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Results of inspections of the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) showed that the lowest number of deficiencies is at foodstuffs of domestic producers. The inspections showed violations at 13% of lots out of the total assessed number. Higher proportion of violations was proved at foodstuffs originating in the EU countries (16.9%) and by far highest number of violation was connected with foodstuffs imported from third countries (25.1%). This result pattern repeats in last years and confirms the highest level of reliability of Czech foodstuffs in a long-term horizon.

“Producers of the Czech Republic are starting from primary producers up to retail sellers under a systematic surveillance of Czech supervisory bodies and any deficiencies could be solved immediately at the entities concerned. It is much faster, effective and transparent process than to forward the detection abroad and rely on activities of foreign supervisory bodies. Repeated confirmation of the highest quality of domestic foodstuffs is not a surprise for me,” the Minister of Agriculture, Miroslav Toman, stated.

In 2018 CAFIA carried out the total of 43,401 entries to premises of food business operators, public catering, customs warehouses and e-shops. Out of this number, 25,067 of inspection entries were made in retails, 14,290 in public catering,  5,868 in production, 1,876 in wholesales, 599 in primary production, and 1,041 at other places (e.g. during transport, customs warehouses, etc.).

The total of 3,514 non-compliant lots of foodstuffs and further products were detected during these inspections.

Similarly as in 2017, 2016 and 2015, public catering area was the most problematic type of premises. CAFIA carried out 14,290 inspections in restaurants, bistrots, beer houses, bars, confectionary shops and further types of public catering premises and found the total of 3,457 deficiencies. Violation of legislation was thus detected in each fourth inspected premises. From the reason of failure to keep good hygiene practice, the inspectors closed 67 premises on the spot. Public catering premises thus represented 37.6% of all premises which were closed down.

“Despite partial interannual improvement, public catering premises remain the segment where our inspectors find deficiencies the most often and they are forced to close the premises for their unacceptable hygiene conditions posing a risk for consumers' health. CAFIA will continue with intensive inspections to protect consumers and help to fair and honest market environment,” Martin Klanica, Director General of CAFIA, said.

The most problematic foodstuffs are following: honey (46.3% of non-compliant lots out of the total number of all assessed lots), meat products (19%), wine (23.9%), fresh fruit (16.9%), milk products (18.3%), shell nuts (28.2%) and food supplements (14%).

In 2018, the total of 2,216 of administrative procedures with food business operators were lawfully closed down, within which fines amounting to 100,594,000 CZK were imposed. At the same time, CAFIA imposed 12,397 bans of placing foodstuffs on the market and the total value of banned foodstuffs represented amount no lower than 53, 625,509 CZK.

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

27^th March 2019