UK businesses will be required to align with relevant EU regulatory requirements within the scope of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, regardless of whether they export to the EU or sell only to the UK market.
TraceMap supports national authorities in identifying food safety threats and improving EU-wide coordinated response. A pilot version of TraceMap was recently used to support the investigation of globally distributed cereulide-contaminated infant formula.
Following Codex recommendations for risk-based allergen Precautionary Allergen Labeling (PAL) and thresholds, the European Commission has posted a forthcoming draft act to its public feedback portal on harmonized requirements for the use of voluntary PAL statements.
Arachidonic acid oil (AHA oil) from a Chinese supplier was identified as the source of cereulide toxin contamination in infant formula produced by Nestlé and other well-known
brands. Imports of Chinese AHA oil are now subject to stricter EU border checks.
With the goal of supporting stronger risk assessments to address emerging food chemical risks, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reviewed existing data sources; data gaps and challenges; and recommendations for improving data availability, quality, and interoperability.
Amid the ongoing global infant formula recall due to possible cereulide contamination, some countries have reported cases of mostly mild gastrointestinal illness in infants who had consumed infant formula, but confirming cereulide exposure is a challenge.
A high proportion of Campylobacter and Salmonella from food-producing animals across Europe are resistant to antimicrobials that are important to human medicine. Escherichia coli resistance to last-resort carbapenems is growing.
EFSA conducted a safety reevaluation for the sweetener sucralose, resulting in no change to the acceptable daily intake (ADI). EFSA also considered a proposed extension for the use of sucralose in fine bakery wares, but was unable to determine its safety.
An EFSA survey found that only one in ten respondents reported awareness about the health risks of seafood, and one-third of seafood consumers ate species high in mercury three or more times a week.
Per EFSA’s latest annual report on veterinary drug residues in food-producing animals and their products, only 0.13 percent of samples were non-compliant in 2024.
