The competent authorities should ensure that the staff responsible for official controls does not disclose information acquired during the performance of those controls where that information is covered by professional secrecy. Unless there is an overriding interest to justify disclosure, professional secrecy should include information which would undermine the purpose of inspections, investigations or audits, the protection of commercial interests or the protection of court proceedings and legal advice. However, professional secrecy should not prevent competent authorities from publishing factual information on the outcome of official controls regarding individual operators when the operator concerned has been allowed to comment upon it prior to the disclosure and such comments have been taken into account, or released alongside the information being disclosed by the competent authorities. The need to respect professional secrecy is also without prejudice to the obligation for competent authorities to inform the general public where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a food or feed may present a risk for health under Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002. The right of individuals to the protection of their personal data as provided for in Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council14 should not be affected by this Regulation. These rules should also be without prejudice to situations where disclosure is required by Union or national legislation.