Food safety inspections carried out at food stalls and food trucks across ten Belgian festivals last summer revealed that 63% of vendors complied with regulations but as many as 37% received negative reports.
The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) conducted 306 food safety inspections in recent months. Out of these, 92 warnings and 21 official reports of violations were issued.
However, no infringements posed an immediate risk to consumers that would have required temporary closures, the agency confirmed in a press release on Thursday.
The most common violation was the lack of proper facilities for handwashing with running water, liquid soap, or hygienic drying materials.
The second most frequent issue was poor hygiene in areas where food is prepared, handled, or processed. The third major concern was the failure to comply with required food storage temperatures.
"Overall, the results are mostly positive, but the FASFC stresses that food safety must always remain a top priority," said agency spokesperson Hélène Bonte.
"Festivals and fairs are often crowded events, where even one mistake can quickly affect a large number of consumers."
