Who we are
Every EU consumer has the right to receive clear and honest answers supported by reputable research. Unfortunately, the information provided on food labelling often lacks sufficient detail about the product’s contents and potential risks. Consumers should be confident that what they are buying is safe and know exactly what the food products contain.
SAFE – Safe Food Advocacy Europe was created in January 2015 to ensure that consumers’ health and concerns remain central to the EU’s food legislation. SAFE is the only Brussels-based European Consumer Organisation specialising in the protection and representation of EU consumers in the food sector.
Mission
SAFE strives to ensure safer food standards by monitoring the EU’s food legislation process and cooperating with stakeholders to draft comprehensive regulations. SAFE supports the development of policies and awareness-raising actions addressing health, environment, food safety, and sustainability. It is also involved in several EU-funded projects aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the food sector, increasing sustainability, and promoting healthier food environments for consumers.
- Strengthening the voice of civil society in the EU debate over food regulation to reinforce participatory democracy.
- Protecting consumers by lobbying for better food and health regulations, advocating for safer food standards, sounder production methods, and more effective food donation rules. SAFE builds an efficient lobbying strategy in Brussels, where EU institutions and agro-food businesses decide the future of our food system.
- Increasing public awareness of food safety issues through training activities, such as workshops on sugar overconsumption and food labelling, and improving transparency of information on food products. SAFE organises seminars and training sessions for consumers on reading food labels, additives, colours, pesticides, and GMOs. It also cooperates with schools to educate children and teenagers about industrial food components.
- Helping fight climate change and protect the environment by raising awareness of the connection between food and the environment and promoting sustainable consumption habits and agricultural practices.
- Supporting research by identifying priority areas and raising funds for independent studies on food components and their impact on consumer health.
- Setting up initiatives and projects to inform and raise awareness among European consumers about food and environmental issues, including food waste and sustainable production and consumption patterns.
SAFE – Safe Food Advocacy Europe was created in January 2015 to ensure that consumers’ health and concerns remain central to the EU’s food legislation. SAFE is the only Brussels-based European Consumer Organisation specialising in the protection and representation of EU consumers in the food sector.
Expertise
Throughout the years, SAFE has built up a thorough expertise on public affairs, advocacy, and lobbying in the area of food at the EU level.
Our expertise in the food sector covers 3 pillars: Health, Environment, and Inclusion.
Core competencies include:
- Monitoring and analysis of EU legislation and policies: Food safety, nutrition, consumer protection, food donations, food waste, health, and sustainability.
- Representation of members and European consumers at the EU level.
- Writing and development of proposals.
- Multi-stakeholder project coordination.
- Advocacy campaigns, communication, dissemination of project results.
- Awareness-raising campaigns.
- Marketing analisys and study of consumer perceptions: Focus groups and behavioural analysis, interviews with stakeholders.
- Comparative analysis, impact assessments, and literature reviews.
- Policy briefs and reports.
- Development of virtual learning materials, digital tools, and gamified content.
- Creation of training programmes on nutrition, non-communicable diseases, and labelling and packaging.
- Workshops with stakeholders: Health professionals, food influencers, vulnerable citizens, other citizens, NGOs. Culinary workshops in migration centres.
- Design, evaluation, and implementation of action plans.
- Event organisation.
Membership
SAFE has a wide array of high-level stakeholders among its members, ranging from consumer organisations, vegan and vegetarian associations, to research centers and universities. SAFE currently has over 40 members located in 18 European countries.
SAFE is also involved in many European networks as:
- An official stakeholder of EFSA – European Food Safety Authority and a member of several of its discussion groups
- A member of the EU Food Policy Coalition
- A European Climate Pact Ambassador, under the European Climate Pact – an appointment which comes as a recognition of SAFE’s work in the fight against climate change through its actions in the area of food safety.
Click here to read the Statutes of SAFE (in French).
Watch this Arte documentary “La grande malbouffe” (in French) where our secretary general Floriana Cimmarusti makes an appearance.
This documentary explores the hidden complexities of industrial food production through the example of the cordon bleu (a French breaded meat dish), revealing how ultra-processed foods are made with numerous additives and misleading labels. The filmmakers go undercover as manufacturers to expose industry practices and regulatory shortcomings. Consumer pressure is prompting some companies to pursue cleaner, more transparent alternatives.
Read here an interesting article in “The Guardian” about the armada of lobbyists in Brussels and their influencing power.
