New FASFC portal enhances digital experience for food businesses and consumers

iO's CMS solution and UX design guide users to crucial information on food safety.

April 3, 2024

As an organisation assigned to guard national food safety, how do you ensure citizens and relevant partners always stay informed? In close collaboration with the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC), blended agency iO has developed a portal that significantly improves digital service delivery on food safety.

The Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) ensures a safe food chain and monitors animal and plant health from producer to consumer. To quickly lead its various target audiences to relevant and crucial information on food safety, a new FASFC portal recently went live.

Fast2Web: enhancing digital dialogue with citizens and entrepreneurs

FASFC and iO developed the new portal as part of the Fast2Web initiative of the Federal Public Service BOSA. This initiative aims to allow all government organizations and agencies to inform citizens and relevant partners through an online, transparent, and accessible portal.

Complying with all legal requirements

For this purpose, governments rely on OpenFed, the versatile, multilingual CMS solution based on Drupal. iO developed OpenFed as the largest Drupal team in the Benelux for the Federal Public Service BOSA. OpenFed focuses on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), actively implementing these international guidelines for digital accessibility. It also complies with the European guidelines for GDPR. As a result, government organizations that create their content sites via the OpenFed CMS immediately comply with all legal provisions for government communication.

OpenFed CMS for Customized Online Portal

iO's dedicated Drupal and UX team worked closely with FASFC to align the OpenFed technology from BOSA with the digital experience that the food safety agency wants to provide to its target audiences. iO designs a user interface that seamlessly guides web users to their goals and conveys the digital brand and service experience that FASFC represents.

The result? An excellent digital experience that leads to greater transparency and accessibility for all stakeholders in the food chain.

Transparancy & accesibility as a result

Consumers can instantly discover which food products are being recalled, receive alerts on food safety issues, or submit complaints to FASFC's Consumer Reporting Center.

Producers, distributors, and food sellers and other actors in the food chain can easily find their way to relevant thematic information and sites such as FoodWeb, the Ombudsman's Office, and the Information Cell.

Even after delivery, iO continues to work closely with FASFC. The agency trains FASFC’s editorial team, regularly discusses new additions and refinements, and is ready to assist with any questions or issues. The new portal is a valuable contribution from iO to FASFC's digital service delivery and showcases iO's expertise in CMS solutions and UX design.

About iO

iO is a blended agency. We bring together talent in marketing, technology, content, strategy, and creativity. With our belief that "experience is everything," we help our clients provide their target audience with rich and relevant brand experiences. Our track record includes helping strong brands such as Audi, Brussels Aiport, Efteling, Eneco, Fiberklaar, and Worldline grow.

Established in 2005, iO operates locally and internationally, serving companies, organisations, and governments from our campuses in Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and Bulgaria. iodigital.com

About FASFC

The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) is responsible for monitoring the food chain from producer to consumer. Through inspections, sampling, and analysis, FAVV oversees the entire food chain, including raw materials, agricultural businesses, the food industry, stores, and restaurants. It monitors the self-control systems that food businesses use to ensure the safety of their products. FASFC is also responsible for animal and plant health controls and oversees the import and export of animals, plants, and food products to and from countries outside the European Union. favv-afsca.be