Foodwatch Calls for Stricter European Regulation to Protect Consumers from Contaminated Food

The consumer protection organization Foodwatch called on the European Union on Tuesday to tighten regulations on contaminated and unhealthy food, one year after the scandal involving eggs contaminated with the insecticide fipronil.

– The EU does not protect 500 million consumers in Europe from health hazards and fraud in the food market, said Foodwatch leader Thilo Bode on Tuesday ahead of a press conference in Brussels.

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The organization demands changes to European food regulations to ensure that food can be traced throughout the entire production chain. They also want faster and more complete public information in case of violations of these regulations.

The regulation came into effect in 2001 after the “mad cow disease” scandal. In April of this year, the regulations were amended to improve risk assessment, but Foodwatch warns that the changes are not sufficient.

They remind of the scandal involving eggs contaminated with fipronil, an insecticide whose use is not permitted on animals intended for human consumption.

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One year ago, fipronil was discovered in millions of eggs in at least 45 countries, including 26 of the 28 EU member states. Countries were informed about the contamination through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).

Foodwatch emphasizes that the public learned about the contamination two months after the first signs appeared. They have also called for the disclosure of the names of manufacturers and products in cases of fraud or health risks.