EU food safety notifications up

Notifications from EU member states of risks to food safety rose by 22 per cent last year compared to the previous year, according to the annual report on the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) published by the European Commission yesterday.

The increase could be due to more pro-active reporting by member states, improved controls in the new member states and an increase in food imports due to enlargement, the report says.

The RASFF is a tool to enable the quick and effective exchange of information between member states and the Commission on identified risks to the food and feed chain.

In all, 3,158 notifications of food and feed risks were received through the RASFF last year, compared to 2,588 in 2004.

Meat, poultry and fishery products, fruit and vegetables, and herbs and spices, accounted for the greatest number of notifications.

Among the main hazards notified by national control authorities were the presence of mycotoxins, harmful micro-organisms (such as salmonella and e-coli), and illegal substances (such as Sudan dyes). The report also looked at some of the bigger food safety incidents in 2005, such as the presence of the chemical ITX in liquid baby milk.