Commodities Act: safety rules for products
Do you produce, prepare, or trade in food or other products in the Netherlands? Then you must comply with the Commodities Act (Warenwet).
What does the Commodities Act say?
The Commodities Act (in Dutch) applies to all products traded on the Dutch market, both food and non-food. Non-food products are also called consumer products. The Commodities Act is a framework act that provides general rules on:
- the general safety of consumer products and foodstuffs
- providing clear information on products
- fair trade
The rules of the Commodities are further detailed in the Commodities Act decrees. These contain rules for specific foods and consumer products, for example:
Safety inspections
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit, NVWA) inspects products to ensure companies keep to safety regulations. If necessary, they can take measures such as issue warnings, impose fines or remove products from shops (recall) if there is a direct risk to public health.
You must notify unsafe products to the NVWA as soon as you find out about them. Failure to report is a violation. You submit a notification for unsafe consumer products (non-food) online through the Business Gateway. Also check this step-by-step guide on what to do in case of a recall. For unsafe foods you can complete the notification form meldingsformulier GFL at NVWA (in Dutch).
The Netherlands Labour Authority (NLA) monitors the Dutch market on various products used at work (in Dutch). These include machines, tools, personal protective equipment, elevators, scaffolding, pressure equipment, simple pressure vessels, explosion-proof equipment, and containers. If you find out one of these products is unsafe, you must report it to the Netherlands Labour Authority (in Dutch).