In global food trade, where products travel thousands of kilometres in a short time, the speed of information exchange is a key element in building trust. The European Union, a leader in safety standards, created the RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) system. This advanced tool acts as a digital shield, protecting consumers and business partners worldwide in real-time!
What is the RASFF system?
The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) is an information network connecting the control authorities of EU Member States and central institutions. Its main task is to ensure that any information regarding a detected health threat – whether microbiological, chemical, or physical – is immediately transmitted to all market participants¹. This enables coordinated corrective actions to be taken before the product reaches the consumer’s table.
Precision and Transparency in Action
At the heart of the system is transparency. As soon as a national control body detects food that does not meet strict EU standards, it generates a notification that enters a database accessible to all countries in the network. The system categorises incidents into:
Alerts: When a product posing a serious risk is already on the market and requires immediate action (e.g., a recall).
Information: When a risk has been identified, but the product is not yet in circulation or the threat is lower.
Border Rejections: When customs control stops a product from outside the EU, preventing its entry into the single market¹.
Why is RASFF a Guarantee of Quality?
The presence of the RASFF system is proof that European food is subject to constant, multi-level verification. It is not merely a crisis response system, but primarily a preventive tool. Continuous monitoring allows for:
Rapid elimination of threats: Response time is measured in hours, minimising the impact of any irregularities.
Building stable supply chains: Trade partners from other continents can be certain that EU-certified products come from an area with a high degree of sanitary supervision².
High consistency of standards: Constant pressure from inspections forces producers to maintain high technological regimes.
The RASFF system is the foundation of the European food safety model. Thanks to it, national borders are no barrier to the flow of information, and “farm to fork” standards receive real, technical support!
