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THE LATEST ON EU AGRI-FOOD POLICIES IMPACTING LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES

Reports on non-compliance with EU food law and agri-food fraud: April–May 2024

  • Official controls

Summary

The European Commission publishes monthly overviews of foods that are not compliant with EU food law. The April and May 2024 reports include notifications concerning the following AGRINFO partner countries: Albania, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Congo DRC, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Macedonia (Republic of), Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Türkiye, Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela, Vietnam.

These monthly overviews highlight ongoing and emerging risks of non-compliance that will help agri-food exporters and competent authorities in non-EU countries to monitor and respond to risks that may affect agri-food trade.

Latest EU overview of food found not to comply with EU law

European Commission: April 2024 Report on EU Agri-Food Fraud Suspicions

European Commission: May 2024 Report on EU Agri-Food Fraud Suspicions

Update

The European Commission publishes monthly overviews of foods that are not compliant with EU food law. The April and May 2024 reports include notifications concerning the following AGRINFO partner countries: Albania, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Congo DRC, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Macedonia (Republic of), Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Türkiye, Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela, Vietnam.

These monthly overviews highlight ongoing and emerging risks of non-compliance that will help agri-food exporters and competent authorities in non-EU countries to monitor and respond to risks that may affect agri-food trade.

Impacted Products

Cereals and bakery products; coffee and tea; confectionery; crustaceans and their products; dietetic foods; feed materials; fish and fish products; food additives and flavourings; food contact materials; food supplements and fortified foods; fruits and vegetables; herbs and spices; meat and its products; non-alcoholic beverages; nuts, nut products and seeds; poultry meat and its products; prepared dishes and snacks; soups, broths, sauces, and condiments

Notifications

The April and May 2024 reports include notifications impacting the following AGRINFO partner countries:

Albania, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Congo DRC, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Macedonia (Republic of), Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Türkiye, Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela, Vietnam.

These notifications concern:

  • product non-compliance and tampering (Table 1)
  • record tampering, avoidance of control, false or deficient documentation (including mislabelling), identification, origin, and traceability defects (Table 2)
  • non-compliance with maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides and veterinary medicines (Table 3).

The April report includes 341 suspicions that were retrieved from 908 iRASFF notifications (access restricted to EU Member States’ competent authorities).

The May report includes 281 suspicions that were retrieved from 727 iRASFF notifications (access restricted to EU Member States’ competent authorities).

AGRINFO reports regularly on notifications to the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASSF); see:

Timeline

These reports are issued every month.

Recommended Actions

Competent authorities in countries that are included in these monthly overviews should pay attention to any non-compliances identified in the reports. It is particularly important that the producers/export companies concerned are informed as soon as possible so that they can take action and prevent a recurrence. These incidents also potentially indicate a more widespread problem that may require a coordinated response by the food sector in the country concerned.

Background

These monthly reports compile information notified to the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed Network (RASSF), Administrative Assistance and Cooperation Network (AAC), and Agri-Food Fraud Network (FFN). The reports also include non-compliances with EU rules that do not present a risk, but have triggered investigations by the competent authorities of individual importing EU Member States.

Resources

Monthly reports on EU Agri-Food Fraud suspicions

Regulation 2019/1793 on the temporary increase of official controls and emergency measures governing entry into the EU of certain goods from third countries

Regulation 2019/1873 on the procedures at border control posts for a coordinated performance by competent authorities of intensified official controls on products of animal origin, germinal products, animal by-products and composite products

Sources

Disclaimer: Under no circumstances shall COLEAD be liable for any loss, damage, liability or expense incurred or suffered that is claimed to have resulted from the use of information available on this website or any link to external sites. The use of the website is at the user’s sole risk and responsibility. This information platform was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents do not, however, reflect the views of the European Union.

Latest EU overview of food found not to comply with EU law

Regulation

European Commission: April 2024 Report on EU Agri-Food Fraud Suspicions

European Commission: May 2024 Report on EU Agri-Food Fraud Suspicions

What is changing and why?

The European Commission publishes monthly overviews of foods that are not compliant with EU food law, including potentially fraudulent practices identified and reported by EU Member State authorities, based on Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed Network (RASSF) notifications among other sources. These reports help stakeholders in the agri-food sector to identify risks and adapt monitoring strategies.

The April and May 2024 reports include notifications impacting Albania, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Congo DRC, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Macedonia (Republic of), Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Türkiye, Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela, Vietnam.

See Tables 1–3 for details.

Actions

Competent authorities in countries that are included in these monthly overviews should pay attention to any non-compliances identified in the reports. It is particularly important that the producers/export companies concerned are informed as soon as possible so that they can take action and prevent a recurrence. These incidents also potentially indicate a more widespread problem that may require a coordinated response by the food sector in the country concerned.

Timeline

A report is issued every month.

Disclaimer: Under no circumstances shall COLEAD be liable for any loss, damage, liability or expense incurred or suffered that is claimed to have resulted from the use of information available on this website or any link to external sites. The use of the website is at the user’s sole risk and responsibility. This information platform was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents do not, however, reflect the views of the European Union.