Never in the past did people pay so much attention to the quality of food as nowadays. Never before was food under as stringent regulatory control as has been applied in recent years. Never in the past were the foodstuffs in the market as safe as today. In this area, the Czech Republic may be unquestionably ranked among the most advanced countries in Europe. After all, the food market, quality of foodstuffs, and particularly food safety are one of the key areas representing a crucial criterion for the accession of the Czech Republic to the European Union.

Nowadays, the Czech Agricultural and Food Inspectorate is a sophisticated, fully functional state regulatory body, which is a part of the control system for the production and, in particular, for putting foodstuffs into circulation. The authority of the Inspectorate has significantly increased in the eyes of food importers, producers, and sellers, and particularly of the consumer public. This situation has been brought about by two developments: better legislation which, through its better-quality laws and decrees, enables the inspectors to carry out inspections in a much more uniform and professional manner, and the Inspectorate's open attitude towards the public. The Czech Agricultural and Food Inspectorate's philosophy is to provide people with complete and reliable information regarding things involving everybody on an everyday basis. People have the right to know what food is offered to them in the market. And on the other hand, businesses have the right to produce and sell quality food.

The Czech Agricultural and Food Inspectorate's Final Report is an overview of activities undertaken in the year 2000. The figures indicated should not only be perceived as insufficiencies found, but, and above all, as evidence that the foodstuffs in the Czech market are under consistent control, as the Czech Agricultural and Food Inspectorate's primary objective is to protect the consumer.

Ing. Jakub Šebesta
General Director

The CAFIA's inspection priority in the last year, as in former years, was food safety and incorrectly marked food (so-called 'adulterated' food). A brand new sphere of activity was the control of the introduction of a critical-point system into production.

Considerable attention was paid to the control of conditions under which foods were kept, which particularly involved the temperatures stipulated by legal regulations (for example, for frozen foods; unpacked pastry; frozen creams; diary produce; etc.), and/or declared on the package by the producer.

CAFIA's inspections also focused on correct labelling; maintaining quality standards; observing quantities declared; complying with 'Expiry dates' and 'Dates of minimum durability' in retail; and other binding requirements stipulated in relevant laws and their Codes of Practice. The Inspectorate was also involved in checking the fulfilment of measures imposed.

A certain part of inspections, both in the retail network and in production, was instigated by consumers or other entities, who drew our attention to non-compliance with quality and hygiene requirements during the sale of food.

For planning both at the Headquarters and the Regional Branches level, maximum use was made (and will continue to be made) of the CAFIA information system and its programs for 'Inspection Activities' and 'Laboratory Activities'.

Microbiological Requirements

The highest numbers of non-conforming samples detected by microbiological analyses came from the samples of delicatessen products and confectionery products. The above were commodities including a large proportion of difficult-to-keep and highly perishable foodstuffs, which were considered risky from the epidemiological point of view. Increased attention was therefore paid to these foodstuffs throughout the year and even more in summer, when conditions became optimal for the undesirable growth of microorganisms.

Relatively high numbers of microbiologically non-conforming samples also occurred in the area of fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. The defects found particularly involved produce affected by undesirable changes caused by microbial activity (rotting, moulds). On a smaller scale, similar defects were also detected in some other types of food, for example, meat products (moulds on surfaces of smoked-meat products). 

Foreign Substances

When checking for foreign substances, the highest numbers of non-conforming samples were found in the area of grape wine, spirits, processed fruit and vegetables, fresh vegetables, soft drinks, and some other commodities.

In terms of grape wine, the problem particularly involved the presence of synthetic dyes, preservation substances, and excessive amounts of sulphur dioxide. With spirits, food safety requirements were particularly breached by the presence of chemicals such as acetaldehyde, benzene, and ethylbenzene (in domestic rum); and xylene, toluene, and styrene (in domestic rum and vodka). The defective products predominantly came from the spirits sold in market stalls. With some spirit samples, a presence of inadmissible colouring dyes was detected; other findings included an amount of urethane exceeding admissible limits ('slivovitz' - plum brandy), and an amount of phthalates exceeding admissible limits in various types of spirits.

Foreign substances, inadmissible colouring dyes in particular, were also detected in processed fruit and vegetables, mainly in dried fruit, and on a smaller scale in jams and compotes. The presence of inadmissible preservatives or an excessive amount of approved preservatives was also relatively common, particularly in dried fruit and vegetables, and in jams and ketchups. Some other defects found were as follows: an amount of lead and tin exceeding admissible limits in canned stewed fruit; an excessive amount of nitrates in dried vegetables; and the presence of Procymidone, a pesticide, in baby food.

The most frequent defect found in fresh vegetables was nitrates exceeding the admissible limits, particularly in leaf vegetables and other vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, etc. This defect more frequently occurred in imported lots than in domestic ones. In one case, an excessive amount of cadmium was found in root vegetables. Some samples taken from lots of vegetables (pepper and aubergine) of foreign origin contained inadmissible pesticide residues, mainly Procymidone, Endosulphane, and Malathione. One sample (imported forced radishes) contained inadmissible Chlorothalonile.

A relatively high number of unsatisfactory samples occurred in the area of soft drinks. The problems found primarily involved an excessive amount of preservatives (sorbic acid and benzoic acid), or these substances not being listed on the label. In several cases, the presence of inadmissible additional substances was detected (such as synthetic dyes, or cyclamates).

When checking dehydrated products, the presence of inadmissible additional substances was detected, such as synthetic dyes, particularly in instant noodle soups produced in Asia, as well as the presence of preservatives (sulphur dioxide and benzoic acid) in instant soups. An excessive amount of preservatives also occurred (particularly with flavourings).

The CAFIA repeatedly found an increased concentration of a biogenic amine, tyramine, in maturing cheeses; inadmissible preservatives (benzoic acid and sorbic acid) also repeatedly occurred in some types of delicatessen salads.

Analytical Requirements

When checking analytical requirements, most of the defects were detected in grape wine, particularly in the following areas: volatile acid content; alcohol content; content of sugar-free extract; and sugar content. With wines containing carbon dioxide, 30% of the samples analysed did not comply with the pressure requirements.

The following defects were found with spirits and alcoholic beverages: non-compliance with the positive or negative variance stipulated for the content of ethanol; the presence of high-molecular-weight alcohols (particularly in alcoholic beverages sold in market stalls) and tertiary butyl alcohol (again, mainly with vodka and domestic rum sold in market stalls); and non-compliance with the volume shown on the label.

The most frequent analytical defects detected in meat and meat products were as follows: higher content of fat than claimed by the producer and higher water activity in long-life meat products than permitted by the Code of Practice.

Defects detected in potatoes were primarily an inadmissible portion of green, damaged, sprouted, soiled, infirm, or scabrous potatoes, etc.

A frequent analytical defect in diary products was the detection of a different quantity of dry matter, or fat, or fat in dry matter, than claimed on the product label (for example, with cheeses).

In 2000, a relatively high number of subject-oriented inspections took place. These inspections were managed centrally by means of uniform methodical guidelines. Their purpose was to contribute to dealing with the wider and more complex issue of some food safety and quality areas. The inspections were undertaken either in the whole country or in selected regions only. In this section, some subject-oriented inspections are listed.

The scheduled microbiologic inspection was focused on food safety. It followed a similar type of inspection in 1999 and was applicable to the whole country throughout the whole year. It was focused on delicatessen products, pastry products, meat products for direct consumption, processed vegetables and fruit, and cheeses of different types. Laboratory analyses discovered 65 non-complying samples, most of them due to the excessive total number of microorganisms and coliform bacteria. Serious findings included Salmonella in "Mix Salad", and Listeria monocytogenes in chicken sausages.

In the course of centrally managed microbiological inspection in supermarkets, hygienic conditions of delicatessen and pastry sections in supermarkets were checked throughout the Czech Republic. During microbiological analyses, 21 delicatessen products were found not to conform, as well as 7 spice samples. No defects were found when checking delicatessen sections. The sections for selling bakery products were mostly satisfactory.

The inspection of spirit safety and quality(regarding vodka and domestic rum) focused on observing legal regulations by market stall sellers, particularly in border areas, in permanent stalls, and in food shops. Sixty-nine samples analysed did not comply with the applicable requirements. The violations found fell within the following areas: an amount of contaminants exceeding admissible limits (phthalates and urethane); occurrence of inadmissible contaminants (organic pollutants, such as acetaldehyde; benzene; toluene; ethylbenzene; and xylene); incorrect labelling; lower ethanol contents; and lower product volume than shown on the label.

Another event focused on food safety was the inspection of dry shell nuts and some types of fresh fruit. Its objective was to ascertain the safety and quality of some types of food traditionally sold at Christmas, the sale of which continued in January of the following year. If stored too long in non-complying conditions, these commodities were affected by growing moulds and fungi. Defects were found in 42 lots, a majority of them in coconuts: low-weight lots; and lots with a cracked shell or bad core (rotting; occurrence of moulds; pasty consistency) were put into circulation. Defects were also found in sweet chestnuts, where small, sprouting, pest-damaged, and mouldy nuts were put into circulation.

Following the 1999 outcome, the inspection of beer safety took place in 2000, focused on the content of biogenic amines. The priority was the inspection of special pale beers and pale lager beers and of special dark beers and dark lager beers. Both domestic and imported beers were sampled and analysed for the biogenic amines - histamine and tyramine. No breach of legal regulations was ascertained regarding the products monitored.

The inspection of dried fruit, vegetables, and mushroomsfocused on safety with regard to the content of additives and contaminants, in particular sulphur dioxide, sorbic acid, synthetic dyes, heavy metals, and aflatoxins. Ten samples did not comply with legal regulations. The following are examples of defects found: cadmium in excess of the admissible limit; nitrates in excess of the admissible limit; and the inadmissible presence of synthetic dyes.

The inspection of safety of instant noodle soups produced in Asia, focused on microbiological analyses and synthetic dyes identification, was instigated by the results of the inspections undertaken in the previous years. The inspection was particularly focused on importers where non-compliance with microbiological requirements was ascertained and the presence of inadmissible synthetic dyes was proven.

As with other foodstuffs, cases of 'adulteration' (deceptive marking) can also occur with instant coffee. In the framework of the instant coffee inspection, the CAFIA ascertained that this commodity was "adulterated" in some cases, for example, by adding chicory-based, malt-based, fig-based, or cereal-based products. The product adulterated in the above way is characteristic for its increased content of saccharides, which can be shown by a laboratory analysis. Based on the content of saccharides detected, the deceptive marking was proven with 8 samples.

Another inspection directed to unveiling deceit was the inspection of genuineness of potato varieties claimed. Its objective was to check whether the varieties of potatoes sold in the market network correspond to the varieties claimed, or whether they contain additions of other varieties. An inadmissible occurrence of other varieties being added, or claiming an incorrect variety, was detected in a total of 36 samples: there were 3 cases of a total confusion of varieties and 33 cases of potatoes of other varieties being added. Some samples even contained 5 other potato varieties added to the variety claimed. A relatively more frequent occurrence of the above defects was found with late consumer potatoes than with early ones.

The control of water activity (aw) and fat content in packed long-life meat products made by Czech producers was particularly focused on revealing deception. A water activity value lower than or equal to 0.93 is one of the key analytical criteria for a meat product to be declared long-life. During the inspection, 31 non-complying samples were found: 15 samples were due to higher water activity; 15 samples were due to a fat content different from that one shown on the package (or this information was completely missing); 1 sample was due to the higher water activity and fat content not corresponding to the information on the package.

The results of this inspection confirmed that some processors supply the market with "immature" long-life meat products, that is, with higher water activity than permitted by the Code of Practice. This not only entails deceiving of the consumer, but also an increased safety risk when consuming these so-called 'long-life' salamis. These products may, contrary to other meat products, be kept at a higher temperature and have a longer shelf life due to the low water activity, which prevents most pathogenic microorganisms from growing.

Another inspection focused on revealing deception was the meat adulteration in meat products. Its objective was to uncover substitution of individual types of meat in thermally processed meat products. This particularly involved substituting better quality, more expensive meat of a certain species with lower quality, cheaper meat of a different species. The inspection was carried out in large retail chains. The outcome of the inspection, when 7 non-conforming samples were detected, upheld the assumption that some producers substitute the types of meat indicated in the ingredients with meat of another species.

The centrally managed inspection of foods for a special diet focused on safety, labelling, and uncovering deceptive practicesat the same time. This inspection was carried out with producers, importers, and retailers and covered a wide range of commodities: müsli; flours; mashes; confectionery; soft drinks; processed fruit and vegetables; and others. No deceitful labelling or food-safety breach was detected. The defects found (in 127 cases) may have only been classified as incorrect or incomplete labelling; in unique cases, the valid certificate issued by the Chief Hygiene Officer (HEM) was missing. With regard to the fact that the inspection did not include, for example, special preparations with a high content of food supplements (vitamins; minerals; amino-acids), foods for sportsmen or people undergoing an increased physical strain, or foods for weight reduction, the CAFIA also plans to direct inspection activity in 2001 to products of this type.

With regard to the amended law on foodstuffs, which newly defines foodstuffs of a new type and stipulates obligations for them, the CAFIA undertook a monitoring of genetically modified foodstuffs. Its objective was to check whether such foods were put into circulation in the Czech Republic's retail network. Samples taken in September, October, and November were analysed in a renowned foreign laboratory in Switzerland. A total of 10 potentially genetically modified foodstuffs, containing soya or sweet corn, were sampled; four of them contained genetically modified DNA. The food samples (from the same lot) will serve as reference material for the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics of the CAFIA laboratory in Brno. The results will be used for inspection planning in the next period.

In 2000, the CAFIA inspectors carried out a total of 10,174 inspections of producers, during which 5,314 operations (production points) were checked; a number of them were inspected repeatedly. In most cases, the system of critical control points (HACCP system) was subjected to inspection; that is, whether the requirements of Decree No. 147/98 Coll. of the Ministry of Agriculture had been complied with. The deadline for the introduction of the CCP system was December 31, 1999; the CCP inspections thereby commenced in January 2000.

As for commodities, most inspections focused on bakeries, delicatessen producers, and pastry producers. This corresponds to the number of registrations with the CAFIA: as of December 31, 2000, 2,098 bakery, 1,296 pastry, and 1,170 delicatessen producers had been registered.

The fields with the highest percentage of the CCP systems introduced were as follows: the production of natural sweeteners; beer; milling grain products; and starch and starch products. On the other hand, the fields with the lowest percentage of the CCP systems were pastry / dough products; ice cream; frozen cream; and mushrooms. At the same time, it was ascertained that some producers, in spite of having had the CCP system introduced in compliance with applicable legal regulations, produced unsafe food.

Besides monitoring the introduction of the CCP system, producers' compliance with other legal requirements was also checked, for example, sampling for checking food safety.

If a drawback was found within the CCP system inspection, a relevant measure was adopted. Periods of time for the drawback's rectification were set with regard to a specific situation so that they were feasible for the producer. The objective of controlling the CCP system was to ensure that legal requirements had been complied with and to map the situation, not to impose penalties.

Last year's CCP system checks revealed significant differences in the conditions of individual producers. In general, it can be stated that the presence of the CCP system increased in proportion to the size of the production entity; that is, the larger the enterprise was, the more likely it was to have introduced the system. Thus, the CCP system is usually fully functional in those entities that are strong in terms of their financial position and management. Furthermore, fewer problems were found among producers who had a narrow product range, used simpler technology, and produced foods with a low epidemiological risk.

This sphere of activity includes the inspections undertaken in a retail network (including markets) and wholesale warehouses.

In a retail network, a relatively low number of inspections were carried out following a consumer complaint or comment. Another reason for these inspections was the plan of regional branches; sampling, for example, within a framework of centrally managed inspections; and tracking non-conforming foodstuffs detected during the monitoring of producers. In most cases when the inspection was done on the basis of a complaint, monitoring the observation of other obligations took place at the same time as the investigation of the actual subject of the complaint.

Regarding the requirements set forth in legal regulations, the inspections focused on complying with hygiene regulations in retailing, on shop equipment according to the range of foodstuffs sold, observing the 'Expiry date' and 'Date of Minimum durability' regulations, correctness of labelling, packaging, documents accompanying the commodity, etc. In the framework of the storage-condition check, the inspectors focused on complying with temperature regimes for keeping chilled and frozen foodstuffs and on other foods which required special temperatures when being put into circulation: for example, pastry products; diary products; fresh mushrooms; or products where the storage temperature was determined by the producer.

From the point of view of individual fields, the inspections in permanent shops most often focused on fresh fruit and vegetables; processed fruit and vegetables; meat products; diary products; wine; spirits; bakery products; pastry products; and delicatessen products. In shops in filling stations, the inspections were directed to delicatessen products (baguettes), soft drinks, confectionery, long-life pastry, and others. In markets, including sales at fairs, the inspections were particularly focused on spirits; winter sales of fresh fruit and fresh vegetables; and summer sales of chocolate, chocolate confectionery, and mushrooms. As for the markets, the inspections specifically focused on Easter and Christmas markets and stall equipment.

Inspections in wholesaling were particularly directed to imported foodstuffs and to tracking non-conforming samples detected in retailing; in terms of commodities, they were focused on fruit and vegetable quality.

The CAFIA receives complaints and notices from consumers and other entities (state administration bodies; and the media) regarding the breach of legal regulations when putting foodstuffs into circulation. These incentives significantly influence the focus of the inspections.

In 2000, the CAFIA received 1,655 complaints and incentives; their number increases every year. Some notices came from regional and district hygiene stations; from the Czech Trade Inspection; State Veterinary Administration; or from the Trade Licensing Authority.

Most complaints, however, came from consumers. A growing number of complaints from consumers does not mean that the quality or safety level of food sold would worsen. This fact is a result of a more frequent presentation of the CAFIA in the media, including the Internet ( www.czpi.cz); of the growing interest of the consumer public in food issues; and of the increasing knowledgeability of the public as a whole.

The most frequent subjects of complaint were as follows: non-conforming quality; sale of foodstuffs after their Expiry date or Date of minimum durability; hygienic deficiencies in shops; unsatisfactory storage conditions; and deceptively marked foodstuffs.

As for commodities, the complaints most frequently concerned fresh fruit and vegetables; delicatessen products; and meat, bakery, and pastry products. Consumers also complained about the quality of alcoholic beverages relatively often.

A majority of complaints concerned food sales in smaller self-service shops and shops selling over the counter; fewer of them concerned sales in supermarkets.

In 2000, the CAFIA imposed 2,874 penalties in administrative proceedings for breaching obligations stipulated by legal regulations; the total of the penalties amounted to 31,382,300 CZK.

The main reason for imposing the penalties in administrative proceedings especially was non-compliance with the following provisions of legal regulations (the figures in brackets indicate the number of cases when the breach of the relevant provision resulted in the penalty):

• Art. 11 Par. 1 Letter d) of the Act on Foodstuffs ( 1,307);
• Art. 6 of Act on Foodstuffs ( 1,131);
• 3. Art. 10 Par. 1 Letter c) of the Act on Foodstuffs ( 1,024);
• Art. 8 of the Act on Foodstuffs ( 831);
• Act on Vineyards and Viniculture ( 655);
• Art. 11 Par. 1 Letter c) of the Act on Foodstuffs ( 641);
• Art. 11 Par. 2 c) of the Act on Foodstuffs ( 557);
• Art. 10 Par. 1 Letter b) of the Act on Foodstuffs ( 475);
• Art. 10 Par. 1 Letter a) of the Act on Foodstuffs ( 446).

 If concurrent breaches of more provisions of legal regulations were committed by the person inspected, the penalty was imposed in an aggregate sum for all defects ascertained. The number of penalties imposed was thus significantly lower than the number of violations revealed.

Foodstuffs worth 26,508,882 CZK were banned from circulation (out of this, 12,420,538 CZK worth of imported products in retailing; 6,372,106 CZK worth of domestic products in retailing; and 7,716,238 CZK worth of products in production).

In 2000, the CAFIA operated a total of 7 laboratories; three of them were specialised only in conducting microbiological tests on food (Tábor, Plzeň, and Ústí nad Labem). During the year 2000, the four accredited CAFIA laboratories (in Praha, Hradec Králové, Brno, and Olomouc) had regular supervisory visits by people from CIA, the National Accreditation Body, in order for them to evaluate compliance with the accreditation criteria and obligations following from the accreditation. Regarding all four laboratories, it was stated that they had complied with all the accreditation criteria and were capable of conducting objective and independent tests for which they had been accredited. By confirming the accreditation's validity, the requirements of the EU Directive 93/99/EEC regarding laboratories performing official food monitoring, had been also complied with.

During the year 2000, the accredited CAFIA laboratories were charged by CIA, the National Accreditation Body, with the organisation and evaluation of inter-laboratory comparative tests. At the same time, the CAFIA laboratories participated, during the year, in several international comparative tests, arranged for by foreign institutions ( FAPAS, FEPAS, CHEK, etc.).

One of the conditions for granting the authorisation for conducting analytical analyses of grape wine for evaluation, as well as classification of grape wines, is to participate and successfully complete the inter-laboratory comparative tests of grape wine organised by the CAFIA. These tests are annually incorporated into the national programme of capability testing.

During the year 2000, an important project within the Czech Republic took place: establishing a laboratory for identification of GMO DNA in agricultural products and food; this project was incorporated into the National Quality Project at the same time. As part of this project, some foodstuffs were tested for GMOs; the method used was qualitative screening, based on polymeraze chain reaction.

Apart from other activities, the CAFIA's laboratories were also involved in research schemes of the Ministry of Agriculture included in the Project for NAZV (National Agency for Agricultural Research). Apart from an active participation in the projects of the Ministry of Agriculture in the spheres of science and research, in 2000 the CAFIA's laboratories also focused on the development and introduction of new testing methods, such as the determination of fat-free cocoa and milk dry matter in chocolate and chocolate confectionery products; determination of deoxinivalenole, a mycotoxin, in cereals and cereal products; determination of gluten in gluten-free foods; proving adulteration of animal and vegetable foodstuffs; and proving selected types of pathogenic microorganisms - Camphylobacter jejuni/coli, Escherichia coli 0 157.

In 2000, the CAFIA ensured the mandatory certification of foodstuffs pursuant to Article 4 of the Decree No. 220/98 Coll. of the Ministry of Agriculture. In April 2000, this Decree was amended, and the number of foodstuffs for which the certification had been mandatory had decreased. In August of the same year, the Act on Foodstuffs was amended, which brought about the cancellation of Decree No. 220/98 Coll. of the Ministry of Agriculture, effective as of January 1, 2001.

The CAFIA arranges for non-mandatory certification upon the request of producers, particularly for export of food or raw materials. The scope and type of the tests are usually determined according to the requirements of the foreign customer.

The CAFIA has been accredited by the CIA, the National Accreditation Body, according to CSN EN 45011, as the certification body. Based on the accreditation certificate, it is entitled to carry out certification of foodstuffs. Currently, a scheduled audit by the CIA is being prepared, which will check whether the CAFIA has complied with the conditions on which it was granted the accreditation certificate.

Based on the intergovernmental agreement for facilitation of food exports to the Russian Federation, the Russian authorities GOSSTANDART (equivalent of the Czech UNMZ) and GOSKOMSANEPIDNADZOR (hygiene service) accredited the CAFIA as the only Czech Republic body in the area of food allowed to do food certification within the Russian GOST R system. Based on this accreditation, the CAFIA can conduct laboratory tests on food, including the evaluation of results according to Russian standards and regulations. Last year, an audit by both these Russian authorities was successfully completed, resulting in the extension of the CAFIA's accreditation for another three years.

The CAFIA's international relationships in 2000 were mainly characterised by more activities; this was particularly enabled by increasing the number of personnel, and changing the CAFIA's organisational structure.

The CAFIA's foreign activities were predominantly focused on communication with the European Commission, mainly regarding the following two aspects: the accession of the Czech Republic to the European Union and the extensive changes in the European food legislation being prepared by the European Commission. The European Commission, or rather its Directorate General for consumer protection, DG SANCO, published the so-called White Paper on Food Safety at the beginning of last year. It summarised the basic conception of the development of food legislation in the European Union in the next four years and proposed the establishment of the European Food Authority as an institution which will, at the EU level, collect the newest scientific findings in the sphere of food safety and communicate with consumers. An important part of the CAFIA's international activities was its comment on the White Paper and on the European Food Authority's operation.

In relation to the preparation of the Czech Republic to the accession to the European Union, the CAFIA continued to harmonise its official food-inspection principles with EU principles and started systematic work on comparing the legal regulations of the Czech Republic with European Community legislation. In this sphere, the CAFIA was involved in the development of a database information system which would enable a transparent search and determination of the extent of compatibility of Czech law with European law. This information system would also enable work on achieving full compatibility of the Czech legal regulations, according to which the CAFIA operates, with the relevant standards of EC law.

The CAFIA actively participated in several meetings of important international organisations: the meeting of the Codex Alimentarius FAO/WHO Commission and the meeting of the FLEP and its work groups. The CAFIA is a sponsor, on behalf of the Czech Republic, of cooperation with three committees of the Codex Alimentarius Commission; in 2000, it participated in their meetings and presented its comments regarding common documents prepared and directives drafted. The committees in question are the Codex Committee for Food Labelling; the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling ; and the Codex Committee for Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems.

In March 2000, the CAFIA organised the sixteenth meeting of the FLEP, which was held in Prague; this was the first time that a country not a member of the European Union served as host. At this meeting, the Czech Republic was accepted as a full member of the FLEP. The meeting showed the need to establish a new work group that would deal with the issue of mycotoxin occurrence in foodstuffs. The CAFIA applied for participation in this work group and took part in its first meeting at the end of September.

An important event for the development of international activities was the signing a contract for educational projects for CAFIA employees and for supply of computing and telecommunication equipment, both paid for from the PHARE programme.

The CAFIA also applied to participate in the QUID Thematic Network international projects, the primary goal of which is to establish a European network of laboratories which apply Directive 79/112/EEC on labelling and presenting products in practice. Another project is GEMS/Foodstuffs - the programme for food contamination control and determination (a joint project of the FAO, UNEP, and WHO), the purpose of which is to collect information on food contamination and dangers to human health from various countries of the world, as source material for a complete synthesis. Since 1996, the development of the new structure of this data into an electronic form has been carried out.

The CAFIA's representatives participated in the Conference on Food Safety, held every year in Brussels; in 2000, this conference took place in the light of reactions to the European Commission's White Paper. Also very important in this respect was the Conference on Product Safety, which was not only a reaction to changes in European Food Legislation but also a reaction to changes in the consumer-protection concept, enforced by the DG SANCO. The CAFIA's activities as well as its developmental conception were presented at the conference called 'CR Foodstuffs in the Extended EU Market', arranged for by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic in Brussels at the end of the year.

The CAFIA's participation in the seminar called 'Food Safety Above All', held in the Netherlands, was extremely beneficial; its objective was to familiarize the participants from associated countries with the food-inspection system in the Netherlands and with the method of communication with the European Union. At the seminar on food safety held in Poland, the CAFIA's approach to risk evaluation was presented; at the practical seminar in Italy, both theoretical and practical findings were acquired in the area of analytic methods used for detecting the presence of GMOs in food; at the subsequent seminar in Brussels, the CAFIA's results were already presented in the sphere of GMOs detection. The CAFIA's inspectors participated in the international seminar on quality control of fresh fruit and vegetables. As part of the training course held in the USA, the issue of inspection and analyses of irradiated food was discussed.

Foreign residential courses in which CAFIA employees participated were not only focused on inspection and laboratory methods and on sampling methods, but also on getting to know the organisational structure of the partnership organisations and their methods of communication with the European Commission.

PHARE SPAN Inspectorate Food and Agricultural Czech the of Support - 9809-04-01&02 CZ

In the middle of 2000, an extensive project was commenced involving educational seminars intended for CAFIA operatives and for food producers in the Czech Republic. The project was paid for from the PHARE program; for its execution, the company Irish Agri-Food Development was chosen.

During the seminars for CAFIA employees, virtually all inspectors involved in checking critical points in production and in checking fresh fruit and vegetable quality were professionally trained (according to individual commodities). The CAFIA's employees were also trained in the sphere of European food legislation and the GMO issue. In 2001, the seminars above will be followed up by the training organised and paid for by TAIEX; this training will be held in one of the EU member countries.

In 2000, the first series of seminars intended for Czech food producers were also held; the subject of the seminars was the introduction of the critical point system into production. These seminars will be followed in 2001 by similar seminars for small producers, for example, of bakery products, wines, and fresh fruit and vegetables. The seminars can assist the producers to determine and record critical points, thus fulfilling the conditions for the production of safe food.

In 2001, other seminars on fresh fruit and vegetable quality control for producers will take place; importers and retailers may also participate in these seminars.

The project, whose total value exceeds 12 million CZK, will be finished in June of the next year. Until then, more than 30 various courses and seminars will have taken place, both for CAFIA employees and for Czech food producers. The project will assist in establishing conditions for the implementation of the new European policy regarding food safety, based on continuous control of the whole food chain and on transferring the main responsibility for food safety to the producer.

Seminars organised in cooperation with the French DGCCRF

Within the cooperation with the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Protection, and Suppressing Adulteration (DGCCRF), seminars for CAFIA employees were held, as in previous years; the seminars were focused on increasing skills in the area of inspecting and laboratory work and on acquiring further knowledge of EC legislation.

In 2000, the seminars were held on using information technology for management; on food adulteration; on wine and spirit inspection; and on metrology.

The CAFIA employees also participated in residential study courses, organised in cooperation with the DGCCRF and held at the French Directorate.

In 2000, residential courses focused on monitoring foodstuffs for special diets took place, as well as practices in the microbiological laboratories, and a course focusing on economics.

The CAFIA actively participates in specialised commenting and legislative work concerning various legal regulations (laws and decrees); it was given this assignment by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic on the basis of the so-called 'legislation task'. Examples of this activity are as follows: the amendment of an act on product safety; the amendment of the customs act; the act on administrative control; the amendment of the food act; the development of the decree on official sampling; the amendments of 'commodity' decrees; etc. This activity culminated during the preparation of the amendment to the act concerning the CAFIA, which should harmonise this legal regulation and the European legal formulation and incorporate into it some EU directives and regulations, such as 89/397/EEC; 93/99/EEC; 2251/92/EEC, and a number of others. The elaboration of the compatibility tables according to the governmental order no. 257 dated March 15, 2000 is oriented in this direction. As part of this effort, preparation has started for the development of software enabling clear and user-friendly retrieval of information by all operatives involved.

The cooperation with the hygiene service and veterinary administration bodies particularly involves mutually initiating inspections if a breach of legal regulations stipulated in the food act is observed involving the sphere of activity of another regulatory body and passing on the information necessary for the performance of regulatory activities.

In the same way, the CAFIA passes information to the relevant Czech Republic Police bodies if a suspicion of crime arises during the regulatory activity. It also cooperates during the criminal investigation.

The CAFIA closely cooperates with other state administration bodies in the area of preparing amendments to legal regulations, with the goal of attaining mutually interconnected and harmonised legal regulations and uniform procedures in the area of European integration.

Close cooperation with tax authorities results, apart from other things, from the fact that tax authorities are competent to claim penalties imposed in administrative proceedings for breaching legal regulations in the production of food or its putting into circulation.

The CAFIA also cooperates with the Intellectual Property Protection Authority, for example, on checking facts necessary for the inspection of foodstuffs or products which are fakes or inadmissible imitations.

When performing registry services, the CAFIA cooperates with the State Central Archive.

The CAFIA acquires important information from the customs administration bodies regarding foodstuffs imported to our country from abroad. In consultation with trade licensing authorities, it checks the validity of Trade Licences submitted by the persons inspected and passes information on serious breaches of trade performing legal obligations to the relevant licensing authority.

In accordance with Act No. 106/1999 Coll. as amended on free access to information, which became effective on January 1, 2000, the CAFIA regularly and openly informs the public of the results of its activities. It thereby fulfils one of the most important aspects of control - the principle of the 'controlled communication'.

In 2000, the CAFIA answered more than 400 questions asked by both consumers and journalists. In all the media - national, regional, or local - more than 350 outputs were published (among them reports, coverage, interviews, and original articles). Throughout the year, the CAFIA cooperated with national television and radio stations and newspaper editorial offices and provided consumer advice and information (' Good Morning with the Czech Television'; 'Breakfast with NOVA'; 'Home Alone'; ' CR Appetite'; 'Radio Impuls Consumer Window'; 'MF Today TEST'; 'Pravo Consumer Window'; etc.). The CAFIA authors regularly contributed to specialised magazines such as Nourishment and Foodstuffs; Food Bulletin; Potato Grower; Gardening; Retailer; Selection; Baker - Pastry Baker; Metrology; etc.

From the beginning of the year, four press conferences took place concerning the outcome of the CAFIA's inspection activity (excessive amounts of histamine detected in fish cans and deceptive labelling on instant coffee and long-life meat products), as well as its activities as part of the international cooperation (the FLEP conference and commencement of the educational project within the PHARE programme). It became a rule to supply the media with regular press news after the termination of centrally managed inspection events. During 2000, a total of 12 pieces of press news were processed in this way (the outcome of the inspection of observing the potato quality and variety requirements; control of imported wine quality; detected excessive amounts of aflatoxin in dry shell nuts; etc.).

An important part of the CAFIA's public relations is effective utilization of the Inspectorate's web pages. The objective of the strategy is to increase the CAFIA's authority and trustworthiness in the eyes of the public, no matter whether this involves the food producer, importer and seller, or the consumer. A part of the system of communication with the public is to develop an information centre for the consumer; the CAFIA intends to put such an information centre into operation in 2001.

 The CAFIA makes every effort to publish the maximum amount of information regarding its activities and related issues via its own Internet pages ( www.czpi.cz).

The www pages' appearance and structure changed at the beginning of 2000. This change was made because of the expansion of published information. It was also necessary to separate the Czech and English versions and to present more information at the international level.

Both the Czech and English pages are regularly updated and supplemented. Currently you may find the information on the CAFIA's Internet pages on several levels:

• Current news: topical information on the CAFIA's activities; approaches to inspections; interesting things for consumers; new legal regulations; etc.
• CAFIA's activities: information for consumers (complaints); inspection activities; laboratories; international activities; etc.
• Press news: the CAFIA's press news; published articles; etc.
• Contacts: the CAFIA's organisational structure; contacts at Headquarters and Regional Branches; etc.
• Laws and Decrees: legal regulations according to which the CAFIA performs the inspections.
• Interesting references: references to institutions both in the Czech Republic and abroad the activities of which are related to the CAFIA's web subject (state administration bodies; food-related associations and unions; schools; etc.).

According to the research carried out, the Inspectorate's web pages are extensively used by the public and are highly valued. The statistical data regarding the number of times CAFIA's pages are accessed in individual months proves the importance of publishing the information in this way.

Most instances of access were recorded during April, October, and November. In April, a large amount of new information was published, such as the results of the scheduled inspection of contaminants for 1999, the list of E codes, and information on up-to-date amendments to executing decrees. In October, the report on checking the correctness of food labelling was published. In November, the CAFIA's attitude to genetically modified food, as well as other up-to-date amendments to executing decrees, was published. PHARE seminars for food producers in the Czech Republic, focused on HACCP, were held.

The most frequent hours when people entered the CAFIA's www-pages were 8 - 11 a.m., and 2 - 3 p.m.

In 2000, the most frequently visited files were: The International List of E Codes; Sensitivity to Food; Control of Correct Food Labelling (food 'adulteration'); List of References Related to the CAFIA's Web Issue; New Acts and Decrees; Interesting Issues for Consumers (articles 'Before You Go Shopping', and 'What the Food Package Says'); Seminars for Czech Food Producers within the PHARE Project; and The Legal Framework of the CAFIA's Activities.

Most instances of access to the CAFIA's www pages were from within the Czech Republic. Many people accessing the site were from the USA, mostly from the commercial sector, followed by educators and the governmental sector. The most frequent visitors were from Slovakia, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, Finland, Belgium, and other states.

The CAFIA makes every effort to publish the maximum amount of information regarding its activities and related issues via its own Internet pages ( www.czpi.cz).

The www pages' appearance and structure changed at the beginning of 2000. This change was made because of the expansion of published information. It was also necessary to separate the Czech and English versions and to present more information at the international level.

Both the Czech and English pages are regularly updated and supplemented. Currently you may find the information on the CAFIA's Internet pages on several levels:

• Current news: topical information on the CAFIA's activities; approaches to inspections; interesting things for consumers; new legal regulations; etc.
• CAFIA's activities: information for consumers (complaints); inspection activities; laboratories; international activities; etc.
• Press news: the CAFIA's press news; published articles; etc.
• Contacts: the CAFIA's organisational structure; contacts at Headquarters and Regional Branches; etc.
• Laws and Decrees: legal regulations according to which the CAFIA performs the inspections.
• Interesting references: references to institutions both in the Czech Republic and abroad the activities of which are related to the CAFIA's web subject (state administration bodies; food-related associations and unions; schools; etc.).

According to the research carried out, the Inspectorate's web pages are extensively used by the public and are highly valued. The statistical data regarding the number of times CAFIA's pages are accessed in individual months proves the importance of publishing the information in this way.

Most instances of access were recorded during April, October, and November. In April, a large amount of new information was published, such as the results of the scheduled inspection of contaminants for 1999, the list of E codes, and information on up-to-date amendments to executing decrees. In October, the report on checking the correctness of food labelling was published. In November, the CAFIA's attitude to genetically modified food, as well as other up-to-date amendments to executing decrees, was published. PHARE seminars for food producers in the Czech Republic, focused on HACCP, were held.

The most frequent hours when people entered the CAFIA's www-pages were 8 - 11 a.m., and 2 - 3 p.m.

In 2000, the most frequently visited files were: The International List of E Codes; Sensitivity to Food; Control of Correct Food Labelling (food 'adulteration'); List of References Related to the CAFIA's Web Issue; New Acts and Decrees; Interesting Issues for Consumers (articles 'Before You Go Shopping', and 'What the Food Package Says'); Seminars for Czech Food Producers within the PHARE Project; and The Legal Framework of the CAFIA's Activities.

Most instances of access to the CAFIA's www pages were from within the Czech Republic. Many people accessing the site were from the USA, mostly from the commercial sector, followed by educators and the governmental sector. The most frequent visitors were from Slovakia, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, Finland, Belgium, and other states.

The CAFIA's inspection priority in the last year, as in former years, was food safety and incorrectly marked food (so-called 'adulterated' food). A brand new sphere of activity was monitoring the introduction of a critical-point system in production. Compliance with other legal regulations valid for putting food and tobacco products into circulation also received the necessary attention.

In the previous period, the CAFIA inspectors carried out 31,807 individual inspections. The greatest number of inspections was undertaken in retailing (18,002); in production (10,174); in wholesaling (3,488), and in other venues (for example, in restaurants - 143). The increased number of inspections in production compared to 1999 (4,623) was specifically in connection with monitoring the introduction of the critical-point system; these inspections were commenced as of January 1, 2000.

During the inspections, a total of 10,875 unsatisfactory samples of food and tobacco products were detected that did not comply with legal requirements for safety, quality, and labelling. The unsatisfactory samples represented a quantity of 788,323 kilograms, 896,084 litres, and 38,738 units of produce.

In 2000, the CAFIA imposed 2,874 penalties in administrative proceedings, amounting to 31,382,300 CZK.

Non-conforming foodstuffs worth 26,508,882 CZK were banned from circulation. These figures included imported products worth 12,420,538 CZK detected in retailing; domestic products worth 6,372,106 CZK detected in retailing; and 7,716,238 CZK worth of products detected in production.

The CAFIA's international relationships in 2000 were characterised by more activities; this was particularly enabled by increasing the number of personnel and changing the CAFIA's organisational structure. The CAFIA's foreign activities were predominantly focused on communication with the European Commission, mainly regarding the following two spheres: the accession of the Czech Republic to the European Union and the extensive changes in the European food legislation being prepared by the European Commission.

In the realm of education, the project paid for by the PHARE programme took place in 2000. The project included two main parts: educational seminars for the CAFIA employees, and seminars for Czech Republic food producers.

The CAFIA actively participated in specialised commenting and legislative work concerning various legal regulations (acts and decrees); it was given this assignment by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic. Cooperation with other state administration bodies continued and further developed.

The CAFIA regularly supplied both the specialised and the consumer public with relevant information via the media. An important part of the CAFIA's publication activities was effective utilization of Internet sites, which were regularly supplemented with up-to-date information.

• White Paper - the EU's official report on food safety dated January 12, 2000. This document Formulates the EU's priorities on this subject.
• CHEK - Chemische Kwaliteitsborging (the system of assessing the laboratory competence organised by the Inspectorate of the Netherlands)
• Customs Act - Act No. 13/1993 Coll., Customs Act, as amended
• CIA - the Czech Institute for Accreditation
• Codex Alimentarius - Codex Alimentarius Commission (the international commission for coordination of standards and directives for production, retailing, and food control)
• CR - the Czech Republic
• CSN - the Czech standard
• ČZPI/CAFIA - the Czech Agricultural and Food Inspectorate
• DGCCRF - Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes (the regulatory body in France)
• DG SANCO - Directorate General SANCO - the Directorate General of the European Commission for Health and Consumer Protection
• DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid
• EEC - European Economic Community
• EC - European Commission
• EN - European norm
• EC - European Community
• EU - European Union
• FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
• FAPAS - The Food Analysis Performance Assessment Scheme (international assessment of laboratory performance - chemical analysis)
• FEPAS - The Food Evaluation Performance Assessment Scheme (international assessment of laboratory performance - microbiological analysis)
• FLEP -Food Law Enforcement Practitioners (association of European inspection body representatives who enforce food law in practice)
• FSAI - Food Safety Authority of Ireland
• GEMS/Foodstuffs - the Global Environmental Management System / The programme of food contamination control and determination, generally known by the GEMS/Foodstuffs abbreviation; it was commenced in 1976 as a joint project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), UN Environmental Programme (UNEP), and the World Health Organisation (WHO)
• GMO - genetically modified organisms
• GOSKOMSANEPIDNADZOR - State Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision of the Russian Federation
• GOSSTANDART - the state standard of Russia
• Gost R - the system of the Russian certification
• HACCP - Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points
• IAFD - Irish Agri-Food Development (the company arranging for the PHARE project for CAFIA employee training
• ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network
• KI - Regional Branch / Regional Inspection
• PC - personal computer
• PHARE - the European Commission's financial programme for assisting candidate countries in preparation for the accession to the European Union
• Public Relations
• QUID Thematic Network - (QUID - Quantitative Ingredient Declaration) - the European network of laboratories applying the Directive 79/112/EEC on labelling and quantitative ingredient declaration in practice
• TAIEX - Technical Assisstance Information Exchange Office - the institution founded by the European Commission with the objective of assisting the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe in preparation for their incorporation into the EU internal market
• UNEP - United Nations Environmental Programme
• ÚNMZ - Úřad pro technickou normalizaci, metrologii a státní zkušebnictví (Authority for Technical Standardisation, Metrology, and State Quality Control)
• Decree of the Ministry of Health No. 294/97 Coll. - the Decree of the Ministry of Health No. 294/1997 Coll. concerning food biological requirements and method for their inspection and evaluation, as amended
• Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture No. 147/98 Coll. - the Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture No. 147/1998 Coll. concerning the method of determining critical points in production technology.
• Decree of the Ministry of Health No. 298/97 Coll. - the Decree of the Ministry of Health No. 298/1997 Coll., which stipulates chemical requirements for safety of individual food types and food raw materials; conditions of their use; their labelling on packages; requirements for purity and identity of additive substances and food supplements; and microbiological requirements for food supplements and additive substances, as amended
• Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture No. 220/98 Coll. - the Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture No. 220/1998 Coll. concerning the method and extent of evaluating food conformity; method of preparing and taking control samples of foodstuffs and tobacco products by the producer; types of foodstuffs for which the producer or importer will issue a written declaration of conformity; and the scope and content of this declaration (evaluation of conformity)
• WHO - World Health Organization
• www - World Wide Web
• Act on the CAFIA - Act No. 63/1986 Coll. concerning the CAFIA, as amended
• Act on Foodstuffs - Act No. 110/1997 Coll. concerning foodstuffs and tobacco products and alteration and supplementation of some related acts
• Act on Administrative Proceedings - Act No. 71/1967 Coll. concerning administrative proceedings (administrative order) as amended
• Act on Vineyards and Viniculture - Act No. 115/1995 Coll. concerning vineyards and viniculture and alteration of some related legal regulations