Press conference by Tonio Borg, on the 35th anniversary of the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF)

On 13 June 2014, Tonio Borg, Member of the EC in charge of Health, held a press conference on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). RASFF is primarily an IT tool designed to swiftly exchange information between national authorities on health risks related to food and feed. A Member country that identifies such a health hazard informs the rest of the RASFF network of the product concerned and on what measures have been taken. Measures include: withholding, recalling, seizing or rejecting products. This rapid exchange of information allows all RASFF members, in real time, to check whether they are also affected and if urgent action is needed. Member States' authorities have the power to take an array of emergency measures, including giving direct information to the public and withdrawing products from the market. Tonio Borg presented the results of the 2013 annual report on RASFF, which shows that besides its main role of ensuring food safety, it is a crucial tool to trace back and withdraw products where fraud was detected.
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