Ensuring food safety requires robust screening approaches capable of detecting the administration of growth-promoting agents in livestock. While previous metabolomics studies have demonstrated proof-of-concept, most were limited to a single class of compounds and offered only partial metabolome coverage due to the use of individual analytical platforms. The present study aimed to develop a comprehensive classification model through a more global exploration of the metabolome. This integrative workflow represents a major step towards implementing effect-based metabolomics screening within official food control frameworks. A total of 502 urine samples from six experiments (n = 59 cattle) involving β-agonists, steroids, and SARMs were analysed using four complementary LC-HRMS platforms. This multi-platform approach expanded metabolome coverage by capturing a wide range of molecular fingerprints. Multiblock Consensus-OPLS analysis was applied to integrate the four datasets into a joint modelling strategy, thereby enhancing data interpretation. This strategy provided an innovative framework that increased the predictive power of the classification model and underscored the complementarity of the LC-HRMS techniques. Overall, this comprehensive workflow enabled the efficient classification of samples from animals subjected to multiple anabolic treatments within a single analysis. Such advances not only strengthen detection capabilities but also offer a versatile tool to address key public health concerns.

Listeria (L.) monocytogenes is an environmental pathogen that can contaminate a wide variety of food products, leading to foodborne listeriosis outbreaks. In this context, ready-to-eat (RTE) foods of animal and plant origin are of particular relevance as the source of infection. In Germany, the official food and veterinary control laboratories, under the sovereignty of the federal states, examine foodstuffs for the presence of foodborne pathogens, including Listeria. The German National Reference Laboratory for L. monocytogenes regularly organizes inter-laboratory proficiency tests (PTs) to monitor the accuracy and comparability of analyses performed by these official control laboratories. In our study, we provide summary data on frequently contaminated RTE food products in the European Union and present the outcome of five consecutive PTs. RTE food matrices provided by the German National Reference Laboratory for L. monocytogenes included processed meat, fish, vegetable, and dairy products. Overall, the official control laboratories achieved excellent results in the PTs. In total, 91 participants were documented. Flawless results were reported in 93.4% of the cases. Only four times, participants did not pass the PT in the first attempt. By performing official food and veterinary controls along the food chain, control laboratories make a significant contribution to food safety. To keep the excellent standard of the official control laboratories in Germany in line with future challenges in food safety, PTs with relevant RTE food matrices are indispensable.

Finnish food inspectors' experiences and perceptions of remote inspections' suitability and reliability and their willingness to use remote inspections in the future were studied by using an electronic questionnaire survey and interviews. In addition, their perceptions of the sufficiency of the official guidance of remote inspections was studied. In total, 111 food control officials representing 44 out of the 62 (71%) municipal food control units responded to the questionnaire. In addition, 12 food inspectors were interviewed from six municipal food control units (9.7%). Most of the respondents considered remote inspections suitable for inspecting own-check entries (94.5%) and documents (92.7%). The reliability of remote inspections was influenced by the inspection issue, preconditions for the inspection and the food business operator's history of compliance. Official guidance on remote inspections was under-utilized and mostly replaced with local practices during the pandemic. All respondents and interviewees wanted to use remote inspections as one inspection method in the future. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the willingness to inspect operations remotely was influenced by the inspector's opinion on whether the outcome of a remote inspection would be as reliable as the outcome of an on-site inspection (p = 0.036). This study indicates that remote inspections are suitable for inspecting documentation but should only be used to complement on-site inspections. In addition, guidance and education are needed for further development of remote inspections. • Remote inspections are most suitable for own-check entries and documents. • Technical preconditions and FBO's previous compliance history influenced reliability. • Remote inspections can be used to complement on-site inspections.

The presence of mycotoxins in cheese is a significant concern due to their potential health risks. Mycotoxins can contaminate cheese through two main routes: indirectly via contaminated animal feed, and/or directly, because of mold growth on dairy products. It has been reported that cheese may contain metabolites of aflatoxin B1 such as aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), aflatoxicol (AFL), and, its precursor, sterigmatocystin (STC). This study presents a reliable method for the simultaneous determination of AFM1, AFL, and STC in cheeses made from ovine, goat, or buffalo milk. The method was developed using single liquid extraction, clean-up by an immunoaffinity column (IAC), and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) determination. The method was subjected to initial validation according to EU regulations, which outline the required performance parameters and criteria of analytical methods for official food control. The limits of quantification (LOQs) of the method for AFM1, AFL, and STC are 2.0 ng/kg, 5.0 ng/kg, and 1.0 ng/kg, respectively. The method was applied in a study for the assessment of mycotoxin transfer from milk to cheeses and also their growth.

Brominated flame retardants (BFR) are a broad class of substances with great economic importance. They can accumulate in the environment and become persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Two major substance classes are the 1,2,5,6,9,10-hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA). Because of their known toxicity and potential accumulation in the food chain, their detection in food is crucial. A sensitive method was developed and successfully validated to quantify the three most pertinent HBCDD isomers, α-, β- and γ-HBCDD and TBBPA in a wide variety of food matrices, including fish, meat, oil and insect powder. As an improvement to the methods described in the Guidance Document on the Determination of Organobromine Contaminants of the European Union Reference Laboratory (EURL) POPs our method is a time- and cost-saving alternative fulfilling all relevant parameters required for official food control by using commercially available laboratory equipment. The powdered sample is extracted without further clean-up on a sulfuric silica gel column and analysed via ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The method performance was demonstrated for the matrices insect flour, fish and olive oil with focus on the parameters linearity (0.1 to 10.0 ng mL−1 for HBCDDs and 1 to 50 ng mL−1 for TBBPA), trueness (89.7–118.6%), repeatability (1.59–9.46%), recovery of deuterated standard (63.8–105.6% for HBCDDs), limit of detection (≤ 0.005 µg/kg for HBCDDs and ≤ 0.046 µg/kg for TBBPA) and limit of quantification (≤ 0.016 µg/kg for HBCDDs and ≤ 0.147 µg/kg for TBBPA). The method was successfully applied in proficiency tests organised by the EURL POPs on the determination of HBCDDs and TBBPA in various food matrices.

The Working Group on Method Performance Requirements (WG-MPR) of the European Network of GMO Laboratories (ENGL) and the EU Reference Laboratory for Genetically Modified Food and Feed (EURL GMFF) have extended the scope of its guidance document on the “Definition of minimum performance requirements for analytical methods of GMO testing”. This document establishes criteria for the development and validation of methods for GMO analysis, both for EU market authorization applications and for official food and feed control. The guidance outlines definitions and performance requirements for methods used to detect and quantify GMOs and has recently been expanded to include digital PCR methods, the detection of genetically modified animals, and the analysis of products developed using new mutagenesis techniques. The guidance document is freely available on the EURL GMFF website (https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC125975 accessed 25.02.2025).

The aim of the study was to analyse the frequency and sources of food safety hazards based on the results of research performed within the framework of official food control and monitoring, by the District Sanitary and Epidemiological Station. Basing on the published references, the concept of food safety was discussed, as well as the legal regulations in this respect at EU and national level. Hazards present in food (chemical, biological, physical) were also characterized. The analytical part was based on data from 558 food samples taken as part of official food control and monitoring performed by the District Sanitary Inspectorate over three consecutive years. It was found that during the analysed period, the largest number of samples tested for food hazards came from the groups: confectionery and pastry products; poultry, offal and poultry products, eggs and eggs products; milk and milk products. Samples were mostly collected at hypermarkets, food discounters, bakeries and confectioneries and convenience stores. The directions of the analyses varied significantly between product groups, with the most common being microbiological hazards and the content of additives, including preservatives, dyes and substances other than sweeteners and dyes. Confectionery and pastry products were most frequently tested for microbiological contaminants, while additives were mainly determined in delicatessen and culinary products. During the inspections, 15 food samples were called in question, and in one case the product labeling was questionable. The reasons for questioning the quality of food were the presence of microbiological contaminants such as: thermophilic Campylobacter bacteria, Salmonella bacteria, including S. enteritidis, an excess of Enterobacteriaceae, the presence of biological contaminants and inappropriate caloricity of the meal.

Today, there is a significant “digital divide” in the agricultural sector between developing and developed countries. Such a digital disparity has negative consequences on the international competitiveness of these countries and their ability to comply with Food Satefy Standards. We propose a theoretical model to analyze the role of smart agriculture in the ability of countries to comply with international food safety regulations, specifically the Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for contaminants such as aflatoxins, pesticides,and heavy metals. Firstly, we show that reducing the digital divide will always improve international food safety and food security (availability of a global supply). However, it can lead to more intense international competition, potentially causing a perverse effect: underinvestment in good agricultural practices by more digitally advanced countries. Furthermore, the digital catch-up of less advanced countries cannot sufficiently reduce health risks in international markets unless accompanied by strengthening official food control systems. Finally, we show that such digital catch-up encourages lowering MRLs rather than relaxing them, contrary to what producers or authorities might hope.

Food authentication significantly impacts consumer health and the credibility of Food Business Operators (FBOs). As European regulations mandate the verification of food authenticity and supply chain integrity, competent authorities require access to innovative analytical methods to identify and prevent food fraud. This study utilizes the DNA metabarcoding approach on meat preparations, sampled during an official control activity. It assesses animal and plant composition by amplifying DNA fragments of the 12S rRNA and trnL (UAA) genes, respectively. The results not only confirmed the declared species but also revealed undeclared and unexpected taxa in products labelled as containing a single animal species and various unspecified plant species. Notable findings such as the presence of Murinae, Sus scrofa, Ovis aries, and Pisum sativum could raise public health concerns, compromise consumer choices made for ethical or religious reasons, and reflect the hygienic conditions of the processing plant. This study demonstrates that the DNA metabarcoding approach looks to be a promising support tool for official control authorities to ensure food authenticity and safety, and to develop risk profiles along the supply chain.

An LC–Orbitrap–HRMS method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of four tetracyclines—oxytetracycline (OTC), tetracycline (TC), doxycycline (DC), and chlortetracycline (CTC)—in milk. This method involves sample extraction with McIlvaine–EDTA buffer solution (pH 4) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) with Oasis HLB cartridges, followed by the evaporation of the extract and its reconstitution with a 14% methanol aqueous solution before injection into the instrumental system. This method has been validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, selectivity, precision, and accuracy, in accordance with Commission Decision 2002/657/EC requirements. Compared to existing methods, this approach optimally combines a quantitative procedure for extracting analytes from the milk of different species, including sheep, bovines, and goats, with a very short LC–Orbitrap–HRMS instrumental analysis time (only 8 min), simultaneously ensuring high precision, sensitivity, and applicability as a rapid confirmation method in official food control laboratories. The proposed method was applied to determine the concentration levels of OTC in milk samples derived from healthy Sardinian sheep and those naturally infected with Streptococcus uberis, after the intramuscular administration of an antibiotic, in order to evaluate how much of the drug was “subtracted” during penetration from blood into milk, with a potential effect of reducing its therapeutic efficacy.

Foodborne diseases can be prevented by implementing a food safety system that manages food chain risks from producer to end-user, from a One Health perspective. In 2017, the European Parliament and the European Council adopted Regulation No. 625 on official food controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed laws and rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products. Italy issued a national law, Legislative Decree No. 27/2021, to adapt and adhere to European standards. We aim to describe the adoption and implementation of the new Legislative Decree by an Italian Food Hygiene and Nutrition Service, specifically focusing on the amendments introduced by Articles 7 and 8, namely the establishment of the second expert opinion and dispute procedures, and their integration with the promulgation of Article 70 of Legislative Decree No. 150/2022. These modifications aim to reduce the number of minor offenses that proceed to trial.

The use of blockchain technology to establish food traceability chains has the potential to provide transparent information of food stuffs along the entire supply chain and also aid in the documentation or even execution of official food control processes. Particularly in instances where analytical methodologies cannot provide definitive data for food control questions under study, the certificate-based approach of a traceability chain may offer a way of regulatory control for state authorities. Given the rising importance of organic produce and the high share of eggs among the organic produce in the European Union as well as the new EU regulation on organic products and labelling that came into force in 2022, we analyze here how the control of egg production type and marketing standards can be represented within a blockchain-based traceability chain such as to maximize the traceability in compliance with the current relevant EU regulations. Intended for the use by the official food control authorities, a traceability chain for organically produced eggs in the EU would need to be implemented as a permissioned blockchain, since only select entities are allowed to participate. By combining a proof of authority consensus mechanism with issuance of soulbound tokens, we effectively suggest a 'proof of soulbound authority' consensus process. The soulbound tokens are issued throughout the administrative chain from the European Commission down to the official food control authorities in individual member states that ultimately certify the control bodies for organic produce. Despite the general limitation of not providing unambiguous proof of the organic status of individual products, the concept discussed here offers advantages with respect to allocation of authority at EU level and therefore might have positive effects beyond the traceability chain.

The aim of deliberations is to describe the concept of animal welfare in official food control in EU and national legislation. The author first describes the approach to welfare in relation to the development of agri-food chain regulation. Then she presents consumer expectations in this area and the concept of a new farm-to-table strategy. Consequently, she notes that official inspections are carried out in connection with verifying compliance with EU legislation in the area of animal welfare requirements, not in the area of welfare. This seemingly minor linguistic difference means that the legislation has as its primary objective the quality and safety of food of animal origin. In this context, animal welfare requirements are therefore rules verified by competent authorities to try to take into account the animals’ ability to feel in the food production process.

Aluminium (Al) is the third most common element in the Earth’s crust and occurs naturally in drinking water and agricultural products, and humans are consequently exposed to the element from dietary sources. A tolerable weekly intake of 1 mg/kg has been established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA); however, no maximum levels for aluminium in foodstuffs have so far been established in the European Union (EU) legislation. Official food control requires validated methods for the determination of aluminium. Acid digestion assisted by microwaves is the main sample preparation technique used for the determination of aluminium, usually in combination with atomic spectrometry for quantification. In the present study, different parameters in the digestion step were investigated including test portion, digestion temperature, the reagent used and duration of the digestion to assess the aluminium extraction. The presented work is following up on an observation from a proficiency test (PT) on trace elements (including aluminium) in cocoa powder organised in 2020 by the European Union Reference Laboratory for metals and nitrogenous compounds in feed and food (EURL-MN), where the participant results for aluminium showed an unexpectedly large variation. In addition to the PT material, different certified reference materials were included in the present study, and the results highlighted that the temperature and reagent used are the most critical parameters to obtain a satisfactory sample digestion prior to aluminium determination. Based on the obtained results, it is recommended to digest food samples with a mix of ultrapure water and nitric acid for 25 min at a temperature of at least 240 °C with a mix of HNO3 and H2O to achieve satisfactory microwave-assisted digestion.

The purpose of this deliberation is to introduce the distinction between official controls and other official activities introduced by the EU legislator in the general regulation concerning the verification by the competent authorities of the Member States of obligations arising from EU legislation on the agro-food chain. The author introduces the evolution of the concept of ‘official control’, then she defines the dichotomous division of tasks into official controls and other official activities. In doing so, she identifies the three-pronged test set out in the EU regulation for the classification of a given activity into a specific category. Consequently, she argues that both concepts will include both official controls, as functionally defined in administrative law doctrine, and other activities, including epidemiological surveillance or auditing. At the same time, she notes that the term ‘official food control’ has become even more conventional in new EU legislation. Not only does it diverge significantly from the doctrinal understanding of control, but it also grows beyond the issue of food and, while the adjectival mark distinguishing it from activities undertaken by Food Business Operators seems justified, the term ‘official’, in the light of the possibility of entrusting duties in this area even to natural persons, seems inadequate. From a doctrinal perspective, therefore, it remains to be qualified by the construct of administrative police. On the other hand, in the sphere of legal language, the use of this term has only a purely pragmatic justification related to the abbreviated form, already familiar to the recipients, under which the de facto verification of compliance by the subjects of the EU legislation on the agri-food chain with these provisions is concealed.

Official food control laboratories ensure food safety using reliable, validated methods. Council Regulations (EC) No. 853/2004, 854/2004 and 882/2004 of the European Parliament established hygiene rules the production of food of animal origin, together with requirements for official controls. This leads to detailed requirements for Trichinella control set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1375 of 10 August 2015. These regulations require the laboratory to participate in proficiency testing (PT) to confirm their competence and improve the quality of testing, and require the PT Organizer to use methods for the preparation and preservation of parasite larvae in order to evaluate and improve detection. Traditional methods of preparing such larvae expose them to rapid degradation, making it necessary to simultaneously isolate the larvae and place them in meatballs to ensure quality. We developed a technique for preserving of Trichinella spp. for quality control such as PT sample preparation. The procedure protects larvae against toxic oxygen activity and bacterial destruction via a gelatin barrier. To estimate the viability of larvae preserved by this method, gelatin capsules with 10 larvae of T. spiralis in each were stored (4-8 °C) during 45 days of an experiment. Samples were tested at 2 day intervals (3 samples each day of testing). In total, 75 samples were tested. Larvae remained alive up to 3 weeks. The number of living larvae diminished after 27 days through day 43, after which no living larvae were observed. The gelatin medium procedure facilitated easy, high-throughput sample preparation and supported 100% recovery for 3 weeks. The method allows fast, efficient and accurate PT sample preparation.

Validated differentiation of Listeria monocytogenes serogroups by FTIR spectroscopy using an Artificial Neural Network based classifier in an accredited official food control laboratory

Patterns in official food control data – Modelling dioxin and PCB profiling data for authentication of Baltic Sea salmon

Towards common useable spectra in non-targeted analysis - A feasibility study by mid-infrared spectroscopy, transfer and correction approaches

ABSTRACT This study examines the response of food business operators (FBOs) to the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to food safety and FBOs’ experiences of remote inspections performed by official food control. The study was conducted between November and December 2020 with a web-based questionnaire for food processing businesses in Finland. Most of the 60 responded FBOs had made changes to many own-check sectors such as working hygiene (83.4%) and preparedness for special situations (78.0%). Of the FBOs, 47.1–83.0% assessed that the changes in the own-check sectors had a positive impact on food safety and 43.2–100.0% believed that some of the changes would remain after the pandemic. Of the FBOs, 69.8% found on-site inspections at least partially replaceable with video inspection of the production areas. This study shows that, although the pandemic seriously interfered with food production, it also induced FBOs to take measures that promote food safety.