The European Commission received almost 6,500 comments on plans to simplify food and feed safety legislation.
Feedback came from a range of stakeholders, including the public, trade groups, companies, consumer associations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies and academic institutions.
The goal is to clarify and modernize legislation regarding plant protection products, biocidal products, feed additives, hygiene requirements and official controls at EU borders.
Initiative proposes actions in areas related to the establishment of maximum residue levels for pesticides, as well as changes and renewals of permits; bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance and risk management system; flexibility in official plant inspections at border checkpoints; and accreditation requirements for reference laboratories.
Feedback Examples
The European Consumer Organization (BEUC) said the precautionary principle must remain the cornerstone of EU decision-making when regulating food and feed.
“Any reduction in safety measures or reporting requirements should only be considered if scientific evidence can demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt that it will not have a negative impact on consumer health, environmental sustainability, animal welfare and food supply,” the organization said.
Several stories rejected any relaxation of pesticide regulations “in favor of so-called red tape reduction.” A number of companies, including Bayer and Ecolab, commented on the plans.
FoodDrinkEurope said simplification must find the right balance between competitiveness and consumer protection, ensuring proportionate pre- and post-market requirements that promote innovation, as well as a risk-based system that prioritizes resources where they matter most.
“FoodDrinkEurope believes that the scientific and risk analysis framework of food safety legislation should continue to evolve in line with these objectives, promoting a common understanding of acceptable risk and recognizing that striving for zero risk is neither scientifically feasible nor proportionate.”
Testbiotech, a German institute specializing in genetic engineering, said existing rules should only be simplified if it would improve transparency and food safety.
“This initiative could also lead to lower standards for risk assessment and labeling of products derived from genetically engineered microorganisms, such as enzymes used in food production,” the institute said in comments.
Other issues raised
The International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC) said it supports the overarching goals. The group focused on updating the Regulations on Official Controls in 2019 regarding non-conforming consignments.
“As a result, European importers and suppliers were faced with conflicting interpretations in different Member States regarding the fate of shipments rejected for exceeding aflatoxin limits. In some cases, Member States viewed reprocessing or destruction as the only options, while others interpreted that shipments could be returned to the country of origin.”
The European Millers' Association has expressed concern about the “complicated” renewal process of aluminum and magnesium phosphide (phosphide salts). Phosphine is used for fumigation and control of insect infestation in stored grain products.
CLITRAVI, the European Meat Industry Association, said the European Food Safety Authority's data collection system could not be realistically used by quality managers in food companies. Converting laboratory certificates into DCF-compliant data requires significant time and resources that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) cannot afford.
The Insect Conservation Society, a US non-governmental organization, said proposals to ease BSE regulations for insect production systems require careful study due to the pathogen's documented transmission routes.
“Before any changes are made to the SE/TSE framework for insect farming, mandatory species testing of each of the nine permitted species must be conducted for their ability to transmit prions and bioaccumulate pathogenic agents from animal by-products.”
The European Spice Association said Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notifications should include more detailed information about the operators involved, especially in cases of repeated non-compliance by the same firms.
“In cases like the recent issues surrounding black pepper from Brazil, action must be targeted and specific to avoid unfairly penalizing an entire country or industry.”
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