Members of the European Commission have agreed on 19 measures to reinforce current EU policy on food fraud, in light of the Fipronil contamination incident.
At a high-level meeting dedicated to Fipronil incident, chaired by Commissioner Andriukaitis, the member states agreed new steps must be taken.
Commissioner Andriukaitis said: “I was extremely pleased to see such a high level of participation today. It truly shows that the issue of food safety and food fraud is at the heart of discussion throughout the European Union.
“Food fraud cases as this one damage public trust in the food safety and can eventually lead to destruction of trust in particular food industry. Misdoings and fraudulent practices of a few should not have such devastating effects.”
Selected measures agreed upon included:
- Improving risk communication between Member States and Commission making sure it reaches the general public in a more coherent and swift way.
- Making it easier to ensure rapid common risk assessment when such situations emerge.
- Aim to bridge the gap between the use of Rapid Alert System for food and feed (RASFF) and the Administrative and Cooperation system (AAC). These systems are our strength – we need to maximise their potential.
- Establish a ‘food safety officer’ in each Member State to make sure information flows as fast and as efficient as possible.
“Preserving public health and food safety is a collective responsibility,” he added. “The wide food supply poses challenges that require us to maintain strong and efficient food fraud detection system and procedures and to communicate and cooperate at all the levels.”