The European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF)
The European Union offers one of the highest food safety standards in the world. One of the key tools for achieving this high standard is the RASFF - the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed. More than 3,500 RASFF notifications and more than 10,000 follow-up notifications annually, with a rising trend, are shared among network members. In its capacity as the national RASFF contact point for Germany, the BVL ensures the efficient exchange of information between the competent institutions and authorities across national borders.
- What is the Rapid Alert System RASFF?
- What products does the RASFF warn about?
- Who performs which tasks in the RASFF?
- How does the RASFF work?
- What are the different types of notifications?
- Where do I find notifications from the RASFF?
What is the Rapid Alert System RASFF?
Once a health hazard has been identified, swift alerts, information, cooperation and mutual exchange of information are called for: The European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) was initiated in 1979 for the protection of consumers. The RASFF is an intra-authority information network that actively operates across national borders. The members are the European Commission, all EU Member States, the four countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA states) Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA). The information exchange takes place via an online platform called “iRASFF“ (interactive RASFF) and allows RASFF members to act quickly and in a coordinated manner in response to a health threat caused by food or feed.
What products does the RASFF warn about?
The RASFF warns against foods, food contact materials and animal feeds that pose a health hazard. For example, in the case of food, the detection of mould toxins, foreign matter, or undeclared allergens can trigger a RASFF notification. Food contact materials include, for example, tableware, cooking utensils such as pots, pans and baking dishes, food packaging or disposable cups. These articles can pose a risk if substances hazardous to health migrate from the container into the food.
Just like food, feed for pets and farm animals, such as dog chews, bird feed, fishmeal and rapeseed cake, are also reported in the RASFF as soon as they pose a health hazard. Common reasons for a notification in the RASFF are contaminations with salmonella or molds.
Who performs which tasks in the RASFF?
Efficiency through short notification channels and clear hierarchies: RASFF contact points at the surveillance authorities and hubs both in each member state and at the European Commission, including the involved European authorities, allow for a fast flow of information around the clock, even on weekends.
In Germany, the BVL in its capacity as the national RASFF contact point, transmits information from other member states to the competent authorities in the 16 Federal States, and RASFF notifications from German surveillance authorities to the European Commission.
Furthermore, the BVL aggregates the RASFF daily notifications into reports and provides them to the contact points of the German Federal States, to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and other federal authorities.
How does the RASFF work?
If a consumer product is found to be objectionable, for example in the course of an official control, during a company's own inspection or on the basis of a consumer complaint, and poses a potential health risk, the competent surveillance authorities will take action. The authorities prepare a notification draft via the iRASFF online platform which contains all essential information on the identification of the product, on possible hazards, product tracing and distribution, but also on already taken measures.
This draft is then sent to the national contact point (in Germany to the BVL). At this level, each notification is checked, partly translated and then forwarded for validation to the European Commission. The notification is also reviewed by the European Commission and distributed to all contact points of the network members, so that they can take the necessary measures and carry out further investigations on their part, if necessary. Any additional, current, and relevant information that the notifying country or other RASFF members may have, is shared via the iRASFF in the form of so-called “follow-up notifications“.
Source: European Commission, Update BVL 2021
What are the different types of notifications?
Depending on the severity of the identified risk and the distribution status, the notifications are categorised and prioritised differently. Below, you will find an overview of the different notification types in the RASFF:
The highest priority is given to alert notifications: When a food or feed poses a serious risk to humans, animals, or the environment and therefore requires immediate action in another member state, an alert notification is issued. If the product concerned is already in circulation among consumers, an alert notification to the public is initiated through manufacturers, importers, traders, or authorities.
Information notifications do not require immediate action in other member countries because the product is not on the market there (information notification for attention) or because the risk associated with the concerned product does not require immediate action (information notification for follow up).
A Border rejection notification is transmitted when suspect food or feed has been rejected by a border post or a designated point of entry into the EU. The consignment concerned is returned to the country of origin or destroyed on site.
A news notification is a communication based on information that has not yet been verified or in which the cause of a risk has not yet been identified.
Where do I find notifications from the RASFF?
RASFF notifications are published on the internet. To provide consumers, businesses or stakeholders with access to notifications from the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, the European Commission hosts the "RASFF Window". The RASFF Window displays current notifications in English and the data can be used for your own evaluations relating to the RASFF.
The notifications are also published on the BVL homepage: An anonymised overview of the daily notifications of the rapid alert system in German as well as the daily notifications of the past months can be accessed here.
Legal notice:
The BVL assumes no responsibility for the correctness of the information in the daily lists that are published here. The information is further processed in the same form as it was made available to the BVL by the contact point of the respective member state via the EU Commission.
The publication of the daily reports is made in compliance with the Federal Data Protection Act.