SAFEFOODNET : A survey on the activities related to chemical food contamination in new member countries and associated countries of the European Union

The primary goal of SAFEFOODNET, a Specific Support Action of the Framework Programme 6, is to promote Associated Candidate Countries (ACC) and New Member States (NMS) capabilities of addressing all aspects relating to chemical food safety. SAFEFOODNET consortium, that started in January 2005, has 20 partners from 17 countries which include 4 Member States (Italy, Denmark, Germany and Belgium), 10 NMS (Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Malta, Cyprus), and 3 ACC (Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey). The first step was to have a picture of the systems of chemical food safety in the participating countries. These have been achieved by the activities planned in a project working groups aimed at focusing on strategies/approaches and capabilities of monitoring food chemical contamination (WP3). Experts in WP3 have prepared standardized forms (questionnaires) for the collection of relevant information at national level on analysis performed to determine residues and contaminants in food according to both local and international monitoring programs. Such questionnaires have been encompleted on-line by the co-ordinator or by the institution addressed by the co-ordinator. The questionnaire was divided in two parts: the first one consisted of the profile of the institutions; the second part was more specific and aimed at collecting details on each chemical contaminant/toxic substance (or groups) the institute conducted. Laboratory infrastructure, monitoring strategies as well as sampling and analytical procedures have been described for each Country. The data are still being elaborated; however some local specificities can be observed.