Harderwijk fish processing company Foppen has for years been using the banned substance sodium nitrite in its products, local broadcaster Omroep Gelderland reports.

Sodium nitrite is cleared for use in meat products but is considered to be potentially cancer-causing when used with fish.

The broadcaster used freedom of information legislation to obtain food safety inspectors’ reports on the company and uncovered evidence of the sodium nitrite use.

It says Foppen was warned in 2010 to stop using the product but was still doing so in November 2014 when it was inspected again.

Fish products were destroyed but there was no recall because officials did not consider the risk to be serious enough. The company said it had wrongly interpreted the law on the use of sodium nitrite and has now stopped using it altogether.

Foppen has been the focus of ‘special measures’ since last year and health minister Edith Schippers said in October the company could not be permitted to make any more mistakes.

In 2012, Foppen was responsible for a salmonella outbreak in which thousands of people became ill and at least four people died. In September last year it was fined for unhygienic working practices and was also warned about the risk of Listeria, the broadcaster says.

Criticism

Food safety experts on Tuesday condemned the lax approach to food safety at Foppen and accused the ministry of not doing enough.

MPs have also demanded answers from Schippers about why tougher action has not been taken.