The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) has alerted this weekend about the presence of atropine and scopolamine in a specific batch of gluten-free cookies with chocolate chips from the French brand Gerblé, distributed in Spain.
Atropine and scopolamine are alkaloids found in plants and weeds used to make medicine, although these two substances are also used for illicit purposes, since they can produce hallucinogenic and sedative effects. In addition, those who consume them may suffer disorientation, memory loss, blurred vision or tachycardia, depending on the dose and the physiological characteristics of the affected person.
The affected batch is specifically number 51914913 with an expiration date of 09/20/2023. The 150 g product is presented in a cardboard container in which the biscuits are kept at room temperature.
It was the French company itself that detected the presence of these substances in one of its self-monitoring processes, notifying the competent authorities of the alert in accordance with current European legislation.
Although the quantities detected in the cookies are assumed to be minimal, AESAN recommends that all persons who may have the affected product at home refrain from consuming it.
These biscuits, which can be easily found in any supermarket or hypermarket as well as organic and health food stores, have been distributed throughout all the Autonomous Communities and are already being withdrawn from sales channels.
