EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) Notifications (Week 30, 2024)

According to the latest notification on the official website of the EU, in the 30th week of 2024, the EU Rapid Warning System for food and feed (RASFF) issued two alerts related to Chinese food and related products. These warnings remind us that food safety issues are equally of concern in European countries and require the utmost attention of our export companies.

First, France reported A case involving beverage bottles that detected levels of bisphenol A (54.8 μg/l) and aluminum migration (5.2 mg/kg) in excess of EU standards. Such problems may cause consumers to question the safety of products, which will affect the international image of our products. Fortunately, the relevant products have been promptly removed from the market and recalled from consumers, reducing the safety risk.

Secondly, a case of food supplements in Germany has also attracted wide attention. The product was found to contain a novel food ingredient (Rhizoma pinelliae praeparate) not authorised by the EU. This incident shows that when exporting products, companies must strictly review the added ingredients to ensure that all ingredients comply with EU regulations and standards.

In response to these two incidents, experts remind Chinese export enterprises that they must strictly comply with the regulatory requirements of the importing country and do not use unauthorized substances. At the same time, companies also need to ensure that the amount of migration of various substances in food contact materials meets EU standards to ensure product safety and reduce export risks.

In order to better cope with food safety issues, enterprises should pay close attention to the early warning information of RASFF, timely adjust production and export strategies to avoid potential food safety risks. In addition, enterprises should also strengthen communication and collaboration with the relevant departments of the EU countries to jointly cope with food safety challenges and enhance the competitiveness of Chinese food in the international market.

The issue of food safety cannot be ignored, and export enterprises should always be vigilant and strictly comply with EU regulations to ensure product quality. At the same time, enterprises also need to actively respond to food safety challenges to improve the reputation and status of our food in the international market.