A Rapid Alert System for Food and Fodder (RASFF) will be implemented and developed in Moldova. The Government approved a relevant bill to amend and supplement the Law on Food Safety, IPN reports.

The system is a tool designed to swiftly exchange information between authorities on health risks related to food and feed and to warn the population about such risks. The objective is to ensure the highest possible level of consumer protection.

The Rapid Alert System for Food and Fodder will include a communication network that will consists of officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Interior, the Customs Service, the Consumer Protection Agency and the National Food Safety Agency. The latter will administer the network and will represent the RASFF National Contact Point.

A network member that identifies a public health risk informs the rest of the RASFF network of the product concerned and on what measures have been taken. Measures include: withholding, recalling, seizing, rejecting or withdrawing products from the market.

The changes were made in a move to adjust the national legislation to the European one in accordance with the commitments undertaken by Moldova through the Association Agreement with the EU.