• Entrepreneurs
• Business information
• Certification
• CAFIA laboratories
• CAFIA opinions
• More information
• Consumers
• How to know the food market
• Results of CAFIA inspections
• Consumer rights
• List of risky sites
• Hoaxes
• Other visitors
• Press Releases
• Internships at CAFIA
• Public contracts

In 2017, the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) carried out an inspection activity with the aim to verify whether producers and importer provide consumers with information on the use of ionising radiation of foodstuffs treated this way. This information obligation is laid down both by European and national legislation.

CAFIA inspectors took samples of foodstuffs of which labelling did not include information on irradiation and after a risk analysis they focused, inter alia, on commodities at which results of former inspections proved violation of the obligation mentioned above. Namely spices, herb teas, instant soups containing a bag with spices, dried garlic, dried mushrooms and food supplements were concerned.

Out of the 32 samples taken, the analysis proved that 1 sample was treated with ionizing radiation without indication of this fact on the labelling of the goods. Following product was concerned:

Siberian ginseng, food supplement (root powder), best before date by: 09/2018, lot: 06-4-03-103-01-1, 17-057, producer: Walt International s.r.o., Jablonec nad Nisou, supplier: Alfred Galke GmbH, Flecken Gittelde, Am Bahnhof 1, Bad Grund, country of origin China.

CAFIA will initiate and administrative procedure on imposition of a fine with the inspected person.

According to experts, treating of foodstuffs and raw materials with ionizing radiation is of interest of public health as it may be an efficient substitution e. g. for the use of fumigants (insecticide) or prevention of undesirable contamination e. g. of dried herbs or spices.

V některých členských státech EU je ale ozařování potravin stále otevřeným tématem a někteří spotřebitelé mají z této technologie obavy. Proto vznikl požadavek na označování ozáření potravin a surovin včetně ozářených složek, aby se spotřebitelé mohli rozhodnout dle svých preferencí.

However, food irradiation is still an open issue in certain EU countries and some consumers are afraid of this technology. That is the reason for the requirement for labelling of foodstuffs and raw materials treated this way so that consumers could decide according to their preferences.

Article by: Mgr. Pavel Kopřiva – CAFIA Spokesperson, phone: +420 542 426 633