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An overview on the European Alert Network, combined with a case study on melamine contaminated foods
In 2009, the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (in short: RASFF) celebrated 30 years of existence within the European Union. This European Alert Network has evolved to one of the most important safety tools in the Food and Feed sector and it is therefore often presented as one of the great success stories of the EU's integrated approach to food safety. Having the significance of this mechanism in mind, in order to ensure a high level of Health Protection, this Article provides an overview of the legal basis of the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed and shows how this System functions in the practice; it also traces the history of this System from its beginnings and gives a vision how it may develop over the coming years. Moreover, is demonstrated that in the melamine poisoning case, where a plastic substance had been added to milk and milk powder by a Chinese producer in order to imitate a higher protein level, the European Rapid Alert System had proven how efficient it was; just as the safety measures that have been undertaken in this case, it started with a news flash from the RASFF. Hence, a case study on melamine contaminated foods has been incorporated into the present Article.
I. Introduction
In her opening speech, held in Brussels on 16 July 2009 on the occasion of the Conference regarding the 30 years of RASFF that had been organised by DG Health & Consumers, the Commissioner, responsible for Health, Mrs Androulla Vassiliou, pointed out that the "Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed is a crucial tool for ensuring food safety in Europe" by explaining that this Alert System "has grown over a period of 30 years into a highly valued instrument that its operators use to exchange information, in real-time, about actions they have taken to ensure food and feed safety."1 As we know, the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (in the following: RASFF) enables information to be shared rapidly and efficiently between the European Commission, the official food and feed control authorities in the Member States, the European Food Safety Authority (in...