The questions on Wednesday revolved around how consumers are protected in terms of food safety and further details on the process leading to product recalls.
The Ministry of Health's food safety unit regularly holds checks of food products and, in the event of any issues, launches product recalls. On average, there are around 120 product recalls every year in Luxembourg.
Foodstuff regulations revolve around two principles put at the centre on food verification. The first principle focuses on deception - in the event where a product may not have declared all the ingredients, intentionally or unintentionally - and the second revolves around the health of the consumer. Patrick Hau, from the Ministry of Health's food safety unit, elaborated on the process.
If the unit notices something out of the ordinary, they have two different types of warnings, Hau explained. The first type is a general alert which applies to all consumers. The second warning consists of an allergen warning, which only applies to those people with allergies on specific foodstuffs.
The unit also sends out a newsletter - those who wish to receive the information as soon as possible can subscribe to the newsletter.
Luxembourg's food safety service holds checks on both items produced in Luxembourg and imported items, the latter determines whether products coming into the country conform to Luxembourgish regulations. Hau explained that Luxembourg has 21 control systems in order to regulate the entire grocery chain.
Regulation encompasses every step - from food growing in the fields to the finished product on your plate. He stressed that every food processing facility must be able to trace its products, identify its suppliers, and know where products have been delivered from.
Consumers alone are not able to regulate where their food comes from and consequently have to have faith that the state strictly regulates food products, which, according to Hau, is certainly the case in Luxembourg. In his 20-year career, there have only been two incidents in which a consumer suffered from food poisoning before a product recall was launched.
In order to increase food safety, Luxembourg has three warning systems to exchange information with neighbouring countries. Hau said the authorities have a rapid alert system, which highlights health risks, alongside an administrative collaboration system. The latter allows Luxembourg to exchange information concerning items that do not conform to regulations with other member states. In these cases, there are no health risks, but the item can still be deceptive. Finally, the third system alerts member states to real fraud cases.
As of 2018, the EU has established its commission for quality, fraud, and food safety. The central institution has improved efficiency for those working at ground level, also giving consumers a clear contact in the event of food safety issues.
