The assertion of Donald Trump in accordance with which US meals is safer than its European counterpart is with out basis, says the perfect EU meals safety official, which insists that the block requirements will not be negotiable and can’t be used as a tactic in business interviews.
In the latest try to justify the charges now paxitus on agricultural merchandise, the President of the United States has stated that the imported meals, included by the European Union, will not be positive for American shoppers and doesn’t fulfill US requirements.
“They will not be inspected. They may very well be very soiled and disgusting, enter and pour and harm our American farmers,” Trump stated in March, turning to the congress.
Bernhard Url, government director of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), has strongly rejected these observations in an interview with Euronews.
“If Mr. President referred to EU meals, he merely fallacious. This can’t be meals from the European Union, actually not,” stated Url.
According to the URL, the excessive EU normal are assured by in -depth inspections, a rigorous software of meals legal guidelines and the scientific supervision supplied by EFSA.
Based in Parma, EFSA is situated on the middle of a system that displays the meals manufacturing chain, with over 5 million official checks carried out by the Member States yearly.
Food security, not negotiable in business interviews
Following the announcement of Trump of a 90 -day tariff truce, the European Commission now has to face a brand new tour of adverse negotiations geared toward stopping a broader business battle.
Some in Washington hope that Europe will settle for to extend the imports of US agricultural items to alleviate tensions.
However, meals security must be an necessary important level. The EU considers some US practices, equivalent to using development hormones in beef, the inadequate labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the washing of poultry in chlorine, as dangers to public well being.
The URL clarified that no amount of strain would persuade the EU to cut back its meals security requirements.
“I’m completely secure: meals security requirements will not be negotiable,” he stated. “We have our European requirements, the very best on the planet, and they’re going to stay like this. There could also be different business issues to face, however meals security is out of the desk.”
A system that works
EU meals coverage adopts a extra precautionary strategy, specializing in lengthy -term security. On the opposite, US rules are sometimes extra tolerant of threat and guided from an financial viewpoint. For instance, animal welfare requirements in US agriculture are usually decrease, giving precedence to the effectivity of prices.
The latest European administration of avian influenza outbreaks demonstrates the energy of its meals security programs, stated the URL.
While the United States are presently dealing with a rising outbreak of chicken’s affect that’s spreading within the herds of milk in 17 states – with about 70 human circumstances reported – URL has seen that Europe, regardless of having populations of extra dense animals and that it’s extra uncovered to migratory birds that transported new virus strains, managed the state of affairs underneath management.
“Europe is an efficient instance,” he stated. “We begin from a extra demanding place within the United States, however we’ve got it (avian affect) underneath management.”
He additionally indicated the speedy response to a 2025 rebirth of the illness and mouth illness, which has been rapidly contained in Germany and is now managed by veterinary authorities in Hungary and Slovakia, with Austria who has ready precautionary measures.
Efsa, defined URL, offers scientific recommendation, whereas the person Member States are chargeable for managing outbreaks. “There are safety areas, safety, surveillance areas – all carried out rapidly and successfully by the Member States,” he stated.
Fight false information on meals
Beyond Trump’s feedback, Url stated EFSA habitually offers with disinformation on the meals permitted by the EU, specifically new meals equivalent to edible bugs or meat grown within the laboratory.
The URL reacted in opposition to the strategies of the media in accordance with which the EU is forcing these merchandise on shoppers.
“We solely guarantee that if an organization desires market authorization, the product should be secure,” he stated. “Nobody is compelled to eat it. He is labeled and shoppers can resolve on their very own.”
However, preventing false information associated to meals is excessive depth of sources. It requires coordinated efforts between EFSA, nationwide governments and European Commission.
“We attempt to counter the misinformation by sharing info and information,” stated Url. “It will not be straightforward on the planet of social media, however by joint efforts, we may give folks proof, not fiction”.