Hazards in Products of Plant Origin Reported in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) from 1998 to 2020

The elimination or reduction of hazards in plants is an important part of the "From field to fork" strategy adopted in the European Green Deal, where a sustainable model is pursued in the food system. In the European Union (EU), the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) is in place to provide information on risks in the food chain. The largest number of notifications in this system concerns plants, followed by products of animal origin and other products. The goal of the study was to examine RASFF notifications for products of plant origin with respect to hazard, year, product, notifying country, origin country, notification type, notification basis, distribution status and actions taken in 1998-2020. Data were extracted from the RASFF notifications' pre-2021 public information database. A cluster analysis using joining and the two-way joining method was applied. The notifications mainly concerned aflatoxins in pistachios from Iran, ochratoxin A in raisins from Turkey, pesticide residues in peppers from Turkey, okra, curry, rice from India, tea from China and India, and pathogenic micro-organisms in sesame from India, and also basil, mint and betel from Thailand, Vietnam and Lao Republic. To ensure the safety of food of plant origin, it is necessary to adhere to good agricultural and manufacturing practices, involve producers in the control of farmers, ensure proper transport conditions (especially from Asian countries), ensure that legislative bodies set and update hazard limits, and ensure their subsequent control by the authorities of EU countries. Due to the broad period and scope of the studies that have been carried out and the significance of the European Union in the food chain, the research results can improve global sustainability efforts.