Reports on non-compliance with EU food law and agri-food fraud: April–May 2024
Published by AGRINFO on
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
European Commission: April 2024 Report on EU Agri-Food Fraud Suspicions
European Commission: May 2024 Report on EU Agri-Food Fraud Suspicions
Tables & Figures
