Belgium and Sweden have solid control structures for meat products but both systems can be improved, according to the European Commission.
An audit by DG Sante in September 2024 in Belgium evaluated controls on slaughter hygiene and meat inspection.
The audit found that the system over the production and placing
Continue Reading DG Sante audits Belgian and Swedish meat controls
Poland has a solid system to monitor fish product safety but its effectiveness is weakened by issues with training and Listeria sampling.
An audit by DG Sante took place in May and June 2024 to evaluate the control system for fishery products. Six recommendations were made. The last audit on
Continue Reading Audit of Polish fish checks highlights areas for improvement
The European Union reported more sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) alerts in 2024 than the year before, with many of them relating to food safety.
In 2024, 2,147 SPS notifications were submitted by World Trade Organization (WTO) members, which was an 8 percent increase compared to 1,994 in 2023.
The EU
Continue Reading EU submits more SPS notifications in 2024
An audit has found the Bulgarian meat control system is let down by a lack of problems being recorded during controls and limited enforcement.
The audit by DG Sante took place in May and June 2024 to evaluate the control system for slaughter hygiene and meat inspection. Recently, six recommendations
Continue Reading EU audit identifies gaps in Bulgarian meat controls
The new European commissioner for health and animal safety has promised to improve areas related to food safety standards.
Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Health and Animal Safety, said he wants to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of food safety standards, including for imported foods.
“Food safety standards are a trademark
Continue Reading New EU commissioner lists food safety priorities
European auditors have identified a potential conflict of interest risk related to the monitoring of bivalve mollusks in New Zealand.
The audit by DG Sante took place remotely and onsite in April and May 2024 to evaluate the control system for live bivalve mollusks.
New Zealand has 68 classified growing
Continue Reading EU auditors find conflict of interest risk in New Zealand audit
The system of controls in Canada for fish sent to Europe has the potential to work well but an assessment has revealed a low frequency of sampling and inspections reduces its effectiveness.
An audit in May 2024 covered fishery products for export to the European Union. Four recommendations were made.
Continue Reading Inspection and sampling rates let down Canadian fish controls
An audit report has found that European consumers face confusing and misleading food labeling, including issues related to allergen information and expiration dates.
The European Court of Auditors said labeling should help people make informed decisions when buying food. However, consumers are exposed to a growing number of claims, logos
Continue Reading Audit finds room for improvement in EU labeling rules
Several trade associations have called on European policymakers to reconsider the EU-Mercosur trade deal following findings from an audit in Brazil.
The EU-Mercosur deal is an agreement between the European Union and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
A recently published audit report by DG Sante revealed Brazil’s issues in meeting
Continue Reading EU groups raise concerns after Brazil audit findings
An analysis by the European Commission has found national authorities are largely doing enough to ensure companies are complying with the rules, but there are areas for improvement.
A report covers data submitted by European countries on their official controls and related EU Commission activities in 2022.
In 2022, there
Continue Reading EU Commission shares findings from official controls