The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed Safety
In the European Union the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) represents the EU’s integrated approach to feed and food safety.
The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASSF) was established in 1979 to provide EU control authorities with a tool to exchange information on the detection of food and feed risks. It covers all four types of food hazards: Chemical, Physical, Biological and Allergens.
How RASFF Works
When an EU member state detects a feed or food safety risk – through the various detection measures which exist within its country – the member state notifies the European Commission using the RASFF system. The European Commission then disseminates the notification to other member states to enable them to take appropriate action. There are three different types of RASFF notifications (Table 1).
Table 1: The types of RASFF notifications
| Notification | Description |
| Alert | A food or feed presenting a risk is on the market and rapid action is required |
| Information | A food or feed presenting a risk has been identified but other members in the network do not need to take rapid action because the product has not reached their market |
| Border Rejection | Notification that a consignment of food, feed or food contact material was refused entry into a member state |
This exchange of information allows EU Member States to act in a rapid and co-ordinated manner in response to feed and food safety issues. As a result, the risk of contaminants in foods is reduced.
RASFF Portal
The RASFF Portal is an interactive searchable online database open to the public. It provides summary information on any RASFF notification issued in the past. This data can be used for a variety of beneficial activities including the identification of hazards, foods or countries causing the most problems; or to track the occurrence of a particular hazard over time.
If you would like to explore the RASFF portal the link is added to the “See Also” section below.
What we would like you to do
Please access the RASSF portal here. Under the subtitle ‘Type’ search for ‘feed’ notifications which have been classified as ‘alert’.
Please share your thoughts on the notifications related to animal feed:
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What are the common issues reported?
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Are you surprised at the type or number of alert notifications related to animal feed?
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Do you think the RASFF tool is advantageous in helping to control contaminants in feed?
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Do you know of any similar tools?
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