IMPACT OF NEW MEMBER STATES ACCESSION ON FOOD SAFETY AND OBESITY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to present food safety in the EU and obesity among inhabitants of the Member States countries. The Global Food Security Index (GFSI) was analyzed for the period from 2012 till 2016 using descriptive, tabular and graphical methods. UN-FAO data was the source of information on the GFSI. The concept of the GFSI is described and then used to explain changes in national food security and obesity over time. The GFSI index in 2016 was the highest in Ireland (84.3) and Netherlands (82.6). The lowest GFSI Index in 2016 was found in Bulgaria (60.6), Romania (65.6), and Slovakia (67.7). The results indicate that the largest increase in the GFSI during this period were observed in the Great Britain (+3.1), Ireland (+2.4), and Germany (+1.4). The authors also analysed obesity resulting from excessive consumption of food in developing and developed countries. The research shows that the highest obesity rates are in the Great Britain (28.1%), the Czech Republic (26.8%), Slovakia (25.7%), and Ireland (25.6%).