Belgians raise record number of food safety concerns in 2024

Belgium’s food safety agency FAVV received more consumer reports last year than ever before. In total, the Consumer Contact Point registered 5,222 complaints in 2024—an increase of 7% compared to 2023. That’s an average of 21 complaints per working day.

Hygiene and suspected illness top the list

Most complaints concerned hygiene issues (30%). Consumers reported concerns about the cleanliness of establishments, staff hygiene, or signs of vermin. Another 27% of reports came from individuals who said they fell ill after eating a specific food product. Complaints about storage conditions—such as temperature control or expiry dates—accounted for 17%.

Over half of complaints prompt action

FAVV treats these signals with urgency: 94% of complaints were handled within 30 days. In 49% of the related inspections, the issues raised turned out to be valid. In a further 6%, inspectors found other types of violations not mentioned in the original complaint. Overall, 55% of the reports led to on-site measures.

Sharp rise in consumer questions too

In addition to complaints, FAVV handled 4,322 consumer questions in 2024, up more than 10% from the previous year. These questions covered topics such as labelling, product recalls, and hygiene. A full 98% were answered within four working days.

Deputy Prime Minister David Clarinval says the record number of reports shows that consumers are becoming more alert, and that the system is functioning as it should.

Favv-afsca.be