On occasion, the project shall be informed Safe foods, which was part of the IPA program, is important to further ensure food security and protect Icelandic consumers regardless of EU accession. The project enables the Icelandic authorities, Matvælastofnun (MAST) and the municipal health inspectorate (HES) to better enforce regulations on food safety and consumer protection, which have already been implemented in Iceland through the EEA agreement.
- According to a regulation, at least 190 pesticides are required to be measured in food and a capacity to measure at least 300 pesticides is required.
- Today, only 63 pesticides are measured, so it is not known whether other pesticides are present in food in this country.
- Samples of natural toxins such as fungal toxins and samples for measuring toxins in shellfish need to be analyzed abroad today.
- In 2011, 8 of the 276 control samples for pesticides were measured above the permitted limit, while in 2012, 3 of the 275 control samples were measured above the permitted limit. So far this year, 5 of the 140 control samples have contained pesticides above the permitted levels.
- The most recent example is that on 6 August 2013, imported spinach was recalled from the consumer market due to a pesticide identified in the product that is not allowed to be used in vegetable cultivation in Europe.
Background
Iceland has had an exemption for the analysis of fewer pesticides in food samples, which is required by EEA rules, while improvements are being made to chemical analyzes. The preconditions for this exemption and the necessary improvements will be eliminated if the implementation of the project "Safe food" does not take place, which also covers more contaminants and constituents in food. As things stand today and if the Icelandic government is unable to respond, food security in Iceland is at risk rather than working towards the necessary improvements in accordance with existing plans and commitments.
Consumers must be able to ensure that food in Iceland does not threaten their health, and the above task is part of ensuring this. Therefore, this project is primarily related to the implementation of current regulations aimed at improving food safety in Iceland.
It is essential for consumers to be able to trust that the food they buy and consume does not threaten their health. The key goal of this project is to further increase food security in Iceland and protect consumers by ensuring the wholesomeness of food on the Icelandic market. The project is therefore urgent for Iceland to be able to meet all the obligations we have undertaken by adopting and implementing food legislation in the EEA.
Short response times are key to food security threats. Iceland is geographically isolated and it is therefore necessary to ensure that the necessary research and security services are always available in the country. To this end, MAST has entered into a safety and priority service agreement with Matís on food safety. Matís is an official laboratory that is responsible for diagnosing the main pathogens and contaminants in food that are likely to be found in Iceland, but the company also provides advice on sampling, analysis of food samples and participates in risk assessments of food safety.
The project Safe foods was launched to work on the development of the necessary equipment to detect pesticides, contaminants and other substances that can be found in food. Research staff and regulators should also be trained in the use of equipment, legislation, sampling and quality issues related to food control and food research. These are tasks that are in fact part of current legislation, which requires sampling and analysis, as well as the necessary training for inspectors, and inspections are based on risk assessment and recorded procedures.
The project was originally intended to be funded through an IPA grant, but given that this grant is unlikely to be received, it is necessary for the Icelandic government to fund the project and even work on its solution with the involvement of foreign partners MAST and Matís, who are willing to to contribute.
Further information is provided by Ingibjörg Jónsdóttir at Matvælastofnun and Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir at Matís.