The European Commission published its 2022 report of the Alert and Cooperation Network. The report shows that there was a significant increase in agri-food fraud activity during the year, with the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) remaining the most active network. A total 4361 notifications were transmitted through the RASFF linked to health risks in relation to food or feed. In addition, 2554 Administrative Assistance and Cooperation notifications or non-compliances with the European Union's agri-food chain legislation which do not present an immediate health risk were also reported with a further, 600 suspected cases of fraud notified.
The highest number of notifications (990) were linked to pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables, a marked 20% fall compared to 2021. Among suspicions of fraud, the most frequent notifications were related to the illegal movement of cats and dogs with 276 in total, while more than half of those involved animals coming from outside the EU borders. Pets were often accompanied by counterfeit health certificates, illegally issued EU passports providing false information on the origin, or forged rabies anti-body laboratory results. The latter is of particular concern for animals coming from countries where rabies remains widespread.
The EU Alert and Cooperation Network is made up of members of the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed network (RASFF), the Administrative Assistance and Cooperation network (AAC) and the Agri-Food Fraud Network (FFN).
Report here
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