New controls for fruit & veg imported to within the EU

The EU today stepped up its various controls at customs for imported fruit and vegetables in an attempt to stop consignments with traces of pesticides or other harmful substances from entering the member states.

The law, introduced today, gives guidelines throughout the EU concerning the official inspection of certain foodstuffs entering the European Union from non-member countries, especially from developing countries.

Systematic checks of all documentation accompanying such shipments as arrive at customs, in addition to more frequent "physical" checks of these shipments.

The overall intention of this increased vigilance is to ensure that no shipments are being imported with substances on them that could be harmful to either humans or animals, like "aflatoxins" a fungal toxin which is a powerful liver carcinogen, found particularly in undeveloped and developing countries, or pesticides on fruit and vegetables.

The European Commission will carry out regular checks to ensure that the new rules are being strictly applied in all the member countries.

In addition, the authorities in Brussels will revise the list of affected produce on a quarterly basis, taking into account the experiences of each country and the most recent scientific data available, to make sure that EU consumers have a "high level of protection".