(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) The latest report by the European Union's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) shows that Oman received the least notifications on food product exports with health threats between 2011 and 2013. This means that food exports from Oman to EU are well managed and among the safest.
The report ranked the sultanate 117th among 143 countries that were issued such notifications with China topping the chart followed by India and Turkey.
Compared to China being notified 1530 times Oman received only one adverse notification each in 2011 and 2013 for fish and fish products exports and the consignment was stopped at the European Union border. During the same period India received 933 notifications and Turkey got 854.
According to the notification detail for Oman there was an absence of health certificates for and poor hygienic state of chilled snapper and grouper exported in 2011. In 2013 the notification was for poor temperature control (-1.9/-2.2°C) of frozen meagre (Argyrosomus.spp).
In 2013 a total of 3137 notifications were issued through RASFF. 'In our latest 2013 report you will find that Oman was country of origin for one notification. Three notifications in total concerned Oman in 2013. For two notifications it concerned distribution from EU to Oman. Only one notification implies exports are well managed' Jan Baele an RASFF official said.
RASFF is an IT tool that facilitates cross-border flow of information between national authorities responsible for food safety.
It is a network between European Economic Area (EEA) countries. Although legislation foresees that third world countries can apply no official application has been registered. 'Oman was notified when a risk was detected with a product exported from Oman to the EEA or when a risk was detected with a product exported from the EEA to Oman' Baele said.
RASFF was put in place to provide food and feed control authorities with an effective tool to exchange information about measures taken in responding to serious risks detected in foods. This exchange of information helps member states to act more rapidly and in a coordinated manner in response to a health threat caused by food or feed.
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