Mineral oil in foods
Which law forms the basis of food policy in the EU?
The EU has different types of legislation that relate to food. Some rules apply directly to all Member States, without having to be transposed into national laws. These rules are called regulations. The General Food Law Regulation (178/2002) is an example.
The General Food Law Regulation forms the basis for food and feed policy in all member states. The law has established principles, conditions and procedures regarding food safety and feed production and distribution.
Although the General Food Law Regulation has represented a positive step forward, we cannot yet call the law a success. There are too many loopholes that food fraudsters gratefully exploit, and consumers are still too exposed to the dangers of unsafe food. Measures that can be taken based on the law are more reactive than preventative. Thus, large-scale honey and horsemeat fraud occurred and is still occurring. Consumers are often inadequately informed about food scandals to protect the interest of the industry.
foodwatch already published a report on the shortcomings of the General Food Law Regulation back in 2018. foodwatch called for the enforcement of traceability of food products clear and demanded that the public should be informed timely about food risks without withholding information. In addition, retailers must also test products themselves. Supermarkets currently bear no responsibility if something is wrong with food in their shops.