ENSURING THE AVAILABILITY OF FOOD IN THE COUNTRIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Abstract

The aim of the work is to assess the situation of the harmonized consumer price index, according to which the provision of food availability in the countries of the European Union will be determined. The article presents the concept of food safety assurance, presents the main assessment methods that are used to determine the level of food safety assurance. The article presents a harmonized index of consumer prices, which shows a certain availability of food in the countries of the European Union. The results of the study show that in 2020-2022 the harmonized consumer price index is relatively high in economically weaker countries. It is also necessary to pay attention to countries with high food waste. Food waste directly affects food availability by reducing the amount of food that is available to consumers. As a result, food prices can rise, which can make food more difficult to afford for people with low incomes.