From farm to fork
Safe food for Europe’s consumers

European Commission

Manuscript completed in June 2004

Catalogue number: NA-59-04-540-EN-C

Text only:    99.5 Kb

Illustrated version: 580 Kb

Food safety is a top priority in Europe. The EU’s demanding rules have been further toughened since 2000 to ensure that Europeans’ food is extremely safe. The new approach is more integrated: feed and food are carefully tracked from the farm to the fork. EU authorities carefully evaluate risk and always seek the best possible scientific advice before banning or permitting any product, ingredient, additive or GMO. This applies to all feed and food, irrespective of whether it comes from inside or outside the EU.
Safety does not mean uniformity. The EU promotes diversity based on quality. European law protects traditional foods and products from specific regions by ensuring consumers can distinguish them from copies. The European Union is increasingly encouraging its farmers to focus on quality - not just in food but also in the rural environment.
The EU also respects the consumer's right to informed choice. It encourages public debate, it requires informative labelling and it publishes the scientific advice it receives, so that consumers can have confidence in the food they eat.