The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed 2017 Annual Report

1 RASFF. The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed 2017 Annual Report RASFF. Annual Report 2017. RASFF The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed 2017 Annual Report More information about RASFF The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed online: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2018. European Union, 2018. Reuse is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. The reuse policy of European Commission documents is regulated by Decision 2011/833/EU. (OJ L 330, , p. 39). For any use or reproduction of photos or other material that is not under the EU copyright, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders. Print ISBN 978-92-79-80316-1 ISSN 1830-7302 EW-AC-18-001-EN-C. PDF ISBN 978-92-79-80317-8 ISSN 2363-0965 EW-AC-18-001-EN-N. RASFF Annual Report 2017.

2 Preamble Dear reader, If you are familiar with the RASFF you may skip to the chapter on RASFF in 2017, but if you are unfamiliar with it or would like to know more, you are invited to go through this quick manual. Enjoy the Report ! 3. RASFF Annual Report 2017. Acronyms used in this Report : AAC Administrative Assistance and Cooperation System ASP Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning CA Competent Authority CED Common Entry Document CFU Colony-forming units C(V)ED Common (Veterinary) Entry Document EC European Commission ECCP European Commission Contact Point (for RASFF). ECDC European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control EEA European Economic Area EFSA European Food Safety Authority EPIS-FWD Epidemic Intelligence Information System for food- and Waterborne Diseases and zoonoses of ECDC.

3 ESTI Estimated Short Term Intake EU European Union EUROPHYT European Union Notification System for Plant Health Interceptions EWRS Early Warning and Response System FBO Food Business Operator FCM Food Contact Material FFN Food Fraud Network HAV Hepatitis A Virus IMSOC Information Management System for Official Control INFOSAN International Food Safety Authorities Network iRASFF RASFF's online platform IT Information Technology LOQ Limit of Quantification MLVA Multiple-Locus Variable number tandem repeat Analysis MRL Maximum Residue Levels NCP National Contact Point (for RASFF). OCR Official Control Regulation OJ Official Journal pH logarithmic scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution RASFF Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed ROA Rapid Outbreak Assessment STEC Shigatoxin-Producing Escherichia coli SCP Single Contact Point TRACES Trade Control and Expert System TSEs Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies US FDA United States (of America) Food and Drug Administration UI Urgent Inquiry WI Working Instruction WGS Whole Genome Sequencing 4.

4 RASFF Annual Report 2017. Contents Preamble 3. Acronyms used in this Report : 4. 1 A quick manual to the RASFF 6. The legal basis 6. The members 6. The System 6. 2 RASFF in 2017 8. Where do RASFF notifications come from? 9. RASFF notifications in 2017 13. 3 More facts and figures 38. Evolution of the number of notifications 38. 2017 notifications by hazard category and by classification 42. 2017 notifications by product category and by classification 43. Notifications country of origin 44. 4 Annex: in case you want more data 45. 2015-2017 notifications by country of origin 45. 2017 notifications by hazard category and notifying country 47. 2017 notifications by product category and notifying country 48. 2017 notifications by product category and type of control 49. 2017 non-member countries having provided follow-up 50.

5 2017 notifications by hazard category and risk decision 53. 5. RASFF Annual Report 2017. 1 A quick manual to the RASFF. The RASFF was put in place to provide food and feed (b) any recommendation or agreement with pro- control authorities with an effective tool to exchange fessional operators which is aimed, on a volun- information about measures taken responding to tary or obligatory basis, at preventing, limiting serious risks detected in relation to food or feed. or imposing specific conditions on the placing This exchange of information helps Member States on the market or the eventual use of food or to act more rapidly and in a coordinated manner in feed on account of a serious risk to human response to a health threat caused by food or feed. health requiring Rapid action.

6 Its effectiveness is ensured by keeping its structure simple: it consists essentially of clearly identified (c) any rejection, related to a direct or indirect risk contact points in the Commission, EFSA, EEA and to human health, of a batch, container or cargo at national level in member countries exchanging of food or feed by a competent authority at information in a clear and structured way by means a border post within the European Union. of an online System called iRASFF. Regulation (EC) N 16/2011 lays down require- ments for members of the network and the pro- The legal basis cedure for transmission of the different types of notifications. A distinction is made between noti- The legal basis of the RASFF is Regulation (EC) N fications requiring Rapid action ( Alert notifications).

7 178/2002. Article 50 of this Regulation establishes and other notifications (information notifications the Rapid Alert System for food and feed as a net- and border rejection notifications). Therefore, defi- work involving the Member States, the Commission nitions of these different types of notifications are as member and manager of the System and the added. In addition, the role of the Commission as European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Also Swit- manager of the network is detailed. zerland and the EEA countries Norway, Liechten- stein and Iceland are longstanding members of the RASFF. The members Whenever a member of the network has any infor- All members of the System have out-of-hours mation relating to the existence of a serious direct arrangements (24/7) to ensure that in case of an or indirect risk to human health deriving from food urgent notification being made outside office hours, or feed, this information is immediately notified to on-duty officers can be warned, acknowledge the the Commission under the RASFF.

8 The Commis- urgent information and take appropriate action. All sion immediately transmits this information to the member organisations of the RASFF for which members of the network. contact points are identified are listed and their homepages can be consulted online at the follow- Article of the Regulation lays down additional ing RASFF web page: criteria for when a RASFF notification is required. food/food/ Without prejudice to other Community legislation, the Member States shall immediately notify the The System Commission under the Rapid Alert System of: RASFF notifications (a) any measure they adopt which is aimed at restricting the placing on the market or forcing RASFF notifications usually Report on risks identi- the withdrawal from the market or the recall of fied in food, feed or food contact materials that are food or feed in order to protect human health placed on the market in the notifying country or and requiring Rapid action; detained at an EU point of entry at the border with an EU neighbouring country.

9 The notifying country 6. RASFF Annual Report 2017. reports on the risks it has identified, the product border rejection notifications and its traceability and the measures it has taken. A border rejection notification' concerns a consign- According to the seriousness of the risks identified ment of food, feed or food contact material that and the distribution of the product on the market, the was refused entry into the European Union for rea- RASFF notification is classified after verification by son of a risk to human health and also to animal the Commission contact point as Alert , information or health or to the environment if it concerns feed. border rejection notification before the Commission contact point transmits it to all network members. original notifications and follow-up notifications Alert notifications A RASFF notification referring to one or more con- An Alert notification' or Alert ' is sent when a food, signments of a food, feed or food contact material feed or food contact material presenting a serious that were not previously notified to the RASFF is risk is on the market and when Rapid action is or an original' notification, classified as Alert , informa- might be required in another country than the noti- tion or border rejection notification.

10 In reaction to fying country. Alerts are triggered by the member of such a notification, members of the network can the network that detects the problem and has initi- transmit follow-up' notifications which refer to the ated the relevant measures, such as withdrawal or same consignments and which add information to recall. The notification aims at giving all the members the original notification such as information on haz- of the network the information necessary to verify ards, product traceability or measures taken. whether the concerned product is on their market, so that they can take the necessary measures. rejected and withdrawn notifications Products subject to an Alert notification have been An original notification sent by a member of the withdrawn or are in the process of being withdrawn RASFF can be rejected from transmission through from the market.