News EWFC – Polish Poultry

In relazione ai stretti rapporti che l’ATS UNPISI ha con l’EWFC, di cui è membro effettivo, si condivide a beneficio degli eventuali interessati quanto di seguito.

EWFC has followed with great interest the investigation carried by the Commission into the Polish poultry meat scandal, which led to outbreaks of Salmonella food poisoning causing illness and, in some cases, the death of consumers.

Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Tilly Metz (Verts/ALE) has played a conspicuous role in questioning the Commission on their actions to control and remedy the Polish problems.

We produce below her further question to the Commission and their response, in which they state that, a further audit of the relevant Polish industry will be carried out later this year as a result of which, they, “May impose measures protecting all EU consumers”.

We will study these audit results and the Commission’s response in detail and assess whether, in our opinion, this protects all EU consumers.

As a follow-up to the response given by the Commission to Written Question E-000725/2024[1] on hygiene issues in the Polish poultry sector, I would like to ask additional questions.

The Commission’s 2021 audit concluded that Salmonella contamination remained an issue of considerable concern in the Polish poultry sector. The audit highlighted important shortcomings in the design of and controls over hazard analysis and critical control point plans and assessed that the Salmonella risk in the sector had not been addressed properly.

• Why was the October 2021 audit only a documentation verification rather than an audit performed on-site?
• How will the Commission continue to monitor the situation in the Polish poultry sector?
• What measures will it take if the planned 2024 audit fails and could one such measure be a temporary export ban on Polish poultry if the sanitary situation does not improve?

Submitted:25.4.2024

Answer given by Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

10.6.2024

Written question

The COVID-19 pandemic precluded on-site verifications. The audit outcome was therefore based on a review of documentation and control records pertinent to the scope of the audit and interviews and discussions with representatives of the competent authorities at various levels, via videoconference.

The audit report[1] contains recommendations to the Polish authorities to address the identified shortcomings and to further enhance the control system.

Based on these recommendations, the Polish authorities had to take appropriate measures to remedy the shortcomings and draft an action plan, which is being followed up by the Commission’s experts. The audit planned for this year will contribute to this follow-up and assess the effectiveness of the actions taken.

In accordance with Article 53 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002[2] in case food or feed originating in the EU pose a serious risk to human health, animal health or the environment, the Commission may impose measures protecting all EU consumers.

• [1]Health and Food Audits and Analysis Poland 2021/7187 https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/audit-report/details/4520
• [2]Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1-24 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32002R0178