Three sentenced in Belgium as part of fipronil egg scandal
By: Roisin Keane Date: June 11, 2021
Three people in Belgium have been sentenced for their roles in the 2017 fipronil affair that involved hundreds of poultry farms. Prison terms range from one year to 18 months suspended for endangering public health and damages were awarded to civil parties. Seven individuals and four firms faced the court in Antwerp. Investigations started in […]
May Enforcement Orders
By: Roisin Keane Date: June 8, 2021
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that three Closure Orders were served on food businesses during the month of May for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020. The Closure Orders were issued by environmental […]
World Food Safety Day 2021
By: Roisin Keane Date: June 4, 2021
Food safety is an important public health issue and a fundamental element of good health and sustainable development. In the WHO European Region, it is estimated that every year, more than 23 million people fall ill from eating contaminated food and over 4600 people die. World Food Safety Day on 7 June draws attention and […]
EFSA opinion on titanium dioxide (E171) published
By: Roisin Keane Date: May 19, 2021
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published an opinion that concluded that based on the overall evidence available, titanium dioxide (E171) can no longer be considered as safe when used as a food additive. It is a widely used food additive that has been considered safe for over 50 years. According to EFSA, the […]
Researchers say zero risk not possible in food safety
By: Roisin Keane Date: May 6, 2021
There is no such thing as zero risk when it comes to food safety, according to researchers. Consumers, industry and governments typically desire foods that are free of any risk but scientists said zero risk is unattainable in food production regardless of the severity of inactivation treatments or stringency of sampling programs. Risk-based approaches such […]
Nestlé and FSAI reveal challenges posed by COVID-19
By: Roisin Keane Date: May 6, 2021
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the Nestlé company have shared how they handled challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, including doing official controls and dealing with supply shortages. During a session at the International Association for Food Protection – Europe recently, the presenters covered the experiences of the regulator and food company in […]
Tesco fined £7.56m for selling out of date food
By: Roisin Keane Date: April 20, 2021
Tesco has been fined £7.56m by a judge for selling out of date food at three of its Birmingham stores. The supermarket chain was handed the penalty by a judge at Birmingham magistrates court on Monday and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £95,500, Birmingham city council said. It was also ordered to pay a […]
New Rules on Transparency and Sustainability in the EU Food Safety System
By: Roisin Keane Date: April 7, 2021
A new regulation on transparency and sustainability of EU risk assessment in the food chain was passed by the European Parliament and Council of the EU and it will apply from 27 March 2021. It aims at increasing the transparency of EU risk assessment in the food chain, on strengthening the reliability, objectivity and independence […]
FSAI Issued 167 Food Alerts and Food Allergen Alerts in 2020
By: Roisin Keane Date: March 18, 2021
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today announced that 167 food alerts and food allergen alerts were issued in 2020, compared to 107 in 2019. Of these, 112 were food alerts and 55 were food allergen alerts. Food alerts are notifications issued by the FSAI relating to an identified hazard i.e., a biological, chemical […]