EU food safety system overstretched, say EU Auditors
Although the EU’s system for protecting consumers from chemical hazards in food is soundly based and respected worldwide, it is currently overstretched, according to a new report from the European Court of Auditors. The European Commission and the Member States do not have the capacity to implement the system fully, the auditors say.
EU food safety policy aims to guarantee a high level of protection for human life and health, and to protect EU citizens from three types of hazards in food: physical, biological and chemical. This audit concentrated on chemical hazards in food.
The auditors found that the EU food safety model commands respect worldwide, but that it is currently overstretched. The legal framework governing chemicals in food, feed, and plants and live animals remains a work in progress, they say, and has not yet been implemented to the level envisaged in EU laws governing food production. In addition, the European Food Safety Authority, which provides scientific advice to inform European policymaking, suffers backlogs in its work in connection with chemical hazards. This affects the proper functioning of parts of the system and the sustainability of the model as a whole.
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Simplified approach to make food donations to foodbanks easier
EFSA has developed a new food safety management approach that makes it simpler for small retailers to donate food.
The simplified system would mean that retailers are not required to have detailed knowledge of specific hazards. It includes steps for checking that donated food is safe, such as shelf-life control, maintenance of the cold chain and ensuring communication between the donor and recipients.
Under the new system, retailers need only to be aware that biological, chemical and physical hazards or allergens may be present and that a failure to undertake key control activities – such as separation of raw from cooked products – could pose a risk to consumers. The approach is intended for food distribution centres, supermarkets, pubs, restaurants and other small retailers.
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EWFC opinion: EU plan to reduce checks on chickens 'will increase food poisoning risk'
Some experts say scaling down inspections is likely to lead to more consumers being infected with campylobacter. EWFC agrees with that!
Millions of chickens could soon be sold across the EU without being individually inspected for contamination or signs of disease after being killed, in a move some experts believe will put consumers at increased risk of food poisoning bugs.
Under current rules, every poultry carcass is individually, visually checked after slaughter and before being released for public consumption. But proposals being considered by the European Commission would see slaughter plants able to look at just a “representative sample” if they have a history of complying with the standards set by official veterinarians.
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EWFC rejects the Commission Draft Proposal to stop the inspection of every Poultry Carcase
In December 2019 regulation 854/2004 will be repealed. This legislation created the current detail of official controls on food of animal origin. EWFC have always known that the replacement for 854 would have to be created by Implementing and Delegated Acts added to the new regulation 2017/625. We have followed the creation of these proposals with great interest as it is our members, amongst other officials, that enforce them.
The EWFC Managing Board met in Vienna on the 4th and 5th of October to review the proposals, our comments to the Commission and their response.
The Board of EWFC are very concerned by some of the proposals, our comments on them are posted in an abbreviated form on the Commission forum for public consultation. You can read the detailed version below.
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