In many European countries, there is still insufficient funding and manpower available for proper control of food safety. This emerges from a study by the European umbrella organization of consumer groups (BEUC). The study was conducted in twelve EU countries, including the Netherlands.
Food and products such as eggs, milk, and meat are checked less and less often. Furthermore, only a few countries make the results of inspections at food producers, restaurants, and shops public.
New rules on how EU countries must report will come into effect in mid-December. These will make comparisons easier. Also, in the future, control agencies will be able to impose higher fines in cases of fraud.
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Although the budget and number of jobs at the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority increased, the authority itself recalled that for certain tasks there were insufficient resources available, the researchers note. The Dutch Safety Board previously judged (after the fipronil egg scandal) that the way food safety is controlled in the Netherlands is insufficient. According to the board, there is no structured approach to discover and assess emerging risks, which can unnecessarily cause people to become ill.