Definition of Food safety

Food safety
The European Union has made food safety one of the main priorities of the European policy agenda. It is a horizontal objective to be taken into account in several areas of Community competence: the CAP and its rural development pillar, the environment, public health, consumer protection and the internal market.

The public debate initiated by the Green Paper on the general principles of food safety led in January 2000 to the publication of the White Paper that marks an important step in the adoption of new food law. In this document, the Commission announced the development of a legal framework covering the entire food chain - "from the farm to the fork" - in accordance with a global, integrated approach. According to this logic, food safety relates to: animal feed and animal health, animal protection and welfare, veterinary checks, animal health measures, plant health checks, the preparation and hygiene of foodstuffs. The White Paper also stresses the need to initiate ongoing dialogue with consumers so as to inform them, educate them and listen to them.

Adopted in February 2002, the regulation forming the basis for the new food safety legislation defines five fundamental general principles:

•an affirmation of the integrated nature of the food chain;
•risk analysis as the cornerstone of this policy;
•the responsibility of operators in the sector;
•the traceability of products at every stage of the food chain;
•citizens' right to clear and accurate information.

It also founded the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), whose main tasks are to provide independent scientific opinions on food safety issues, to collect and analyse data on any potential or emerging risk and to maintain an ongoing dialogue with the public.

See:

•Animal welfare
•Common agricultural policy (CAP)
•Consumer protection
•Environment
•European Union agencies
•Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
•Precautionary principle
•Public health
•Rural development