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CAFIA still urges to be cautious when buying food in the areas that were flooded
09/04/2002The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority still carries out inspections and assesses very intensely the food facilities and foodstuffs sold in the areas that were struck by the floods. Although the number of the inspected production facilities, warehouses and shops is quite high – 1.454 to date, it does not testify impartially the actual strength of the CAFIA inspectors when working in the field. Most of the facilities had to be so far inspected a few times since the beginning of the foods and the inspectors will have to return to many of them. The CAFIA staff have to assess directly on spot if a facility is in a suitable condition for storing or selling food, they have to inspect tens of different food products, to control if they were or not affected by the floodwater, to take samples for microbiological analyses, to verify documents on the origins of foodstuffs and to fill in the relevant protocols that the keepers or owners use as a proof of loss for insurance companies. CAFIA has no intention to make the situation for businessmen, who in many cases have lost almost everything, more complicated. On the contrary, the assessments of fitness of the respective places to be used for the handling with food are issued free of charge and can make easier, for the producers or owners, the negations with customers. The main reason, of course – and the CAFIA’s work is mostly perceived in that way – is the protection of consumers from the contaminated food and also protection of the interests of businessmen.
Nevertheless, the release of food into circulation had to be prohibited in 17 cases so far. It related to foodstuffs that clearly came into contact with the floodwater. In majority of the cases the measure related to smaller shop or stall-keepers. But, e.g., also the Eggenberg brewery from Český Krumlov supplied bottled beer, which came from the flooded stock, to at least six shops. On the contrary, the Pilsner Urquell brewery showed an exemplary cooperation with the CAFIA by issuing a strict ban on the distribution of all suspicious products, prohibited re-processing the beer that may have come into contact with floodwater and liquidates all packing, which is impossible to be thoroughly washed.
The food that is prohibited to be released into circulation must be provably liquidated and an administrative procedure is initiated with the owner or keeper of a facility that will result into a penalty.
However, in many areas struck by the floods CAFIA have nothing to inspect. For example, there are villages in the area of Litoměřice or Mělník, in which the floods completely or partially damaged the local food shops – e.g. in Vrbno near Mělník, where only 3 houses out of 90 will be saved, the food shop no more exits now. The same situation occurs in many other places. If a provisional food sale has been established in such places, in any case it has to comply with all the prescribed conditions that should be meticulously adhered to in the interest of the health protection.
CAFIA keeps releasing a number of useful information relating to the food handling in its web sites www.szpi.gov.cz
Photo 1 - 3: Upon the initiative of the Regional emergency staff of the region Ústí nad Labem, inspectors of CAFIA inspected four stallkeepers in Hřensko and prohibited selling foodstuffs, which came into direct contact with floodwater.
Photo 4 - 6: In the most intensive area of CR where the vegetable is cultivated - Litoměřice area - the field crop is completely destroyed on many places
![Stránky archivovány Národní knihovnou ČR [otvíráno do nového okna]](../design/img/webarchive_certificate.png "Stránky archivovány Národní knihovnou ČR [otvíráno do nového okna]")