Reports on non-compliance with EU food law and agri-food fraud – March 2024

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

Update

The European Commission has published its latest monthly overview of foods that are not compliant with EU food law.

The March 2024 report includes notifications concerning Albania, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Namibia, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Türkiye, Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela, Vietnam.

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

What is changing?

The March 2024 report includes notifications concerning:

Product tampering

• Additives not compliant with EU maximum levels (MLs) (Table 1)
• Adulteration and unapproved process; concealment, enhancement, ingredient dilution/ substitution (Table 1)

Record tampering

• Nutrition and health claims (Table 2)
• Product-related dates, records, and information (Table 2)

Implicit claim violations

• Unauthorised origin, border control, documentation, identification, traceability (Table 2)
• Non-compliance with pesticide maximium residue levels (MRLs) (Table 3)
• Non-compliance with veterinary medicine MRLs (Table 3)
• Food, food contact materials, ingredients not authorised in the EU (Table 4)

There are notifications concerning the following AGRINFO partner countries:

Albania, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Namibia, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Türkiye, Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela, Vietnam.

Why?

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.

Timeline

A report is 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

The European Commission publishes monthly overviews of foods that are not compliant with EU food law. 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).

Resources

Sources

Tables & Figures

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