The Belgian Food Agency finds problems with food labels in more than half of its inspections during an operation throughout the country.
The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) in Belgium reported that 53 percent of checks showed that one or more product labels did not meet the requirements of European regulations or did not contain mandatory information.
About 150 FASFC officials took part in the operation in June to investigate the labeling of pre-packaged foods. More than 1,240 points of sale were visited throughout Belgium.
Labels provide important information for the consumer, such as the expiration date, and accurate information about allergens that must be written in the correct language.
Problems with food labeling
Inspections on this subject were announced in advance and the aim was to make companies aware of the importance of correct labeling for food safety.
In almost 20 percent of the cases, the deviations on the labels posed a risk to the health of the consumer. In a third of the cases, the correct expiry date was missing, in more than 22 percent of the checks the full list of ingredients was not on the label and in 20 percent of the cases allergens were not highlighted.
In almost a quarter of the cases, the label was not in the language of the region where the product was sold. Other shortcomings included the absence of the sales name or contact details of the responsible operator. This data provides consumers with information and helps them make an informed choice about a product.
Warnings and fines were issued in 36 percent and 17 percent of the cases, respectively. The FASFC ensured that the labels were corrected by reporting non-conformities directly to those responsible for labeling. Several dozen cases involved operators in countries such as the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Poland and Germany.
Aline Van den Broeck, spokesperson for the FASFC, said: “The results of this targeted action show that companies still need to be more aware of the importance of correct food labeling to ensure consumer safety. More than 700 FASFC inspectors are present on site every day to monitor food safety. We take every opportunity to inform professionals and explain the regulations to them.”
Taco Opinion
Belgian experts have also said that food products intended for tacos cannot be stored at a temperature of up to 30 degrees C (86 degrees F) for three hours due to the microbial risk.
The Scientific Committee provides advice regarding risk assessment and risk management on topics of interest to the FASFC.
Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus were identified as relevant hazards. Food items included cooked charcuterie, pasteurized cheese, and heated vegetables used to make tacos that are prepared on-site upon request for immediate consumption.
Experts said so based on the available informationincluding shelf life tests, challenge tests and simulations, the requested deviation from storage for three hours at room temperature (with a maximum of 30 degrees C) instead of the legal temperature of 7 degrees C (44.6 degrees F), is not acceptable in the field of food safety.
Time/temperature combinations acceptable for the affected products during taco preparation range from 30 degrees C (86 degrees F) for a maximum of 30 minutes to 22 degrees C (71.6 degrees F) for a maximum of 1 hour and 15 minutes.
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