• 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 October 2016, the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) commemorates 30 years of its existence. In the past epoch, the Authority made many significant changes and stabilised its position of one of the elementary tools of public administration in the field of protection of consumer’s rights and honest operators in food industry. In 2015 CAFIA carried out 43,483 inspections, 467,000 laboratory analyses, detected 3,841 unsatisfactory lots and imposed lawful fines amounting to 141,304,500 CZK. To this date, almost 550 employees work for CAFIA with 15 representing in various bodies of the EU.

In the structure similar to the today’s one, CAFIA has started working by adopting the Act No. 63/1986 Coll., on the establishment of the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority. In 1992, a decision to move the Headquarters to Brno was made and the number of regional Inspectorates was reduced to 7, each responsible for 2 regions. The current designation Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority stems from adoption of Act No. 146/2002 Coll., on CAFIA.

Establishing highly specialised laboratories in Prague and in Brno in 2003 signified an immense advance as regards identification of unsafe and adulterated foodstuffs. The Prague laboratory is focused, inter alia, on detection of presence of pesticides. Compared to the methods and equipment from 1986 that enabled identification of 11 pesticides solely in foodstuffs of animal origin, the current top equipment operated by specialists respected on international level enables detection of more than 500 pesticides in foodstuffs both of animal and plant origin and that in concentration 100 times lower than 30 years ago.

CAFIA laboratory in Brno focused, inter alia, on analyses of wine, launched in 2005 a unique equipment, so-called nuclear magnetic resonance which is able to analyse foodstuffs on the level of distribution of isotopes in molecules which, as regards wine, means an legally unquestionable method for detection of added water, geographical and botanical origin. Before this equipment has been launched, only certain ways of wine adulteration could be proved and in limited extent only. For example addition of water had been assessed only sensorially by a group of experts, geographical origin had been proved based on documentation and botanical origin has practically been undetectable. Since the equipment has been launched, 3,723 samples were analysed, out of which 361 failed to comply at least in one parameter.

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority is entrenched in international structures fighting against unsafe and adulterated foodstuffs. Since 2003, CAFIA has been the national contact point for the Rapid Alert System and Food (RASFF) and since 2015, also the national contact point for the European system for co-operation in fight against adulterated foodstuffs (AACS – Administrative Assistance and Co-operation System).

CAFIA was among the first Czech authorities holding the ISO 9001 certificate in 2005 which significantly contributed to the transparent functioning of the authority, expectedness and uniformity of procedures performed by its units.

A project, which is unique from the European point of view, publishing results of inspections by a body of public administration – Food Pillory – was visited by more than 4 million consumers and was awarded by the Czech Internet Award – Crystal Magnifying Glass – namely in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Since that time the project has been extended by mobile application (68,092 downloads), Facebook account (19,600 likes) and Twitter account (4,463 fans).

Since the beginning of 2015, CAFIA has obtained a new responsibility consisting in supervision of public catering premises as well – restaurants, fast foods, beer houses, wine shops, confectionary shops, etc. Current inspections of retail, wholesale and production of foodstuffs of non-animal origin had thus been extended.

Also charity event which is intended for Women for Women society “Lunches for children” is a part of the 30 years’ commemoration. This charity organisation supports children from incomplete families so that they are not hungry while at schools. The event is approached as voluntary charity collection among our employees and as auction of pictures taken also by employees.

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