NVWA: consumer at risk

A survey from Abvakabo FNV shows the workload of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is so high, consumers are at risk and animals suffer. KRO's Brandpunt features the story.The union did research among the staff of the NVWA. 58 percent of workers reported a high workload. As a result inspections of food safety and animal welfare are at risk. There is too little control on the use of veterinary drugs and pesticides, and because of backlogs of work the response on reports is too slow.

beef,
Marecheth Ho'eElohuth
Wikimedia commons

Employees of the NVWA also keep criticize the way of supervision. The butcher literally inspects his own merchandise, because companies organize their own inspections. This self-assessment is not always executed properly, but the NVWA can not inspect that properly.

According to the Abvakabo FNV, the organization had to sharply cut back in recent years under political pressure. This now results in a shortage of employees to properly perform the tasks.

Mieke van Vliet, director of Abvakabo, calls the results of the study worrisome. Fewer people, less supervision and more risks. It is time that politics intervene, before any real accidents happen.

Earlier on Sunday a report came out from the Society and Security foundation, which stated the NVWA has been boned and thinned out in the past decade.

On Monday evening KRO's Brandpunt will feature more about the situation at NVWA