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The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) imposed ban on the use of premises illegally growing and producing “mungo sprouts”. The premises were operated by inspected person Tuan Anh Pham, Za rybníčky 694, 149 00 Prague Šeberov.

The food business operator in question carried out an unauthorised production of this commodity at the premises situated in a family house and also in its transportation vehicle. He performed these activities in contraction to legislation, and he failed to comply with the obligation to notify CAFIA of his activities and to ask for approval of the premises.

To launch production of sprouts, producers have to undergo an inspection by a supervisory authority and have the premises approved as well as to comply with a range of legislation requirements which concern meeting of particular microbiological criteria associated with growing of these foodstuffs prone to contamination with bacteria (for example with Escherichia coli producing shigatoxins).

Measures applied to growing of sprouts were made stricter by legislation for precautionary reasons, of which aim is to protect consumers against dissemination of serious intestinal diseases, of which agent is, inter alia, bacteria Escherichia coli producing shigatoxins. Such outbreak hit Germany in 2011 where sprouts with unsafe bacteria reached final consumers and caused 50 deceases.

Based on the CAFIA detection, the operator destroyed 504 packages of sprouts à 150 g (of own production), 23 packages à 5 kg made by a producer of an unknown origin, and 41 containers with sprouted mungo beans à 6 kg. In total 437 kg of these deficient foodstuffs of unsafe nature were thus concerned.

This inspection activity was carried out in co-operation with the Police of the CR – namely with the Regional Directorate of the Capital City of Prague and policemen of the Department of Patrol Service of the District Directorate of the Police Prague IV.

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

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

3^rd December 2018