Food Safety in the Czech Republic

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Food Safety in the Czech Republic
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Why to put emphasis on food safety?

• It concerns everyone
• 91 of EU population express interest in it
• Has direct impact on
• the quality and length of life
• population health

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Basic legal framework

• Treaty establishing EC
• Article 3 high level of health protection and
  strengthening of consumer protection
• Article 95 use of new scientific knowledge as a
  basis
• Article 152 high level of human health
  protection must be part of any Community policy

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Assuring food safety

• Based on Regulation of the EP and of the Council
• No 178/2002
• Requires good communication
• among Ministries
• with non-government organisations
• with expert as well as general public
• Information based on scientific findings

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Fundamental strategic documents in the Czech
Republic I

• Food Safety Strategy in the CR
• adopted by the Government in 2001
• lays down key requirements for the
• pre-accession period

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Fundamental strategic documents in the Czech
Republic II

• Food Safety Strategy in the CR after Accession
• to the EU
• adopted in December 2004
• review in 2006
• emphasis on improved communication within the CR,
  
• EU Member States, EU bodies and third
  countries

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Inter-ministerial co-operation I

• Ministry of Agriculture
• co-ordination of the food safety system
• supervision over production of food and feed
• Ministry of Health
• assessment of health risks
• supervision over catering

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Inter-ministerial co-operation II

• Ministry of the Environment
• monitoring and assessment of the environment
• Ministry of Interior
• crisis management
• State Office for Nuclear Safety
• radiation monitoring

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Inter-ministerial co-operation takes place
through FOOD SAFETY CO-ORDINATION UNIT
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Co-ordination Unit I

• Established in 2002
• Consists of
• representatives of central state administration
  bodies
• relevant state supervisory bodies
• consumer and industry organisations

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Co-ordination Unit II - functions

• Advisory body of the Minister of Agriculture
• Co-ordinates activities in the food safety area
• Provides for co-operation among state
• Supervisory bodies, scientific committees,
• Consumers and state administration
• Co-operates with the EFSA and national food
• Safety institutions in EU Member States

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Diagram of the CU
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Scientific committees I

• Established in 2002
• Main tasks
• Preparation of independent assessments
• Proposals of measures to assure food safety
  across the
• Food production chain
• Assessment of research and development trends
• Advisory body

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Scientific Committees II

• Scientific Committee for Phytosanitary Tasks
• and Environment
• Scientific Committee for Veterinary Tasks
• Scientific Committee for Animal Nutrition
• Scientific Committee for Foodstuffs

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European Food Safety Authority EFSA

• Regulation of the EP and of the Council No.
  178/2002,
• Regulation of the Commission No. 2230/2004
• Co-operation with similar authorities of the
  Member States of the EU and EFTA
• Scientific assessment at Community level
• Risk communication
• Opinions on Community regulations

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Co-operation between the CR and the EFSA

• Ensure and co-ordinate Food Safety Co-ordination
  Unit
• Co-operation from 3/2003 in the capacity of an
  observer
• At present
• Participation in the meetings of the EFSA
  Advisory Forum,
• Working group for communication,
• Working group for IT
• Access to Extranet
• Future communication video-conferences

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Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed - RASFF

• Operated by the European Commission from 1978
• Purpose to restrict marketing or to assure recall
  of
• hazardous food and feed
• Members
• European Commission, EFSA and Member States
• In accordance with Regulation of the EP and of
  the
• Council No. 178/2002

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Participation of the CR in the RASFF

• Preparations for participation from 2002
• Members
• SAFIA, SVA, CISTA, OOVZ, SONS,
• MoA, MH
• Co-operating - MD, MS, MI, MF-GDC, IAFI
• Act on Foodstuffs No. 110/1997 Coll.
• Act on Feedingstuffs No. 91/1996 Coll.
• Government Decree in effect from 3/2005

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Strategic opportunities in RASFF in the CR

• More effective communication among members
• Link to control plans
• Emphasis on traceability of hazardous food and
  feed
• Improved awareness of consumers, IAFI, MoA

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Monitoring of contaminants in food chain I

• Information system on contaminants in food chains
  launched at the MoA in 1992
• True information on the situation, dynamics and
  mutual links of the load in individual components
  of agricultural water and forest ecosystems

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Monitoring of contaminants II

• Competences of the Ministry of Agriculture
• Raw materials and foodstuffs
• Feed and drinking water
• Agricultural land
• Fallout on agricultural land
• Surface water (small watercourses)
• Water and forest ecosystems

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Monitoring III

• Organisations performing monitoring in
  agriculture
• SAFIA, SVA CR, CISTA
• Agricultural Water Management Administration
• Institute for Water Management in Forests
• Research Institute for Soil and Water
  Conservation
• Research Institute of Crop Production
• Forestry Research Institute

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Genetically modified organismsGMO I - food

• Based on Regulation of the EP and of the Council
• No. 1829/2003
• Covers
• GMOs for use in food
• GMO containing food
• food manufactured from GMOs or containing
  ingredients from GMOs

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Genetically modified organismsGMO II - feed

• Chapter III. of Regulation of the EP and of the
  Council
• No.1829/2003
• Covers
• GMOs for use in feed
• GMO containing feed
• feed produced from GMOs

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GMO III - Administration of GMO

• Administration of applications includes
  co-operation
• among
• Applicant
• Member State (MoA, MH, ME, CISTA)
• EFSA
• Commission
• Public

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Novel Food

• Based on Regulation of the EP and of the Council
• No. 258/1997
• Covers
• food from plants and food components from animals
• food from plants and food components from animals
• food produced by unusual procedure
• Necessary co-operation with applicant Member
  State
• expert food assessment bodies Commission

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Communication with consumers organisations

• Close co-operation of the MoA with non-government
• organisations
• Participation of representatives of consumers
  in
• the Co-ordination Unit
• The Working Group for communication with
  consumers

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Working Group for communication with consumers

• Representatives of Ministries, Scientific
  Committees,
• consumers organisations and the IAFI
• Objectives
• Informing the public and raising its awareness
• Promotion of appropriate dietary habits among
  consumers
• Raising consumers awareness and promotion of
  domestic produce
• Information flows for general public

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Food Safety Information Centre I

• www.bezpecnostpotravin.cz
• News
• Information on Food Safety Co-ordination Unit
• Information on Scientific Committees
• Reports from the monitoring of contaminants
• Supervision over foodstuffs
• Legislation (CR, EU, Codex Alimentarius,
  Standards)
• Links to food safety websites

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Food Safety Information Centre II

• INFO-DESK
• Service to answer questions from general public
• Access from internet, by phone, fax, in person
• answer within three days
• Examples of questions
• May I lodge a complaint about cheese without
  sales slip?
• Are meat products suitable for coeliacs?
•  

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Thank you

• Do you have any questions or remarks ??
• Do not hesitate to contact
• _at_mze.cz
• or
• www.bezpecnostpotravin.cz