RASFF notifications in April 2024

RASFF window

Update

This report summarises Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notifications of products entering the European Union from low- and middle-income countries in April 2024:

• 8 notifications on feed
• 10 notifications on food contact materials
• 184 notifications on food products

originating from 38 AGRINFO partner countries.

April 2024 RASFF notifications

Food products

184 notifications on food products originating from 37 AGRINFO partner countries (Table 1).

Feed products

Eight notifications on feed entering the EU from China, India, Thailand, Turkey and Ukraine (Table 2).

Food contact materials

Ten notifications on food contact materials originating from China and Serbia (Table 3).

For more detail on these notifications, see the European Commission’s RASFF Window using the references given in Tables 1–3.

Timeline

RASFF notifications in April 2024.

What are the major implications for exporting countries?

RASFF notifications can have significant implications for producers and exporters. Notified food products may need to be recalled from the market or destroyed to prevent them from being sold and consumed. This can result in financial losses for producers, exporters, and other parties in the supply chain. If there are several interceptions due to contamination (e.g. by mycotoxins including aflatoxins, pesticide residues, pentachlorophenol and dioxins, microbiological contamination, Sudan dyes, Rhodamine B, or plant toxins), this can lead to increased controls and other measures. See Temporary increased official controls on food of certain origins.

Recommended Actions

To minimise RASFF notifications and ensure smooth trade with the EU market, producers and exporters from non-EU countries must take action to ensure the safety of their products. This involves implementing rigorous control measures at every stage of production, processing, and packaging to ensure adherence to EU standards and regulations; establishing comprehensive food safety management systems (such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points - HACCP) to address potential risks across the supply chain; and maintaining meticulous documentation of all activities to enable traceability and provide evidence of compliance with EU regulations.

Background

The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) was set up to allow EU food safety authorities to rapidly exchange information on health risks from food or feed, enabling them to take immediate action to avert the risk. RASFF provides a round-the-clock service to ensure that urgent notifications are sent, received and responded to collectively and efficiently. Information exchanged through RASFF can lead to products being recalled from the EU market, averting risks before they can cause harm, from farm to fork.

The European Commission must inform non-EU countries if an exported product is subject to a notification, so that the country’s authorities and exporters can take corrective measures.

The legal basis for RASFF is set out in Art. 50 of the EU General Food Law (Regulation 178/2002).

For further information see Official Controls Regulation – explained.

Sources

Tables & Figures

Source: RASFF Window