Food safety and public health within the frame of the EU legislation

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The purpose of this article is to examine some of the issues related to qualitative food safety within the framework of European Union legislation. The development of a multidimensional regulatory system at European level, which has necessarily included international sources, regulations and European Union laws, also relating to national and regional legislations, has rendered finding a balance between the legitimate interests of food producers and consumers problematic. In recent years, the ethical dimension of food has progressively developed, which has led to a greater attention to the way food is produced and consumed, while respecting health protection, food quality and European and international trade dynamics. On the consumer side, however, there has been a growing awareness of the possible risks linked to food and an attention to the issues of food safety. Such awareness is intensified by the use of certain technologies in the food sector. Consumers are increasingly looking to buy commercial products capable of minimizing damage to their health. Consumers consciousness has also influenced the industry, which has increasingly felt the need to pay greater attention to the entire production cycle, thus encouraging production carried out by following the correct methods of supply, processing, up to the final stages of packaging, storage, processing and distribution, in accordance with the “Good Agricultural Practices” (GAP). In conclusion, the important monitoring path of product traceability that has led to a significant increase in the commitment to EU legislative supervision, risk assessment and review of the substances used in food production.