Analysis of Food Alerts in Italy and the European Union (2019–2024): Trends, Risk Categories, and Implications for Food Safety

Abstract

Food safety alerts represent a crucial mechanism for identifying vulnerabilities and mitigating risks within the food supply chain. The analysis of data related to national alerts is essential to improve targeted official controls and protect consumer health.

This study aims to evaluate the trends, distribution, and characteristics of food safety alerts in Italy over a seven-year period (2018–2024), focusing on food categories, hazard types, and product origins.

A comprehensive dataset of 2,572 food safety notifications was extracted from RASFF Annual Reports and official controls by the Italian Ministry of Health. Data were systematically categorized and analyzed according to hazard classification (biological, chemical, and physical) and product provenance.

A total of 2,572 notifications were analyzed, revealing a progressive increase in alerts, peaking in 2024 with 441 cases. Biological risks represented the predominant threat, accounting for 36.9% of total notifications, with Salmonella spp. (39.5%) and Listeria monocytogenes (25.5%) identified as the main pathogens. Chemical risks accounted for 25.8% of cases, primarily due to pesticide residues (34.3%), followed by physical risks (6.9%). The most frequently involved food category was "Fish and seafood" (16.9%). Regarding origin, 43.1% of non-compliant products originated from European Union countries, 41.5% from non-EU countries, and 15.4% were of Italian origin.

The results underscore the critical role of continuous monitoring and reveal the growing efficiency of the Italian food safety surveillance system. The persistent prevalence of biological contamination and the emergence of chemical risks highlight the need to strengthen preventive measures and risk-based controls, particularly for highly imported product categories such as fishery products.