Belgium’s Strong Commitment to Food Safety: Over 106,000 Inspections, 98% of Food Samples Pass Standards

In 2023, the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) conducted over 106,000 inspections at approximately 56,000 companies in the food chain. The results of these inspections were generally favorable, with 85 percent of cases yielding positive results. However, in cases where unfavorable results were obtained, the FASFC could take various measures such as issuing a warning (15,728 times), a report (10,044 times), or seizing products (2,174 times). If consumer health was at risk, the FASFC could also temporarily close down a company (399 times).

Furthermore, the FASFC collected and analyzed 64,648 samples of foodstuffs on the Belgian market. An impressive 98 percent of these samples met the required standards. This high percentage indicates a strong level of food safety in Belgium. Additionally, 22,552 checks were carried out at over 21,000 distribution sector companies – which include catering outlets, supermarkets, bakeries and butchers – resulting in a positive outcome in 69.3 percent of cases. The main areas of focus in this sector were providing accurate allergen information to consumers and maintaining proper hand hygiene standards.

The annual report revealed that Belgian food companies recalled 254 products from consumers last year. Over 80 percent of recalls were due to chemical or microbiological risks. Furthermore, there were 85 warnings issued because allergen information was missing on labels. Despite these challenges