Eg. product name, manufacturer, dealer, ...

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Act No. 110/1997 Coll., on foodstuffs and tobacco products and on a change and completion of some related laws.

The European Community provisions concerning food have been incorporated into this Act. The Act does not apply to meals and potable water (these are regulated by the Act on Public Health Protection).

The following terms, among others, are defined:

Food supplement

The foodstuff intended for direct consumption in small, measured quantity that has been produced in order to supplement the usual diet and that has a high content of vitamins, mineral substances or other substances with nutritional or physiological effects than the foodstuff contains separately or in a combination.

Additives 

Substances, without regard to their nutritive value, that are not ordinarily used separately, either as a foodstuff or as a characteristic food additive, and that are added into foodstuffs during production, packaging, transportation or storage, through which they themselves or through their by-products they become or may become a component of the foodstuff.

Flavourings

Substances used and intended for such purpose that, when added into a foodstuff they give such a foodstuff a scent or flavour that such foodstuff would not have in the absence of these substances, or would not have in the characteristic intensity.

Placing into circulation

Offering for sale, sale, or other forms of offering for consumption; storage, transportation for the purpose of sale and import for the purpose of sale since the clearance date (in case of import from third countries).

Use-by date 

The date terminating the period of time during which the foodstuff subject to rapid deterioration, when storage conditions are maintained, retains its specific properties and complies with requirements for harmlessness to health and following which it must not be placed into circulation.

Best before date 

the date delimiting the minimum period of time during which, when storage conditions are maintained, the foodstuff retains its specific properties and complies with requirements for harmlessness to health.

Obligations of food business operators (FBOs)

to comply with requirements for:

• quality of food (sensory, physical, chemical, microbiological);

• technological and hygiene requirements;

• handling with food (transportation, storage, handling);

• content, conditions and mode of application of vitamins, mineral substances, additives and auxiliary substances, and flavourings;

• types and permissible amount of contaminants, pesticide residues, toxicologically significant substances and substances formed due the activity of microorganisms in food and raw material.

to inform appropriate inspection authorities of the beginning, changes or termination of the performance a subject matter at the latest on the day the performance took place.

Producers of food or raw materials shall perform regular inspections of quality and safety of food.

This Act also defines the obligations of the FBOs that:

• import or export food from or to third countries (i.e. outside the European Union);

• produce or import additives or place them into circulation;

• export or import foodstuffs intended for special nutrition;

Certificates proving knowledge of mushrooms 

are issued by the regional public health office to medically fit persons on the basis of successful passing the examination in the knowledge of mushrooms. The validity of the certificate is limited in time, depending on the applicant's age.

Packaging

Shall protect the foodstuff against devaluation, prevent the content to be replaced or changed without damaging (opening, modifying) the packaging, shall affect the foodstuff neither in sensory nor in other way and shall comply with requirements for articles and materials coming into direct contact with foodstuffs.

Labelling of foodstuffs 

FBOs are obliged to follow legal provisions concerning labelling of food.

The Act stipulates that a foodstuff packaged during production shall be labelled as follows:

Business name and seat of the producer or seller (residing in the EU) or packing premises (legal person).

Name, surname and place of business of the producer or seller (natural person).

Country of origin or productionof food, if omitting such indication would mislead consumers, as regards the origin or production of the foodstuff.

Name of kind, group or subgroup of food, e.g. potatoes – early.

Information on the quantity of product (volume, weight); for solid foodstuffs placed in a liquid medium both the gross weight and the net weight of solid foodstuff shall be given.

Use-by date – for the kinds of foodstuffs that are subject to rapid deterioration and for some others.

Best before date or use-by date, it is defined in the Decree which foodstuffs do not have to be labelled with the best before date.

Method of storage for foodstuffs that may, in case of improper storage, suffer damage to their safety (health safety) or quality (laid down by the Decree or declared by the producer), and specific conditions and length of storage after opening the packaging by the consumer (if the quality or safety of the foodstuff can rapidly deteriorate after opening the packaging), for instance "After opening, store in a cool place and consume within 3 days".

Method of use for the foodstuffs the incorrect use of which could cause damage to safety (health safety) or quality laid down in the Decree or declared by the producer.

Information on the designation of food intended for special nutrition.

Information on the composition of food according to used raw materials and additives, flavourings and food supplements.

Lot indication – not necessary if a foodstuff is labelled with best before date or use-by date, provided that such date indicates day and month.

Information on the amount of unfavourable impact on human health, if laid down by specific provisions.

Information on treatment of foodstuff or raw material with ionizing radiation, with words "ionized" or "treated with ionization" or "treated with ionizing radiation"; this information shall be indicated next to the name of a foodstuff in the cases where the foodstuff or food raw material which is an ingredient of the foodstuff was treated.

Information on the nutritional value for food that have a nutrition claim on their packaging, and in the cases laid down by a corresponding legal provision.

Information on the quality class, if laid down by implementing legislation.

In the cases where a foodstuff is intended for domestic consumers, information on the packaging label shall be given in Czech language, except for the trade name of the foodstuff and information that cannot be clearly expressed in Czech language.

The Act also defines the obligatory information that shall be stated on a label also in case of:

– food packaged outside the producer's premises and without the presence of the consumer;

– unpackaged food.

 

It is banned to place into circulation foodstuffs:

• that are other than harmless to health (i.e. safe); 

• that are labelled in a misleading way or offered for consumption in a misleading way;

• with expired use-by date;

• of unknown origin.

Foodstuffs with expired best before date may be placed into circulation if they are labelled as such, placed separately from other foodstuffs, and if they are not harmless to health.