Safety of South American food exported to Europe: an analysis of RASFF system notifications from the last 4 years

Resumo

South American countries (SAc) present a leading role in food production and exportation worldwide. Considering the potential scenario of an increase in the international trade between SAc and the European Union (EU), the objective of this study was to assess the notifications registered by the EU of food non-conformities in the last 4 years. For this purpose, data from 01-01-2020 until 08-04-2024 were collected and analyzed from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) system, managed by the European Commission. Data exclusively on food produced by Mercosur country members (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Bolivia despite the pending situation of the latest 2), were also considered for this analysis. Since 2020, 18,884 notifications have been registered, of which 726 corresponded to notifications from the referred countries. Out of the 726 notifications, 703 could have their main source tracked (either vegetable or animal-based) and the vegetable-based products presented higher records (76%) when compared to animal foods (24%). Brazil accounted for the highest number of notifications (63%), followed by Argentina (22%), Bolivia and Paraguay (each representing 5%), Venezuela (3%), and Uruguay (2%). EU countries that issued more alerts were the Netherlands (36.5%), Germany (26.2%), Spain (14.6%), Portugal (6.2%), and Poland (2.5%). 16% of these notifications corresponded to failures in quality management systems (e.g., incomplete documentation). The rest 74% corresponded to hazards that can lead to food safety outbreaks. Microbiological (mainly Salmonella sp.) and chemical (mostly pesticide residues) hazards are the most frequent factors reported. Brazil and Argentina are the countries with the highest prevalence of severe risks (62 and 24%, respectively), being those mainly concentrated on herbs and spices; and nuts, seeds, and derivatives, suggesting that there is room for improvement in quality and safety measures within these food sectors.