(RASFF) Annual Report 2009 - European Commission - Europa

The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF)
nor in the Netherlands. In Australia, one sample of semi-dried tomatoes was
found to contain hepatitis A.
The products could mainly be traced back to exporting companies in Turkey;
in particular one company occurred in both investigations in France and in
the Netherlands. Under the co-ordination of INFOSAN, Turkey provided
feedback on the products that had been exported to the EU in the period
under investigation. It has also given details on investigations into exporters
and producers of the semi-dried tomato products and on processes, HACCP
procedures and hygiene measures in place. No hepatitis A-infected material
could however be found.
Fraud
Why fraud is also relevant for food safety is amply illustrated with examples
in recent and not so recent memory. Often the perpetrators in their search for
quick profit do not have much thought for the serious harm their actions may
cause to human health. Important food incidents in the past, such as the dioxin
crisis in Belgium in 1999, the “MPA”-crisis in 2002, the illegal dyes problems in
2005 and the melamine crisis in 2008 had in common that their root cause
was an intentional fraud for economic gain. The table below sets out fraud
incidents reported through RASFF. Because of the fraud, the safety of these
products could not be guaranteed and products needed to be withdrawn or
recalled if they were already placed on the market.
2007 2008 2009
expiry dates changed (MS*) 2 1 4
false health mark (MS) 2 1 3
illegal import (TC**) 16 13 13
false health certificate (TC) 3 6 18
meat unfit for human
consumption (MS)
4 4 1
unauthorised establishment MS: 7, TC: 4 MS: 3, TC: 8 MS: 3, TC: 10
* Member States ** Third Countries
All above cases, except expiry date changes, concern only products of animal
origin. Such products can only be marketed if produced by authorised
establishments (both for products produced in the EU and imported) and a
health mark is placed on the packaging (only if produced in the EU). Some
important cases of fraud were uncovered with falsified health certificates for
products posing to originate from authorised establishments but most likely
having an entirely different origin. Such fraud often can only be effectively
uncovered with the assistance of the country declared as the country of
origin. This country can acknowledge or denounce the authenticity of the
41