France
Last updated on 21 December 2023.
* Host institution of the national EFSA Focal Point. For information on the EFSA Focal Point network, please see the EFSA website.
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Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law is the central foundation for food legislation in Europe and in France.
Government measures with regard to food safety take into account scientific knowledge and more particularly scientific risk assessments.
In France, for food safety, there is a clear distinction between risk assessment and risk management. Risk assessments is carried out by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) and results in scientific opinions that publicly available through publication on the ANSES website (unless prohibited by statutory provisions). In addition to assessing risks across a wide range of human, animal, plant and environmental health risks, ANSES conducts and funds research and takes part in several national schemes (vigilance schemes, surveillance networks and platforms) that enable it to detect warning signals and intervene in support of public authorities against diseases and harmful exposures.
Risk management is mainly under the authority of the Directorate General for Food (DGAL) in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty (MASA).The Directorate General for Health (DGS) in the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MSP) is responsible for protecting the health of the population with regard to the various uses of water. The Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) in the Ministry of Economy, Finances and industrial and digital Sovereignty (MEFSIN) is responsible for the safety of food contact materials and packaging.
ANSES issues and withdraws marketing authorisations for veterinary medicinal products, plant protection products, fertilisers and biocides. It does this after assessing their effectiveness and the risks they pose to human health and ecosystems.
The ministries use risk assessments prepared by ANSES as the scientific foundation for risk management measures.
These general directorates have a dual responsibility:
- ‘political’ – through the development of regulations at the national level and also through a central administration that ensures French representation in international and European authorities.
- ‘operational’ – through decentralised services located in each region and department in France whose mission is to control the implementation of health and food regulations.
Risk communication is conducted by the ministries and by ANSES when relevant. The Codex Contact Point in France is located at the Secrétariat général des affaires européennes (General Secretariat for European Affairs), which is under the authority of the Prime Minister.
Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
| Name | Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty |
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| Acronym | MASA |
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| Location | Paris |
| URL | http://agriculture.gouv.fr |
In the field of food safety, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty (MASA), Directorate General for Food (DGAL) is responsible for agricultural policy, for the safety of the entire food chain, including animal feed. MASA prepares draft legislation in this area and is also responsible for controls and inspection. MASA is also responsible for fighting food crime.
MASA's portfolio encompasses plant protection products, including residues, veterinary medicinal products, GMOs and zoonoses.
The area of work of MASA extends beyond food safety to include plant health, plant protection, animal health and animal welfare. In France there are two RASFF contact points, one is at MASA and the other at MEFSIN (for its field of competence).
Ministry of Economy, Finances and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty
| Name | Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty |
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| Acronym | MEFSIN |
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| Location | Paris |
| URL | http://www.economie.gouv.fr |
The Ministry of Economy, Finances and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty (MEFSIN), Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) is responsible for consumer policy. In the area of food safety, MEFSIN is responsible for food contact materials and packaging.
Ministry of Health and Prevention
| Name | Ministry of Health and Prevention |
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| Acronym | MSP |
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| Responsibilities |   
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| Location | Paris |
| URL | http://www.sante.gouv.fr |
The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MSP), Directorate General for Health (DGS) is responsible for public health policy. The MSP defines objectives and priorities for public health policy, sets the legislative and regulatory framework, develops public health plans and national health programmes and ensures their implementation. With regard to food safety, the MSP is in charge of the safety of mineral and drinking water. In collaboration with MASA, MSP is in charge of investigations on foodborne diseases
French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety
| Name | French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety |
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| Acronym | ANSES |
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| Location | Maisons-Alfort |
| URL | https://www.anses.fr/en |
Created on 1 July 2010, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) is a scientific body active in the fields of food safety, occupational and environmental health, animal health and welfare, and plant health. ANSES's core activity is to conduct independent and pluralistic expert assessments in order to evaluate health risks and provide the competent authorities with scientific data and recommendations that are essential to take the necessary measures preserve public health. These assessments are carried out with the support of 15 scientific expert committees and related ad hoc working groups involving more than 800 external scientific experts.
In compliance with the European regulatory framework for GMOs, ANSES participates in the assessment of GMO dossiers.
The Agency also assesses the effectiveness and risks of veterinary medicinal products, plant protection products, fertilisers, growing media and their adjuvants, as well as biocides, with a view to delivering marketing authorisations. It also provides risk assessments of chemicals within the framework of the European REACH regulations.
ANSES reports to five ministries, three of which have responsibilities in the area of food safety (MASA, MEFSIN, MSP). These ministries use risk assessments prepared by ANSES as basis for risk management measures.
ANSES conducts monitoring, alert, vigilance, research and reference activities. It also defines, implements and funds scientific and technical research programmes. The agency relies on a network of nine reference and research laboratories which operate in three main areas: animal health and welfare, food safety (chemical and microbiological), and plant health and hold numerous reference mandates (more than 60 national mandates, 13 EU mandates, and more than 20 international mandates from WHO, FAO, and WOAH).
Regional and local levels
France consists of 18 regions and 101 departments (including five departments and regions located overseas) plus other overseas territories with special status. Feed and food inspections are carried out by the decentralised services (regional and local offices) of the three ministries in charge of food and feed safety.
