The Food Safety Level in the European Union Underpinned by the Performance of the Private Companies

Background: Monitoring food safety in the supply chain has been one of the priorities of European consumer protection policies. In this context, during the last two decades, an important increase in notifications to the RASFF by private companies has occurred. Objectives: This study provides new insights by demonstrating that the implementation of private standards like GlobalGAP is not only linked to increased notifications, but also to a reduction in food safety issues when certifications are widespread. Approach: Thus, the effect of improvements in actions taken by companies, concretely applying the Global GAP protocol, on the number of notifications reported to the RASFF has been quantitatively measured through a multivariate analysis based on a panel of data from 18 European countries. Results: The results highlight that while private standards improve detection, they also reduce the risks, and that management made by producers, trading companies, and retail businesses are indeed highly relevant for the effectiveness of the RASFF as well as that enterprises have become a leading actor in maintaining food harmlessness. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of integrating private initiatives into public food safety policies. Specifically, the European Administration should incentivize certification adoption and enhance public-private collaboration to maximize food safety outcomes.