Traditional foodstuffs and food safety and diversity in Europe
P. Gandalovic - A. Vassiliou - M. Barnier
© Cheick Saidou / Min.Agri.Fr
- from: 23.10.2008
- to: 24.10.2008
- In: Paris
The seminar on traditional foodstuffs and food safety held on 23 and 24 October in Paris reaffirmed the importance of preserving food safety and the diversity of traditional products for European citizens.
Harmonising European regulations in the area of food safety goes hand in hand with protecting quality traditional products – this was the point made by Paola Testori, the Deputy Director for Health and Consumer Protection of the European Commission and other European speakers at this two-day seminar. Representatives of the institutions, health authorities and food sectors of the different Member States were invited to reflect on and discuss the mechanisms for flexibility in the hygiene package. This set of rules aimed at harmonising sanitary standards in Europe does in fact allow for the use of traditional methods and the possibility of having them recognised at Community level.
The first round table focused on the importance of traditional products in Europe and taking account of the different European sensitivities with regard to the concept of quality and the importance of preserving traditional practices for the economic development of certain territories.
The second debate focused on risk assessment for traditional foodstuffs, while the third round table was marked by addresses from Michel Barnier, the French Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Health, and Petr Gandalovic, the Czech Minister for Agriculture. Barnier welcomed the hygiene package’s mechanisms for flexibility for reconciling European diversity and regulation with traditional know-how. Androulla Vassiliou, in turn, emphasised that the effectiveness of this flexibility was based on enhanced cooperation between the Member States who are better suited to evaluate local food safety. The green paper on agricultural product quality launched on 15 October by the Commission allows for the debates to continue until the end of 2008. The Czech minister also expressed his willingness to continue the European Union’s efforts to ensure a harmonious balance between quality, safety and tradition for foodstuffs. The next meeting will take place in March 2009 in Prague.
Contact:
Sébastien Rémy, sebastien.remy@agriculture.gouv.fr
Seminar on traditional foodstuffs and food safety - 23.10.2008
© Brice Amouroux - Min.Agri.Fr
- Updated: 23.12.2008
