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IA #12-12, REVISION  4/17/01, IMPORT ALERT #12-12, "Detention Without Physical
Examination of Cheeses Containing Nitrates."

(Note:  This import alert represents the Agency's current guidance to FDA field
        personnel regarding the manufacturer(s) and/or product(s) at issue.  It
        does not create or confer any rights for or on any person, and does not
        operate to bind FDA or the public).

TYPE OF ALERT: Detention without Physical Examination

PRODUCT:       Cheese

PRODUCT CODE:  See Attachment

PROBLEM:       Nitrates

PAF:           FAD (Food Additive)

PAC FOR
COLLECTION:   09006A

COUNTRY:       See Attachment

MANUFACTURERS/
SHIPPER/FEI #: See Attachment

CHARGE:    "The article is subject to refusal of admission pursuant to
           Section 801(a)(3) in that it appears to contain a food additive
           which is unsafe within the meaning of Section 409."
           [Adulteration, Section 402(a)(2)(c)].

OASIS CHARGE
CODE:         UNSAFE ADD

RECOMMENDING
OFFICE:        NYK-DO (HFR-NE152)

REASON FOR
ALERT:        Label review of an entry of pasteurized, part skim, Spiced
              Cheese, found the label to declare "Conserveringsmiddel (E251)"
              (Preservative E251).  Label review of a second entry of Spanish
              Cured, Sheep Milk Cheese, found the label to declare
              "conservante (E252)." Currently the European system of naming
              food additives lists E251 as sodium nitrate and E252 as
              potassium nitrate.  There are no regulations that provide for
              the use of these or other salts of nitrates in dairy products
              including cheeses.  In addition, FDA believes that these
              ingredients are not "generally recognized as safe" for their
              intended uses in cheese.

GUIDANCE:     Districts may detain without physical examination the specified
              products from the firm's identified on the attachment for this
              alert.

           For questions or issues concerning science, science policy,
           sample collection, analysis, preparation, or analytical
           methodology, contact the Division of Field Science at (301)
           443-3320 or 3007.



PRIORITIZATION
GUIDANCE:      I

FOI:       No purging is necessary

KEYWORDS:     Cheese, nitrates, additives

PREPARED BY:  Stella Notzon, Division of Import Operations and Policy, HFC-
              170, 301-443-6553

DATE LOADED
INTO FIARS:   April 17, 2001

                                                Attachment to Import Alert # 12-12   4/16/09

           (Firms/products that may be subject to DWPE)

                           NORWAY (NO)

Firm Name and Address:             Product/PC               Date of DWPE:

Norwegian Dairies Association      Part-Skim Spiced         4/17/01
P.O. Box 9051 Vaterland            Cheese
Oslo 1, Norway                    "Nokkel Skorpefri"
FEI # 1000181201                  Nokelost Brand
                                  12A- -19


                            SPAIN (ES)


Jsc Shostka Dairy Plant            SEMI-SOFT CHEESE/12A--52 3/29/06
41103                              "ROSISYSKY CHEESE"
Shostka, Ukraine
FEI # 3005425548