EU: Freshfel stimulates European co-ordination in quality monitoring
The monitoring usually covers a wide range of potential contamination, checking products for pesticide MRL compliance but also other aspects such as microbiological criteria, additives, etc.
A dedicated working group of Freshfel Europe has started reviewing the possible synergies, similarities and gaps between the existing four private food monitoring schemes for fresh fruit and vegetables currently operating in Europe. These schemes include 4fresh in Germany, Food Compass in The Netherlands, FeLPartenariat in France and SOGUR in Switzerland. Andreas Brügger, chairman of Freshfel’s Food Safety and Quality Working Group, stated: “The Association will conduct in the coming weeks an inventory of the key operational aspects of the schemes looking at possible ways of increasing cooperation between these systems.”
He added: “Possible synergies might still further reinforce the efficiencies of these schemes by approximating methodologies while considering also possible joint efforts with regard to technical equipments or communication.”
These systems demonstrate the commitments of the sector towards high quality and safety and witness a due diligence approach from the sector.
These instruments currently review on a voluntary basis close to 10,000 samples of fresh produce each and every year. These samplings come on top of the 60,000 samples taken on a yearly basis at Member States level under the coordination of EFSA (European Food Safety Authority).
Findings of these private monitoring schemes are converging with the results of official EFSA reports.This initiative and review is an open exercise. Freshfel is therefore calling upon other similar schemes operating in Europe to join forces and contribute to the Freshfel review. “This exercise is valuable and has many advantages for the industry but also from a governance perspective. The schemes allow for a quick access to data to evaluate the situation in case of emergence of a food safety crisis and provide authorities with professional data” commented Frederic Rosseneu, Director for Quality and Sustainability at Freshfel Europe.
“Having data available in a timely manner is of great help for discussions with public authorities when confronted with a crisis,” he concluded.Progress on this dossier is expected to take place in the course of the first semester of 2012.