Disponibile online il sistema di rapida allerta dell’Unione Europea, un network informativo per lo scambio di informazioni su alimenti che rappresentano un rischio per il consumatore. I rapporti settimanali saranno d’ora in poi disponibili su Internet al seguente indirizzo:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sfp/ras_index_en.html
European Union
Sanitary/Phytosanitary/Food Safety
Reports of Rapid Alert System Go Online
2003
Approved by:
Christine Strossman
U.S. Mission to the European Union, Brussels
Prepared by:
Gerda Vandercammen
Report Highlights:
The rapid alert sytem is an EU information network exchanging information on food and feed
that presents a risk to consumers. The weekly reports of the notifications under the rapid
alert will from now on be available on the Internet.
Includes PSD Changes: No
Includes Trade Matrix: No
Unscheduled Report
Brussels USEU [BE2] [E2]
GAIN Report – E23084 Page 2 of 2
The EU rapid alert system is a network of national authorities managed by the European
Commission that exchanges information on measures taken to address potential health risks in the
area of food and feed. The EU’s general Regulation on Food Safety (Regulation 178/2002)
extended the legal basis for the Rapid Alert System to include not only food but also feed
products. This regulation furthermore introduced the requirement for public access to rapid
alert notifications.
From now on, weekly reports will be provided on DG SANCO?s website at
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sfp/ras_report2002_en.pdf.
The first report covering the
period May 12-18 was published earlier this week.
“Alert” notifications concern products which are on the market and which present a risk to the
consumer; “information” notifications relate to products for which it can be assumed that they
have not been placed on the market, because they were stopped at the border.
Information is provided on the type of product and the problem identified, the origin of the
product and the notifying Member State. Names of companies are not published as this
information is considered to be commercially sensitive.
The Commission also published, for the first time, an annual activity report for the rapid alert
system. This report gives a complete overview of all the notifications, the breakdown of
notifications by notifying Member State, by food product concerned, by the hazard identified and
by producing country. The report, which covers calendar year 2002 is available from the internet
at http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sfp/ras_index_en.html
The purpose of the rapid alert system for food and feed (RASFF) is to provide the control authorities with an effective tool for exchange of information on measures taken to ensure food safety.
