In 2014, a total of 3157 original notifications were transmitted through the RASFF, of which 751 were classified as alert, 410 as information for follow-up, 623 as information for attention and 1373 as border rejection notification. These original notifications gave rise to 5910 follow-up notifications, representing an average of about 1.9 follow-ups per original notification. For alert notifications this average rises to an impressive 4.4 follow-ups per original notification.
Compared to 2013 some important differences are noticeable. The alert notifications figure has increased by more than 25% while the other notification types were reported significantly less. The overall figures present an insignificant 1.1% decrease in original notifications compared to 2013 but a 14.6% increase in follow-up notifications, resulting in an overall increase of 8.7%. The overall conclusion can thus be that in 2014, RASFF focused on its “core business” being enabling competent authorities to withdraw foods or feeds from the market presenting a significant risk to consumers, thereby increasing the efficiency of the network. Follow-ups to alerts make this possible through informing other countries and authorities about the risk, analytical results, measures taken and traceability of the products at risk.
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