The different types of RASFF notification
The different types of RASFF notification
According to Regulation (EU) 178/2002 Article 14, no food shall be placed on the market if it is dangerous, i.e. if it poses a risk to the consumer or is unfit for consumption.
In accordance with Article 17, the food business operator is legally responsible for the compliance of a food with food safety.
A food business operator must immediately inform the competent authorities when a food which it has placed on the market may be harmful to human health.
The European Food Safety Authority is the recipient of messages circulating in the rapid alert system. Messages shall be analysed in order to provide the Commission and the Member States with all the information necessary for risk analysis.
The European Rapid Alert System (RASFF) for the notification of a direct or indirect risk to human health deriving from food or feed is established as a network.
Below are the three main types of RASSF notifications:
- ALARMS are sent when a food presenting a serious health risk is on the market and rapid action is required. The RASFF member who identifies the problem and takes appropriate action (e. g. product withdrawal) triggers the alert. The purpose of the notification is to give all RASFF members the information to confirm whether the product in question is on their market, so that they can also take the necessary measures.
- INFORMATION notifications are used when a risk has been identified on food or feed placed on the market, but other members do not have to take rapid action because the product has not reached their market or is no longer present on their market or because the nature of the risk does not require rapid action.
- BORDER REFUSAL notifications concern the refusal of a lot, container or cargo of food or feed that has been tested and rejected at the external borders of the EU (and the European Economic Area - EEA) when a health risk has been identified. Notifications are sent to all EEA border posts in order to strengthen controls and ensure that the rejected product cannot enter the EU through another border post.
EU notifications are available on the RASFF portal to the attached link: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/portal/?event=SearchForm&cleanSearch=1
In addition, our Regulatory Watch service publishes every Monday on our website, the EU notifications issued during the week with the associated regulatory limits in addition.
