European policy for quality agricultural products

Summary:

Fact sheet explaining how the EU's food quality systems work, how they assist farmers and how they offer consumers guarantees that they have found the quality product they are looking for.

Further information:

Europe is known for the diversity of its agriculture and its food and drink products. These products derive from Europe's natural environment and its farming methods, developed over centuries of agricultural activity. Food and drink products, together with fine cooking, are a major part of the cultural identity of Europe's peoples and regions. One of European agriculture's greatest assets is its reputation for producing quality foodstuffs. Consumers in Europe and around the world show an increasing interest in the qualities of these foods. It is in the European Union’s interests to ensure that farmers and growers are able to make the most of the added value that their products can provide them.

The EU safeguards food quality in many ways, for example via measures to guarantee food safety and hygiene, clear labelling rules, regulations on animal and plant health and animal welfare, control of pesticide residues and additives in food and via nutritional information. But the EU’s quality policy goes further than this. The EU gives positive assistance to European producers to help them to maximise the advantage they have in quality terms.