EU Official Control of Foodstuffs - Assignment Example

EU Official Control of Foodstuffs Table of Contents Introduction 3 Overview of Official Control of Foodstuffs of Poland 3 Ministry of Agricultures Responsibility 5 Food Products and Inspection 7 Border Inspection Posts 8 Food Emergencies System in Poland 10 Conclusions and Recommendations 11 References 13 Bibliography 17 Introduction Ensuring the hygiene factor in the foodstuff at the different level of production and consumption can be identified as the primary objective of any official food control system. Expectedly, all the businesses operating in the food sector needs to ensure their responsibilities from the initial phase of the process of production until the final consumption of the foodstuffs (1Europa, 2009). Such regulatory measures have been a major issue in the EU, consisting of 18 member nations, and certainly, habituated of different culinary tastes and cultures (European Union, No Date). In this regard, the European community has laid down the regulation on the official foodstuff control system Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 on 2004, in order to ensure the objective of food safety and adopt requisite measures. These regulatory guidelines are implemented in order to overcome the drawbacks associated with the previous legislation to ensure the control in food management approaches and design common national control systems for the European zone (2Europa, 2010; EUE-Lex, 2004). Correspondingly, this study intends to address the topic related to official foodstuff controls system with a special focus on Poland. Poland is one of the rapidly growing economies, wherein it is observed that the foodstuff sector play a critical role to maximise the growth of the nation. In accordance, the report will summarise the aspects related to meat inspections abattoirs, food products, border Inspection, food emergencies and the role of government in it. Overview of Official Control of Foodstuffs of Poland Poland is one of the fastest developing nations of the EU with a population of around 38 million and a GNI of around $ 13,080 per capita. The nation is termed as one of the largest economies, located in Central Europe (The World Bank Group, 2014). The national strategic plan of Poland has been working with the motive to improve the competitive position of food industry by implementing various preventive methods in its food chain. Due alignment has also been focused by the food management authority in the EU with the already enacted regulations in the food market (International Finance Corporation, 2010). The Republic of Poland is an organisational structure incorporated of a central level, which has 16 regions, 379 districts and 2478 municipalities. The central level of the nation is equipped with the overall responsibility and authority to control animal health and their welfare, agricultural food safety and safety measures through the various channels of food supply in these nations. Both the enforcement and implementation of the various activities is conducted in the regional or in the district levels to form a vertical chain between the central, regional and district levels (1European Commission, 2010). There are two central authorities in the nation that includes The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health. To ensure a better performance in the field, governmental bodies have taken due measures to distribute the responsibilities to the various competent authorities that include Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) responsible or the food safety and veterinary matters. Ministry of Health (MH) is also accounted as responsible for the coordination of safety related activities in the area of food hygiene, contaminants, pesticide residues and controls of quality of food imports. Ministry of Infrastructure (MoI) is accordingly responsible for the welfare activities in the transportation of animals, whereby the Ministry of Finance (MF) has undertaken the task related to imports of animals and plants, food and feeding stuffs. National accreditation bodies like The Polish Centre for Accreditation (PCA) have also been certified as the inspection body, and has been authorised to conduct testing, calibration laboratories and other activities with proper assessments and confirmations (2European Commission, 2013; 3European Commission, 2012). Correspondingly, the various competent authorities of Poland have been working in a coordinative manner under the framework of the government with detailed rules and corporations and supervision of foodstuffs. The staffs of the respective authorities have also been trained in an appropriate manner to become civil servants. To be mentioned in this context, auditing of the entire system is conducted as per the provisions of EU regulations of Art.4.6 of Regulation (EC) No. 882/2004, where the Audit Department of the Controlling Office (CO) is bestowed with the responsibility of auditing and reporting the same to Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO). In this regard, the provision of Regulations (EC) No. 853/2004, (EC) No. 854/2004 and (EC) No. 882/2004 have been incorporated and implemented in the national legislation of Poland, since December 2005. These provisions have been enacted to regulate the issues arising in Poland within the domain of food safety as well as hygiene care and provide various responsibilities to State Sanitary Inspection (SSI) to work in corporative and coordinative manner with Multi Annual National Control Plan (MANCP) (2European Commission, 2013; 3European Commission, 2012). Ministry of Agricultures Responsibility Food and human safety is one of the growing issues all around the world, which has led to the attention and concern for the various nations. Meat inspectors and the other vets associated with different job roles in the abattoirs were the key performers in the field of food safety (UNISON, 2014). The members included in the veterinary profession at Poland play a key role in order to ensure the safety in the diet provided to ensure animal health and their welfare and also preserve the safety rights of the consumers. MARD is the key competent authority identified in this sector, which consists of Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Matters and is bestowed with the major responsibility in the food industry of Poland, which is to regulate the task in accordance to the provisions of the EU legislations. This department is the responsible authority to ensure veterinary protection of the citizen’s health along with animal welfare and hygiene factors in their feeds. In Poland, the meat inspections abattoirs comes under the responsibility of Ministry of Agricultures who are accordingly responsible to ensure hygiene and freshness in their meat products with proper vaccination, feeding system and quality food were the key factor for ensure the animal welfares. Veterinary Inspection (VI), State Plant Health and Seed Inspection Service (SPHSIS) and Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection (AFQI) were the contemporary authorities under the Ministry of Agricultures taking the responsibility to ensure adequate safety in the domain. VI is also assigned with the role of governing proper control on animal health, by controlling the quality aspects of food for animals as well as safety in the feeding, medicines and trading of the animals. Reports from the current scenario revealed that around 75% of the emerging human diseases and majority of human infectious diseases originate due to contaminations in the meat consumed by them. Additionally, all the meats were passed through the abattoirs for the final consumption, owing to which, in such scenarios it became quite important that various security measures be properly taken into consideration before the final consumption. In order to deal with such scenario, Ministry of Agricultures selected various VI channels, which was again headed by the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO), based on the selection by the Prime Minister in consultation with the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development of the Poland. The official veterinarian regularly visited the abattoirs in order to indentify the welfare issues from the prospective of farm, transportation, handing and feeding systems through the application of efficient stunning methods. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) opinion was also drawn through the proper inspection of meats. Ministry of Agricultures accordingly performs the prior role and responsibility to measure food emergency issues so that they can recognise the early detection of the problem related to the epizootic disease and the various control or eradication measures to be taken into prior consideration. Food Products and Inspection Food product and inspection is an important domain in the field of proper regulation of the safety and healthcare measures, which is necessary to ensure the commercial supply of various products is taking place in a proper and hygienic way (4European Commission, 2014). Poland has been undergoing various reforms in its political, social and economic scenarios, since 1989. With the introduction of a market-oriented economy in the past few decades, the food production system has also been changing significantly. The nation has undoubtedly faced significant challenges in adopting the legal provision of EU and accepting food safety and quality issues. Poland has been quite strict in maintaining food safety systems and provisions laid down by the EU and Codex Alimentarius. The three key institutes, i.e. The State Institute of Hygiene, Food and Nutrition Institute, and Military Forces Hygiene and Epidemiology Institute has been formed in the nation to undertake the program related to the reduction of the risks related with health identification and prevention of the chemical, physical and biological threats to the environment. Poland faces various challenges while emphasizing the food security and investigation measures in respect of the implementation of various provisions, quality assurance system and restructuring the official food and control system in the nation (Szponar, & Wojtoń, 2002). Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection (AFQI) was the key authority to analyse the food and agricultural products through its seven registered laboratories. Kielce is one of the AFQI, which is responsible for analysing the Genetically Modified Organism(s) (GMO) in the food management sector comprising agricultural food products. Notably, all AFQI departments are affiliated under the Polish Centre for Accreditation (PCA), which works in accordance to the standard of PN-EN ISO/IEC 17025. State Sanitary Inspection (SSI) also form the other key authorised laboratories under the provision of (EC) No. 882/2004 and 852/2004. This laboratory is bestowed with the task related to the analysis of food hygiene, GMO in food, microbiology, contaminants, food additives and baby foods. With regards to the inspection of the food products, proper reporting measures has to sufficed by creating a copy of protocol, which is again required to be signed by the respective inspector and finally submitted to the establishment. In order to conduct proper investigation, a different protocol template or checklist has also been designed, which are used in accordance to the type of control applied (3European Commission, 2012). According to the Central Investigation Agency report, in Poland, around 12.9% and 30.2% people are working in the agriculture and industrial sectors. This ratio is evidently higher than the other EU countries, wherein various government competent authorities are managing and updating the food production and investigation measures to ensure adequate safety and welfare within the industry (Szponar, & Wojtoń, 2002; Central Investigation Agency, No Date). Border Inspection Posts As per the provisions of the EU, in order to import living animals and other products related to the animal outside any EU countries, the importers or exporters are required to undergo a thorough checking by the Border Inspection Post (BIP), who are subjected to approval for the products. Accordingly, the inspection is conducted by the official recruited veterinary surgeon or the Environmental Health Officer (EHO) for the approval (Defra, 2014). The European Commission has listed various approved BIPs in the report of 2009/821/EC, which was reviewed in various intervals. In the current scenario, in accordance to the Commission Implementing Decision 2014/187/EU, the food industry of EU has around 300 BIPs in the overall European Zone. There are nine BIPs in Poland itself, which play a major role in regulating the national import of products related to the animal origin and must undergo through the Poland national veterinary checks, which is regulated in accordance to the European Directive 97/78/EC (DARD, 2013; 5European Commission, No Date) To be noted in this regard, if the country has to undergo in the trade of importing any live animals or Products of Animal Origin (POAO) from the other country into Poland, the same will come under the regime of Community Veterinary Checks (CVC). In accordance to this regime, every country, from where the import of ‘live animal’ and POAO is being programmed, has to undergo the BIP norms. Most of the BIP rules of Poland generally functioned either by the various Port Health Authorities as well as the Local Authorities. These BIPs only import live animals, which are regulated by the national Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA). Moreover, in order to fully surpass and enter into in the EU country, the importer needs to acquire Common Veterinary Entry Document (CVED) in accordance to the EU regulations. Nevertheless, the trader needs to pre-notify all the consignments related to the POAO to the BIP with the necessary certification, for example the health certificate(s), related to the particular consignment of importing. Accordingly, the inspecting officer authorised at the BIP, is liable to examine the validly of all the documents related to the consignment with regards to the EU guideline for the same, which was again subjected to a nominal fee for prior approval (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, & HM Revenue & Customs, 2013; Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, 2013). In Poland, the General Veterinary Inspectorate (GVI) was the central authority, which is responsible for incorporating any policy, control as well as the supervision of BIP and recruitment of the necessary staff members. Moreover, the borders office is responsible for the key communication and reporting the same to Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO). It is in this respect that GVI works in a cooperative and coordinative manner with the Border Veterinary Inspectorate (BVI) and Poviat Veterinary Inspectorate (PVI), in order to properly control the activities of warehouses in free zones, customs warehouses. Accordingly, based on the proper examination and evaluation of the storing mechanisms used for the food products, which are not in accordance to the regime of EU provision of (EC) No. 206/2009, the import or export is approved by the body (3European Commission, 2012). Food Emergencies System in Poland Most of the developing nation is facing severe threats due to food emergency in their way of social and economical growth along with the problem related to food security. The Global Information along with the Early Warning System (GIEWS) also defines the food emergency state, which arises due to the deficit in the national aggregate supply in the food market as compared to the demanded quantity for consumption for the given period of time (Rukandema, & Gürkan, 2004). There are various authorities and systems in Poland to regulate any food emergency and other related issues in accordance to the Food and Nutrition Safety Act of 25th August 2006. The authority has undertaken various measures in accordance to the criminal law and damage claims. It is worth mentioning in this context that The Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (CIS) at the Ministry of Health (MZ) is the central authority accountable to ensure proper public health and food availability within the country. Contextually, National Food and Nutrition Institute (IZZ) and National Institute of Public Health –National Institute of Hygiene (NIZP – PZH) can be identified as the two major branched of the CIS. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for the various agricultural policy and safety measure in the food of animals. The Customs Service (CS) at the Ministry of Finance (MF) and the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) accordingly has the responsibility of ensuring free and fair competition in Poland (EU Food Safety Almanac, 2002). Food Safety Authorities in Poland (Source: EU Food Safety Almanac, 2002) Conclusions and Recommendations In Poland, the official control of foodstuffs system is too bureaucratic under the supervision of Poland’s national government, which further has to compel with the provision of the European Commission. Moreover, it can also be ascertained that the entire system is not difficult to understand, owing to the common regimes that are followed in all the EU countries, providing a significant platform to them for their sustainability and common provision in all the countries. It was recognised that the nation, during the mid of 80’s, had to face significant challenges in terms of the shortage of food. Thus, it is imperative that the government of the nation takes crucial measures to boost and promote the proper food inspection system despite of having various authorities. Moreover, in this regard it is important for Poland to liberalise some of the systems, so that the privately held entities can work collaboratively with the government agencies and departments to boost the overall economic system of the nation. Nevertheless, Polish national legislation is mostly concentrated to abide by the provisions of EU. Irrespective of such considerations, the epidemiological scenario reveals the fact that food disparity is three times higher than that witnessed in the EU nation, thus this loophole in the existing food safety system needs to be reinforced and strengthened in accordance to the best global models. References Central Investigation Agency, No Date. Field Listing Labor Force by Occupation. The World Factbook. [Online] Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2048.html [Accessed October 19, 2014]. Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, & HM Revenue & Customs, 2013. 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