Ukraine has launched a system of emergency warnings about dangerous products: how it will work and what will change for consumers
26 November 2025 19:20
Ukraine is adopting European standards of food safety control by launching a national system of rapid notification of dangerous food and feed. The decision came into force on November 19 after the Ministry of Agrarian Policy’s Order No. 478 came into effect. This was reported by the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
What is this system?
The mechanism will work on the principle of the European RASFF, a network that allows for the rapid dissemination of information about identified risks in food, feed or materials in contact with food, including packaging. This will allow Ukrainian control authorities to share data with each other, business and the public more quickly.
If necessary, information can also be shared with international partners, which is important in the country’s export-oriented agricultural sector.
Who must report hazardous products and how
Such information must be provided by:
- employees of the territorial bodies of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, if they have identified inconsistencies of food/feed with the requirements of the legislation on their safety during inspections;
- market operators (producers, importers, suppliers, retail chains) who have established that their products may be unsafe.
- authorized laboratories on the results of laboratory tests (tests) that indicate non-compliance;
- healthcareinstitutions, business entities engaged in medical practice in case of mass non-communicable diseases (poisonings), detection of non-compliance of food products with the requirements of the legislation on their safety or reasonable suspicion of non-compliance, resulting in a threat to life and health, etc.
Notifications are transmitted to the National and territorial contact points in the established form, which is defined in Annexes 2 and 3 to Order of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine No. 478.
The government states that the system will allow:
- promptly withdraw dangerous batches of products from sale;
- warn citizens about potential health risks
- respond to threats to humans and animals in near real time.
Such tools are key to reducing cases of mass food poisoning and controlling the quality of products, especially imported ones.
What will change for consumers?
The State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection promises that information about dangerous products will become more accessible and response will be faster. This is supposed to increase the level of trust in the Ukrainian food market and reduce the risk of dangerous products reaching store shelves.
The launch of the system is also part of the adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to EU norms as part of European integration.
