FOOD SAFETY: IN 2009, 470 THOUSAND CONTROLS AND 11.7% VIOLATIONS RECORDED. MARTINI, UNDERSECRETARY OF HEALTH: “ITALY IS LEADER IN EU CONTROLS. STRICTER PENALTIES ARE PLANNED”. THE NAS CONFISCATED ONE THOUSAND TONS FOR A TOTAL OF 3.5 MILLION EUROS

In 2009 the national and local health and veterinary services have checked more than 470.000 units of stock and food for distribution (33% on the Italian territory) and found 11.7% violations. These are the figures from the Ministry of Health on the control activities to ensure food safety and public health. “Italy is one of the most advanced countries in Europe regarding controls on food safety. However, this should not make us complacent” said the Undersecretary for Health Francesca Martini, who announced stricter penalties. And in 2010, in only one month’s time between June 20th and July 20th, the NAS (Division for the Prevention of the Adulteration of Food) during the “Safe Food” operation, confiscated over one thousand tons of food worth 3.5 million euros on the distribution chain.

The highest percentages of irregularities, according to Ministry figures, were committed by producers and packers who do not sell retail (28.4%), followed by the restaurant sector (19.9%). The most frequent types of violations: general hygiene (44.4%) and personnel, facility and personal hygiene (41.2%). In particular, in 2009, the public health service laboratories analyzed a total of 143.785 samples, of which there were 2487 irregularities. Concerning stricter penalties, the Undersecretary for Health said, “there is already a government bill currently under discussion in Parliament. The goal is to place a greater deterrent on self-regulatory systems that businesses are already supposed to do”. Highlighting the role of Italy in the European rapid alert system, which annually manages and resolves about 3200 cases, Secretary Martini concludes, “for the fourth consecutive year Italy is top in number of reports of food irregularities from EU and third countries”.