30/10/2022, 17:28 RASFF - food and feed safety alerts

Food Safety

RASFF - food and feed safety alerts

About RASFF
The EU has one of the highest food safety standards in the world – largely thanks to the solid set of EU
legislation in place, which ensures that food is safe for consumers. A key tool to ensure the flow of
information to enabling swift reaction when risks to public health are detected in the food chain is RASFF –
the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed.

Created in 1979, RASFF enables information to be shared efficiently between its members (EU Member
State national food safety authorities, Commission, EFSA, ESA, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland and
Switzerland) and provides a round-the-clock service to ensure that urgent notifications are sent, received and
responded to collectively and efficiently. Thanks to RASFF, many food safety risks had been averted before
they could have been harmful to European consumers.

Vital information exchanged through RASFF can lead to products being recalled from the market. A robust
system, which has matured over the years, RASFF continues to show its value to ensure food safety in the
EU and beyond.

New publication: ACN Annual Report 2021 (/document/download/e8b14245-1f30-4f2b-bf5c-

5e70e525e753_en?filename=acn_annual-report_2021-final.pdf) EN •••

RASFF portal
The RASFF portal features an interactive searchable online database. It gives public access to summary
information about the most recently transmitted RASFF notifications as well as the ability to search for
information on any notification issued in the past. Access the RASFF portal

RASFF consumers' portal

The RASFF consumers' portal has been available for consumers to use since June 2014. The portal
provides the latest information on food recalls and public health warnings in all EU countries. Access the
RASFF Consumers' Portal
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The European Commission created the RASFF database to keep its information as transparent as possible to
the consumers, business operators and authorities around the world. In doing so, however, it needs to strike a
balance between openness and protection of information that could lead to disproportionate economic
damage.

Related links
Information note on EU measures concerning the illegal use of fipronil on some poultry farms (10
August 2017) EN •••
Access the RASFF portal
Access the RASFF Consumers' Portal
RASFF video presentation
RASFF annual reports and infographics EN •••
Country fact sheets EN •••
Q&A Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed EN •••
History of RASFF as a timeline EN •••
How does RASFF work EN •••
RASFF Portal user manual
Regulation (EC) No 178/2002

Further information

Country fact sheets (/safety/rasff-food-and-feed-safety-

alerts/country-fact-sheets_en)
The country fact sheets available for RASFF member countries give a picture of their activity in the
RASFF.

Ethylene oxide incident / food additive (/safety/rasff-food-and-

feed-safety-alerts/ethylene-oxide-incident-food-additive_en)
In 2021 food and feed crisis coordinators meetings took place regarding the presence of ethylene
oxide above the limit of quantification in locust bean gum (food additive E410).

Ethylene oxide incident / sesame seeds (/safety/rasff-food-and-

feed-safety-alerts/ethylene-oxide-incident-sesame-seeds_en)
In 2020, a food and feed crisis coordinators meeting took place regarding the detection of ethylene
oxide residues in sesame seeds from India.

How does RASFF work (/safety/rasff-food-and-feed-safety-

alerts/how-does-rasff-work_en)

How are notifications made (/safety/rasff-food-and-feed-safety-alerts/how-does-rasff-

work/how-are-notifications-made_en)
Types of RASFF notifications (/safety/rasff-food-and-feed-safety-alerts/how-does-
rasff-work/types-rasff-notifications_en)

Implementing regulation and guidance (/safety/rasff-food-and-

feed-safety-alerts/implementing-regulation-and-guidance_en)
Commission Regulation (EU) No. 16/2011 lays down the implementing measures for the Rapid Alert
System for Food and Feed. It stipulates the duties of the RASFF network members and defines the
different types of notifications.
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Members of RASFF network (/safety/rasff-food-and-feed-safety-

alerts/members-rasff-network_en)
Contact points in the Commission, EFSA, EFTA surveillance authority and at national level in
member countries.

RASFF consumers' portal (/safety/rasff-food-and-feed-safety-

alerts/rasff-consumers-portal_en)
The RASFF consumers' portal is a consumer-friendly internet tool providing latest information on
food recall notices.

RASFF portal (/safety/rasff-food-and-feed-safety-alerts/rasff-

portal_en)
Notifications shown in the RASFF portal are so-called "original notifications". Find out what they
mean.

Reports and publications (/safety/rasff-food-and-feed-safety-

alerts/reports-and-publications_en)
A gallery of our publications.

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