Food supplement traceability
All medicinal products for human use marketed in Italy carry an antifraud sticker (the so called “bollino ottico”), an adhesive sticker containing all information required for the identification of a medicine and of each single pack of it. The function of this sticker is to ensure the traceability, and consequently the safety of the drug.
There is no equivalent of the pharmaceutical sticker in the food sector, including food supplements, however the issue of traceability is an aspect that is equally important. In fact, the traceability of food and their relevant ingredients along the whole food chain is an essential element to ensure food safety.
Regulation (EC) no. 178/2002, laying down the general principles and requirements of food law in the European Union, contains specific norms to allow the traceability of food and ingredients, and establishes the application of procedures to ensure that traceability is always safeguarded.
The above regulation contains, first of all, the definition of «traceability» itself, i.e. the ability to trace back the path followed by a food or a substance intended to be incorporated into a food through all stages, starting from its of production to its processing and final distribution.
Regulation (EC) no. 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs establishes that the responsibility for food safety falls on the food business operator (FBO). This means that food business operators, such as companies marketing food or food supplements, are also responsible for the safety of the products.
This also means that operators are bound not only to ensure that the products comply with the provisions of the food legislation but also to inform competent authorities in case they have reason to believe that a food they have marketed can be a potential risk for the consumers’ health, and manage the recall of its batches from the distribution channel, when necessary.
If the product has already reached the hands of the final consumer, the operator can inform consumers about the reason of the recall, recalling the products already supplied to consumers, if necessary. This case depends on the assessment of any possible risk for health.
For product recalls in Italy, the FBO shall inform the consumers on the product at risk, also by dedicated notices in stores, and shall publish the recall using specific procedures involving locally competent health units, the Italian regions and the Ministry of Health.
It is therefore essential for the operators marketing a food or a food supplement to prepare and maintain all procedures and documentations required to ensure immediate traceability for a product along the whole food chain.
Written by: Valentina Generoso
