and make sure any actions are based on accurate information,” said Canadian Wheat Board spokesperson Maureen
Fitzhenry.
News report from Italy say the head of Europe’s biggest pasta processor was arrested Jan. 10 on charges of adulterating and poisoning foodstuffs.
Read Also
U.S. government investigates high input costs
The USDA and DOJ are investigating high input costs, but nothing is happening in Canada.
The case is based on allegations that a shipment of 58,000 tonnes of Canadian durum contained levels of ochratoxin A, three times above allowable European Union limits.
Reports say Francesco Casillo, head of the Molino Casillo group of mills and grain importers, is accused of knowingly selling contaminated grain, providing authorities with falsified documents stating the cargo was safe and mixing toxic wheat with unadulterated grain.
Jim Stuart, director of industry services for the Canadian Grain Commission, said the commission was informed of the situation in mid-December.
It immediately tested samples from the cargoes in question, which left St. Lawrence ports destined for Italy in August and September.
“The test results that came back were well within the EU limits for ochratoxin A of five parts per billion,” he said.
Ochratoxin A is a naturally occurring fungus that can infect cereal grain kernels. Its occurrence is often associated with storage of grain at high moisture levels. It occasionally shows up in Canadian grain, but generally at levels of around one part per billion. Canada sets no allowable limit.
Stuart could not explain the difference in test results, but he stood by the results obtained at the CGC’s grain research laboratory.
“As far as the grain commission is concerned, the durum left Canada in good condition,” he said.
Fitzhenry said the board accepts the CGC test results. She expressed concern that news reports on the incident assume that the claims of contamination are accurate.
“It’s not clear whether the cargoes were officially inspected and tested by competent Italian authorities,” she said. “As far as we know, the reliability of the test results in Italy haven’t been established.”
The board is working with officials from the Canadian government and embassy officials in Italy to get to the bottom of the situation.
Industry sources say Italian durum growers object to imports of foreign durum and often stage protests and challenge shipments. However, this is believed to be the first time a Canadian shipment has been the subject of such a challenge.
Italy is a major customer for Canadian durum, buying an average of 300,000 tonnes annually over the past
decade.
