Iceland has been sanctioned for its system for official controls on food, feed, and veterinary affairs.

Iceland is part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) monitors how the country implements European Economic Area (EEA) rules on food and feed safety, animal health, and welfare.

ESA has sent Iceland a letter of formal notice for failing to establish an effective and appropriate system. This is the first step in infringement proceedings. Iceland has two months to respond before ESA may decide to pursue the case.

The conclusion is based on findings from ESA’s audits in Iceland since 2010, looking at the obligations of the various authorities involved in official controls. Of 37 audits, 20 had recommendations for establishing authorities and operational criteria.

Coordination and consistency issues
These agencies include the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Environment, Energy and Climate, the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST), the Icelandic Environment Agency, and local authorities. 

One shortcoming concerns poor coordination when more than one authority is involved and a lack of consistency in the official controls undertaken. ESA said this has resulted in gaps and duplications in controls and poses a risk to public health.

“The lack of an adequate control system has resulted in clear and serious risks to human and animal health, manifesting in the placing on the market of unsafe live bivalve mollusks; inadequate follow-up of food products containing too high levels of residues of plant protection products; and insufficient controls of labeling of food,” said ESA.

Icelandic authorities told ESA that official controls will be substantially reorganized. However, how the system will be modified or when this process will be completed has not yet been clarified. A steering committee is planned to develop proposals on updating the control system. After legal bills in parliament, changes could become operational in the summer of 2026.

Earlier this year, ESA sent another letter of formal notice to Iceland concerning shortcomings in the import and transit of products of animal origin. 

Icelandic illness figures
Iceland has also released an annual report on health security and infectious diseases. In 2023, 14 people were diagnosed with confirmed or possible E. coli infection. This included two children aged 1 and 11 and 12 adults aged 22 to 86.

In total, 155 people were affected by Campylobacter infections. Almost half of cases were of foreign origin and the majority were Campylobacter jejuni.

A total of 56 people were diagnosed with Salmonella infections. Of these, 22 were of domestic origin, 20 were of foreign origin, and 14, this data was unknown. The most common serotypes were, as before, Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium.

Salmonella Enteritidis caused one outbreak. In early 2023, one person was hospitalized, and several co-workers fell ill. Investigators linked the illness to different types of meals from one company delivered to a workplace, but the exact item responsible was not found. Salmonella Enteritidis was confirmed in 10 people, but a number of others experienced symptoms, so officials believe the infection was more widespread.

Another outbreak was caused by norovirus in July 2023. More than 190 guests of two restaurants in Reykjavik developed gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. Norovirus was detected in eight of 10 fecal samples, but no specific contaminated food was identified.

Two men in their 40s and 70s and a woman in her 60s fell ill with listeriosis. Two were domestic cases, while the place of infection was unclear for the third person. It was not possible to find the source of infections.

Six women and two men were diagnosed with an infection caused by Yersinia enterocolitica, including a 1-year-old child and seven adults aged 20 to 85.