Analysis of the original notifications in the Tuscany region “Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed” in the seven-year period 2015-2021

Abstract

The original notifications (n=1355) managed by the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the Tuscany region in the seven-year period 2015-2021 were analyzed. 68.9% of them were classified as alert notifications, and they mostly originated (56.3%) from official controls on the market, followed by the company's own checks (29.1%). Italy was the most represented notifying country (73.3%) and the most represented country of origin of the notified products (64.5%). Out of the 28 considered food categories, “fish and products thereof” (F), “cereals and bakery products” (C), “bivalve mollusks and products thereof” (B), and “meat and meat products (other than poultry)” (M) were the most notified. F were especially notified for the presence of heavy metals (45.7%), C for undeclared allergens (32.1%), B for microbial contaminants (Escherichia coli, 49.6%), and M for pathogenic microorganisms (55.9%), mostly Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. This study provides an updated framework for the main food safety issues at the regional level. The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed should be periodically analyzed to evaluate historical trends and emerging or poorly known hazards. This is especially important for the planning of official control activities and the prevention of risks through the food supply chain.