The Price of (Not) Consumer Trust Serbia’s food control system faces significant challenges, including outdated regulations, insufficient coordination between bodies, and a lack of transparency. These failures result in regular notifications from the EU’s rapid alert system, product recalls, and restrictions on exporting certain animal products, impacting both public health and economic competitiveness. Despite investments in a national reference laboratory, systemic issues like understaffing, inadequate budgets for inspections, and a disconnect between laboratory capabilities and operational needs prevent full harmonization with EU standards.

• Failures in the food control system lead to financial losses, export bans, and decreased consumer trust.
• Serbia’s food safety system is not fully aligned with EU standards, particularly regarding aflatoxin limits and inspection oversight.
• The country faces a high number of notifications in the EU’s RASFF system for pesticides, aflatoxins, and salmonella.
• Key challenges include a lack of integrated data exchange, underfunding of inspections, and a “brain drain” of qualified personnel to the private sector.
• Despite a national laboratory, systemic issues prevent it from being a fully functional instrument for food safety and export competitiveness.
• Lack of transparency regarding product recalls further erodes consumer confidence.
• Economic consequences include inability to export certain animal products to the EU and increased public health costs.