The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is seeking participants for a pilot to test the implementation of the proposed notification duty (NP) process for food laboratories. Companies (FBOs and laboratories) interested in testing the intended process with their own data, such as anonymized historical or real-time data, can register with the NVWA.
The pilot is the final phase of the notification duty food laboratories project. This project lays the foundation for the intended legislation, process, and support. Preparations and implementation are carried out in collaboration with representatives from the NVWA, Fenelab, and food producers trade associations.
In 2023, then-Minister Kuipers of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) announced the introduction of the notification duty. This duty requires laboratories conducting analyses on behalf of food companies to notify the NVWA of all relevant breaches of food safety standards.
Compliance with reporting duty can improve
According to EU legislation, companies must report certain legal breaches to the NVWA to ensure food safety. The Sorgdrager report in 2018, following the fipronil crisis in eggs, found that not all companies comply well with the reporting duty. Data analysis by the NVWA and experiences from the Intelligence and Investigation Services (IOD) also showed that companies do not always report when they should.
This has led to a draft bill for a notification duty for laboratories, providing the NVWA with additional information to strengthen oversight of the companies reporting duty.
Final report expected mid-2025
To address questions about the conditions and setup of the notification system, various working groups with representatives from trade organizations are considering the frameworks, conditions, and setup of the notification duty. The working groups focus on the scope of the notification duty, possible side effects and implementation issues, information exchange between the laboratory and the NVWA, and testing intended processes and support with the laboratories.
The pilot is expected to be completed around the summer of 2025. The results from the pilot and other working groups will be compiled into a final report for the ministries of VWS (commissioner) and Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Nature (LVVN). The ministry values a well-considered recommendation where input from the pilot provides important information.
Register as a participant:
Companies wishing to participate in the pilot can register with the NVWA via phone number 0900-0388.