As every year, the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection publishes the Food Safety Report (LMSB). It summarizes the results of official food and company inspections - along the entire food chain, from direct agricultural marketers to commerce and industry to trade and gastronomy.
"It is important to me to strengthen and further develop the public's trust in safe food. Due to the bundled data that this report provides annually, it serves all readers as a profound, transparent source regarding the safety of food in Austria," emphasizes Federal Minister for Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection Johannes Rauch.
This year, the Food Safety Report will also be published interactively for the first time. This presentation opens up new possibilities for consumers to obtain even better information about food safety: It allows, among other things, a simple comparison over several years, the selection of product groups or reasons for complaints, as well as the differentiation by type of production (conventional / organic).
Great confidence in food - almost 85% of the samples examined without complaint
The risk barometer "Health and Environment" of AGES - a survey of the Austrian population with year-specific focuses on risk perception - shows that Austrians have great confidence in their food: Almost three quarters are not worried about safety.
In 2021, AGES or the investigation bodies of the provinces of Carinthia and Vorarlberg examined and assessed 22,667 samples. The examination and appraisal revealed no cause for complaint in 18,911 samples (83.4%). Ninety-five samples (0.4%) were judged to be harmful to health, half of them due to pathogens such as Salmonella or Bacillus cereus. 664 samples (2.9%) were assessed as unfit for human consumption/unfit for intended use. The most frequent reasons for complaint were labeling deficiencies and information suitable to mislead in 2,291 samples (10.1%). The percentage of rejected samples was 16.6%, slightly higher than in the previous two years.
More information:
Food Safety Report 2021 Interactive