THE RAPID ALERT SYSTEM FOR FOOD AND FEED (RASFF). THE PLACE IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, LIMITATIONS AND POSSIBILITIES OF DATA USE

Purpose: The goal of the study was to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluation of the data available in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) and to identify opportunities for further research concerning notifications reported in this system. Design/methodology/approach: The research involved reviewing and critically assessing the data collected in the RASFF, conducting a two-way joining cluster analysis (in Statistica 13.3) on product categories and hazard categories, and building a map of links (in VOSviewer 1.6.20) between the keywords identified by the authors of the scientific papers. Findings: The paper identifies the limitations of the RASFF, such as the lack of access to historical data, mistakes in the data, the exclusion of the United Kingdom from the system and the lack of information on operators involved in the food chain. It also indicates possible areas for further research of notifications reported in the RASFF, considering mainly product categories and hazard categories, as well as other types of data. Originality/value: The article assesses the quality of RASFF data in a cross-cutting and comprehensive manner and identifies further opportunities for its analysis. The results of the research are intended for food safety researchers, food chain participants and food surveillance bodies.