Food safety oversight covers the entire food chain, from plant to animal. In 2023, the NVWA’s approach proved its value once again during an incident involving rodent poison. Immediate action was taken to mitigate risks. Consumers must be able to trust that their food is safe, and the NVWA works tirelessly to ensure this every day. Find out how the NVWA safeguarded and improved food safety over the past year.
The NVWA’s monitoring programs, risk assessments, and incident response were crucial in addressing an incident involving rodent poison. Immediate action was taken when rodent poison was found in a calf's liver. The NVWA imposed restrictions on farms using the substance and lifted them only after thorough investigation. Besides oversight and enforcement, the NVWA focuses on prevention by informing businesses about laws and regulations and raising consumer awareness. In 2023, 47% of the NVWA’s capacity was dedicated to food safety oversight. Funding sources included third parties (36%), the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (35%), and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (29%). The NVWA’s work is divided into eight domains, with the majority in the meat chain and food safety domain, including slaughterhouses.
The NVWA enhanced the safety of food, animal by-products, and animal feed through a risk-oriented and knowledge-driven approach. Stricter supervision of non-compliant companies continued. Reports and signals were prioritized and handled based on risk to reduce relevant hazards. The NVWA explored innovative techniques like AI for supervision and combated fraud in the food chain. Inspection results at slaughterhouses were made public. Self-monitoring by companies was encouraged, and the reporting obligation for potentially unsafe food and feed was tightened. Incidents in 2022 involving veterinary drug residues in meat led to increased oversight, which continued in 2023. Additional resources from the Coalition Agreement are bolstering the NVWA’s capacity and knowledge across all domains of food safety.
In 2023, the NVWA conducted 33,657 inspections at 16,028 companies, with 7,364 companies receiving measures. Most inspections took place in hospitality businesses, totaling 18,465. The NVWA maintains intensive oversight of the slaughter process at slaughterhouses.
Number of Inspections in 2022 and 2023
* excluding oversight of the slaughter process in slaughterhouses
** excluding oversight of slaughterhouses and supervision during certification prior to the movement of animals abroad
In 2023, the NVWA issued 194 safety warnings, 125 of which were related to unsafe food.
The most-read news item in 2023 from the NVWA concerned the blockade of farmers due to rodent poison found in a calf's liver. The article was viewed 13,451 times and generated many inquiries via social media channels.
More than half of the Dutch population uses dietary supplements. The NVWA investigates their safety and compliance with regulations. News reports from the NVWA on supplements containing prohibited substances reach a broad audience.
To enhance impact, inspections and the NVWA-IOD collaborate on investigations into the illegal sale of weight loss and potency-enhancing pills. In October 2023, the NVWA seized honey containing sildenafil, along with over €140,000 in cash, 9 gold bars, and drugs.
The complete NVWA results can be found in the Annual Report 2023.
Source: ©NVWA
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