EFSA 2023 Report Highlights Compliance and Governance in Food Safety

EFSA minimizes non-compliance with pharmacologically active substances in food safety control plans. The report states compliance and governance in food safety is the focus of the 2023 report and found within control plans across Europe have been minimal.

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published its report 2023 regarding the occurrence of pharmacologically active substances and their residues in food with particular attention on compliance and governance under the EC. And, based on the document uploaded by EU member states, Iceland, and Norway, only 602 out of 548,194 samples (0.11% ) were found to be non-compliant with specially set food safety standards.

The report introduces a new arrangement for classification of samples according to three plans:

• National risk-based control plan for own domestic production: 0.15% non-compliance
• National randomised surveillance plan: 0.29% non-compliance
• National risk-based control plan for imports from third countries: 0.23% non-compliance

EFSA's findings indicate that compliance and governance provide elements of value in assessing work that safeguards the integrity of the European food chain. The data also supports European Commission risk managers and Member States in assessing the efficiency of current control programs as well as in identifying areas for improvement to lessen the levels of non-compliance in upcoming years.

This will be achieved by testing the efficacy of the mitigation measures put into place. It is expected that compliance and governance in the EU food system would further increase due to this initiative. The evidence is relevant to the development of mature future policies and follow-up actions reducing risk from active substances and residues in food.