National Institute for Public Health and the Environment
Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
During inspections by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) for chemical contaminants in food, the measurement uncertainty of the chemical analysis is taken into account when assessing compliance with maximum limits. Food products are considered compliant if the analysis result minus the measurement uncertainty falls below the maximum limit. Until recently, companies were not allowed to include this measurement uncertainty when comparing their own analysis results to legal limits. For food products, this has been changed by the NVWA as of April 1, 2026, following an amend ment of (European Union) Regulation 333/2007 on 9 April 2024. Since April 1, 2026, the industry is also allowed to take measurement uncertainty into account during their own internal controls.
The level of food safety in the Netherlands is extremely high, and has been for many years. It is nevertheless important to remain alert to potential threats. Food can contain micro-organisms which may cause illness. Micro-organisms may enter the food chain for instance during production or during home preparation.