CAFIA is a state administration body subordinate to the Ministry of Agriculture. It is a state authority responsible for supervision of safety, quality and labelling of foodstuffs.

Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority

CAFIA is a state administration body subordinate to the Ministry of Agriculture. It is a state authority responsible for supervision of safety, quality and labelling of foodstuffs.

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Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic [open in new window]

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Annual Report 2001

02/01/2002

In the analyses for contaminants 518 food samples did not comply with the requirements. The total of 56,789 individual analyses were carried out, of which 674 analyses showed nonconforming results. This indicates that in the case of some foodstuffs, the results of analyses must have showed several non-conformances in one sample.

The highest number of analyses was performed in the group of pesticides - 21,827 in total. Out of the given number the results of 10 analyses did not comply with the limits (the nonconforming foodstuffs were wheat flour used for bread, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, fruit mid-morning snacks - baby food).

The highest number of results of analyses not complying with the set limits was detected in the group of polyaromatic hydrocarbons. To give an example, they included 20 types of oils with strikingly exceeded hygienic limit values for PAHC (15 Spanish olive oils, 4 Italian olive oils and 1 sunflower oil of German origin). On the contrary, no exceeded hygienic limit values were identified in the group of polychlorinated biphenyls.

In the group of heavy metals, apart from other things, the values of lead, cadmium and mercury many times exceeding the MRL were detected in food supplements - in tablets produced on the basis of herbal extracts and imported from India.

In the case of mycotoxins, 4 cases of the exceeded hygienic limits were identified in 3 food samples. It was patulin in fruit mid-morning snack (baby food) and aflatoxins in peanuts and pistachios.

The most frequently controlled in the group of preservatives was sulphur dioxide (out of the total number of 2,792 analyses performed, results of 58 did not comply with the set limits) and benzoic acid (altogether 1,706 analyses performed, of which results of 22 did not comply with the set limits).

As to the group of artificial sweeteners, the values of aspartame were controlled in most cases (altogether 195 analyses were performed, of which results of 3 were nonconforming). The other controlled sweeteners were acesulpham K (194 analyses of which 3 showed nonconforming results) and saccharine (194 analyses of which 4 showed nonconforming results).

The highest number of nonconforming results of analyses relating to the contents of dyes was detected in wine and dried fruit and fruit with added sugar. In the most cases the no complying results were detected in the contents of yellow SY, azorubin and ponceau 4R.

Survey of analyses for contaminants in 2001