Glossary of the food sector

Rapporteur Member State

The Member State responsible for evaluating an active substance, safener, or synergist.

—Source: Reg. (EU) 1107/2009, Art. 3(22)

Rating

Classification of operators based on an assessment of their compliance with the rating criteria.

— Source: Regulation (EU) 2017/625, Art. 3(31)

Raw materials for feed

Feed materials as defined in Article 3(2)(g) of Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

—Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/848, Art. 3(47)

Raw milk

Milk from farmed animals that has not been treated above 40°C or equivalent.

—Source: Regulation (EC) 853/2004, Annex I

Readability

The physical appearance of information, through which it is visually accessible to the general public, is determined by several factors, including font size, letter and line spacing, weight, color, letter-to-letter ratio, material surface, and significant contrast between the text and the background.

— Source: Reg. (EU) 1169/2011, Art. 2(2)(m)

Ready-made foods

Foodstuffs intended for direct human consumption, without the need for cooking or other processing to eliminate or reduce to an acceptable level the microorganisms present.

— Source: Reg. (EC) 2073/2005, Art. 2(g)

Recall

Any measure aimed at obtaining the return of a food or feed that has already been made available to the consumer.

— Source: Regulation (EC) 178/2002

Recall (US term)

Recall is an effective method of removing or correcting consumer products that are in violation of laws administered by the Food and Drug Administration. Recall is a voluntary action that takes place because manufacturers and distributors carry out their responsibility to protect the public health and well-being from products that present a risk of injury or gross deception or are otherwise defective. This section and [21 CFR, Ed.] §§ 7.41 through 7.59 recognize the voluntary nature of recall by providing guidance so that responsible firms may effectively discharge their recall responsibilities. These sections also recognize that recall is an alternative to a Food and Drug Administration-initiated court action for removing or correcting violative, distributed products by setting forth specific recall procedures for the Food and Drug Administration to monitor recalls and assess the adequacy of a firm's efforts in recall.

(b) Recall may be undertaken voluntarily and at any time by manufacturers and distributors, or at the request of the Food and Drug Administration. A request by the Food and Drug Administration that a firm recall a product is reserved for urgent situations and is to be directed to the firm that has primary responsibility for the manufacture and marketing of the product that is to be recalled.

(c) Recall is generally more appropriate and affords better protection for consumers than seizure, when many lots of product have been widely distributed. Seizure, multiple seizure, or other court action is indicated when a firm refuses to undertake a recall requested by the Food and Drug Administration, or where the agency has reason to believe that a recall would not be effective, determines that a recall is ineffective, or discovers that a violation is continuing.

— Source: 21 CFR 7.40

Recall (US term)

A firm's voluntary removal of distributed meat, poultry, or egg products from commerce when there is reason to believe that such products are adulterated or misbranded under the provisions of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA, 21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA, 21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.), or Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA, 21 U.S.C. 1031 et seq.) and that such product remains available in commerce, free to move to consignees or consumers. A recall is not a market withdrawal or a stock recovery.

— Source: FSIS Directive 8080.1

Recall [ref. fertilizers, Ed.]

Any measure aimed at obtaining the return of an EU fertilizing product already made available to the end user.

—Source: Regulation (EU) 2019/1009, art. 2, point 22

Recirculating aquaculture system

A facility, on land or aboard a vessel, in which aquaculture is practiced in an enclosed environment by recirculating water and which relies on a permanent supply of energy from external sources to stabilize the environment in which the aquaculture animals live.

— Source: Reg. (EU) 2018/848, Art. 3(34)

Refrigerator ship

Vessel on which fishery products are frozen, if necessary after preliminary operations such as bleeding, heading, gutting, and finning; where appropriate, these operations are followed by wrapping or packaging.

—Source: Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, Annex I

Rejection

Any substance or object that the holder discards, intends to discard, or is required to discard.

—Source: Directive 2008/98/EC, Art. 3(1)

Relay area (bivalve molluscs)

Sea, lagoon, or estuary areas for the natural purification of bivalve molluscs.

— Source: Regulation (EC) 853/2004, Annex I

Remote communication technique

Any means that, without the simultaneous physical presence of the supplier and the consumer, can be used to conclude a contract between those parties.

— Source: Reg. (EU) 1169/2011, Art. 2(2)(u)