Presidency conference on food research to enhance food safety

Tisková zpráva Press Release Communiqué de presse

Prague, 21 April 2009
 

Presidency conference on food research to enhance food safety

This international conference presents the most recent results of Food Research in Support Science-Based Regulations, aimed to ensure the quality and safety of foodstuffs.

Held under the auspices of the Presidency on 21-22 April, the conference is jointly organised by the Czech Agriculture Ministry, the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague and the European Food Safety Authority.

“European citizens have the right to expect a high level of food safety and animal and plant health provision within the EU. Community legislation meets these high standards thanks to individual farm-to-fork measures while supporting efficient functioning of the internal market”,said Czech Agriculture Minister Petr Gandalovič. For the Czech Presidency, issues of public health and food quality and safety are of priority importance.

“The Czech Republic pays much attention to all stages of primary agricultural production, product processing and distribution”, said the Deputy of the Commodities Section of the Czech Agriculture Ministry, Stanislav Kozák. “Community legislation provides for a complex food safety scheme which covers the entire food production chain from primary agricultural production to consumers. Responsibility for food safety lies with all the ‛links’ of the chain – producers themselves, distributors, those who sell agricultural and food products as well as consumers”,added the Deputy.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the keystone of the European Union (EU) risk assessment regarding food and feed safety. In close collaboration with national authorities and in open consultation with its stakeholders, EFSA provides independent scientific advice and clear communication on existing and emerging risks. The Czech Republic cooperates closely with EFSA via the Food Safety Department which is part of the Food Production Section – Food Authority – of the Czech Ministry of Agriculture. Today, the Czech Republic has 19 institutions ready to participate in EFSA projects. Czech representatives are also active in the EFSA Management Board and Advisory Forum.

Nowadays, EFSA cooperates with fifty Czech experts specialised in various fields. Director General of the Food Production Section František Sládek welcomes the creation of „Focal Points“ – coordination centres in the EU Member States that are aimed to encourage the Member States’ activity and help obtain unified outputs for risk assessment that EFSA will be able to use. In the Czech Republic, the coordination centre for the cooperation with EFSA has been established at the Food Safety Department of the Ministry of Agriculture. “The main task of the coordination centre is to help the representatives of the Advisory Forum collect and transfer information between EFSA and relevant bodies in the Czech Republic”, explained Director Sládek. “Depending on the requirements in question, the coordination centre cooperates with other ministries and authorities, surveillance organisations, professional associations and research institutions operating in the area of risk assessment related to food and feed safety, animal and plant health, animal welfare and animal nutrition”.

EFSA’s action at European level is paralleled by scientific committees at national level. Their task is to draft independent scientific opinions and proposals for measures to ensure safety standards throughout the food production chain. In cooperation with relevant public authorities, they assess risks and provide the public with verified and comprehensible information. In the Czech Republic, the scientific committees were set up in 2002 and are made up of leading experts in their respective fields. Three committees (for Phytosanitary Tasks and Environment, for Veterinary Tasks and for Animal Nutrition) were established by the Ministry of Agriculture, the fourth one (Scientific Committee for Foodstuffs) was founded by the Ministry of Health. Most recently, the Committee for Genetically Modified Food and Feed was set up by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2006.

Tereza Dvorácková
Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Agriculture