More than 450 companies temporarily closed over food safety violations
In 2024, 467 businesses were temporarily shut down for failing to comply with food safety regulations, according to the annual report published Monday by the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC). More than a third of inspected businesses in the distribution sector were found in violation.
Widespread inspections reveal violations
The FASFC conducted 107,508 inspection missions at over 58,000 companies across Belgium. Of these inspections, 15 per cent resulted in an "unfavourable report." Most led to warnings (15,524), formal reports (9,931) or product seizures (1,673). In 467 cases, the agency ordered temporary closures, up from just under 400 in 2023.
"A closure always involves an acute danger to public health," explained FASFC spokesperson Hélène Bonte. "In such cases, various serious violations are almost always found, such as the presence of vermin and very poor hygiene."
Distribution sector underperforms
Roughly 22,000 of the inspections focused on the distribution sector: bakers, butchers, supermarkets, fishmongers, large kitchens and catering businesses. Compliance in this sector continues to decline. In 2023, 70 per cent of businesses were in order; in 2024, that dropped to just 63.4 per cent. Common violations include missing or incorrect allergen information, poor hand hygiene, and unclean food contact surfaces.
Hygiene and allergen labels
In contrast, more than 90 per cent of agricultural companies complied with food safety standards. "It's a trend we've been seeing for a few years now, but there's no real explanation," said Bonte. "We do see that people who start a business often do so with a lot of passion but don't always have sufficient knowledge about food safety. Take, for example, the rules on allergen information: not everyone knows these regulations, but more and more people are allergic or intolerant to certain substances. A violation can, therefore, have major consequences for them."
The agency also inspected shipments arriving via ports and airports and sampled products already on the Belgian market. No issues were found in 98 per cent of these checks. “A figure that indicates a high level of food safety in our country,” the agency stated.
Additionally, 283 products were recalled in 2024, mostly due to chemical or microbiological risks. The FASFC also received 5,222 consumer complaints last year, over half of which led to follow-up actions.
© PHOTO JEFF PACHOUD / AFP
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