Legal aspects of traceability

The EU's food safety regulations –, which include the cross-cutting requirement of "traceability" –, were prompted by the health incidents that have occurred in Europe since the mid-1990s.

At the same time, public opinion has come to believe that there must be a "zero risk" in food, so as to prevent the spread of risks, but also, and above all, to point the finger at those responsible.

Subsequently, these regulations have taken on another dimension for consumers, who have become particularly demanding (although price is still a determining factor in their choice of products): they provide them with an additional means (in addition to what was already available on labels, which are more and more detailed and ... more elaborate) of knowing the origin and content of the products they consume, particularly with the development of what we might colloquially call "unidentified edible objects" (UFOs) such as ready-cooked or low-fat dishes. Consumers not only want to be protected from the risks of contamination, but also from the risks of "non-information" (the two often go hand in hand), and they now also want to know what they're putting on their plate or pouring into their glass.

Today, "traceability" has become the cornerstone of food safety regulations: first and foremost, it is a tool for demanding compliance among professionals, who are anxious to "protect" or adjust their professional liability, and it also represents a communication tool for professionals, as well as for public authorities, in their dealings with consumers.