Analysis of Food Safety Issues in Ukraine's Exports to the European Union Market

Strategic Insights -

A recent research study analyzed non-compliance with EU food safety requirements for Ukrainian exports in 2024, revealing significant issues with microbiological criteria, agrochemicals, and veterinary drugs. The study, published in the Naukovij visnik L'vivs'kogo nacional'nogo universitetu veterinarnoi medicini ta biotehnologij imeni S.Z. Gzic'kogo, highlights the need for improvement in food safety control systems and legislative harmonization with EU standards. The research showed that while the number of complaints about Ukrainian food products is not higher than other exporting countries, the majority of complaints were related to low-risk categories.

Key Takeaways:

  • The European Union has a well-developed food safety control system, but Ukrainian exports face significant challenges in meeting EU requirements.
  • The main problems with Ukrainian food safety are associated with non-compliance with microbiological criteria, improper use of agrochemicals, and veterinary drugs.
  • Individual cases of using prohibited and restricted food additives, as well as physically hazardous factors in food products, were reported.
  • A significant part of food safety problems in Ukraine is related to insufficient harmonization of domestic legislation with EU legislation in consumer product safety control.
  • The research noted that not all complaints about Ukrainian food products were related to high-risk categories, indicating that some issues may be more related to regulatory challenges than health hazards.
  • Stepan Gzhytskyi National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies played a crucial role in conducting this research, analyzing information from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed.
  • The authors of the study, including M. R. Simonov, O. A. Pronina, B. V. Gutyj, M. M. Akymyshyn, and T. O. Pundiak, highlighted the need for further research to address the identified issues and improve food safety.

Statistics:

  • 2024 saw a significant number of complaints about Ukrainian food products related to temperature regimes during transportation.
  • The analysis of the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed revealed issues with microbiological criteria, agrochemicals, and veterinary drugs in Ukrainian food exports.
  • The majority of complaints (70%) were related to low-risk categories, indicating that while there are issues, they may not pose a significant health risk.
  • Stepan Gzhytskyi National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies publishes Naukovij visnik L'vivs'kogo nacional'nogo universitetu veterinarnoi medicini ta biotehnologij imeni S.Z. Gzic'kogo, which is available online at https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.32718/nvlvet11702.

Sources:

  • Naukovij visnik L'vivs'kogo nacional'nogo universitetu veterinarnoi medicini ta biotehnologij imeni S.Z. Gzic'kogo: Seria Veterinarni nauki, 2025,27(117):11-20.
  • Stepan Gzhytskyi National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies Lviv.
  • NewsRx. Study Findings on Veterinary Medicine Described by Researchers at Stepan Gzhytskyi National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies (Analysis of food safety issues in Ukraine exported to the European Union market in 2024). Food Weekly News. July 10, 2025; p 389.