CAFIA is a state administration body subordinate to the Ministry of Agriculture. It is a state authority responsible for supervision of safety, quality and labelling of foodstuffs.

Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority

CAFIA is a state administration body subordinate to the Ministry of Agriculture. It is a state authority responsible for supervision of safety, quality and labelling of foodstuffs.

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Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic [open in new window]

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CAFIA Annual Report for 2002

03/12/2003

11. Communication with the public

Fundamental Tasks

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority sees the basic principle of its relations with the general public in outspoken, truthful and on time communication. Such an approach aims to provide the consumers and businessmen with reliable information, either directly or through mass media, to inform them about CAFIA activities and – in particular – about results obtained from its activities.

Becoming effective the Act No 106/1999, Coll. of L., on Free Access to Information, as amended, a concept of the method of communication with the public has gradually been worked out, which amplified the interest in information on food safety in the Czech market, improving considerably consumer and businessmen “awareness” of this area of activities.

CAFIA pays large attention to the issues of communication with the public. A new independent Public Relations Unit (PRU), which currently employs three persons.

In addition to the main role, which is enforcing of the Act No. 106/1999, Coll. of L., PRU performs duties associated with the presentation of CAFIA in public (the so-called Public Relations). It can be noted in practice that presentation of the authority activities, of its fundamental tasks, international cooperation and results is exceptionally important also with respect to the general awareness of CAFIA with the public. During 2002 the authority Corporate Identity was successfully carried on, including official web sites, uniform visiting cards of all representatives, personnel and service passes, promotional materials, and promotional video on CAFIA.

Web Sites

The CAFIA web sites represent an important communication tool. They were entirely and fully modernized in the course of 2002 by developing their new graphic design, altering and extending their contents and changing also their functional principle. The new web sites were developed on the basis of an editorial system providing both users and administrators with maximum comfort. Their contents are modern, simple structured and yet highly valuable for its data and pleasant graphics. The editorial system is designed as a web application with a web browser forming the platform of its functioning. The administrative part of the system is operated under the Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 and higher versions. The whole editorial system is divided in two separate, though very tightly combined parts. It also includes a browser, which facilitates searching by key words, authors, etc. By the user responses, the CAFIA web sites rank among the best classified comparable web sites of other public authorities.

The CAFIA web sites are well visited, as the data published here can be of use not only to the consumers and journalists, but also to businessmen. The sites are also published in English version.

Table 11.1: Number of visitors to web sites in the individual months

Number of visitors to web sites in the individual months							Total number of visits
	July	August	September	October	November	December	Total (VII. - XII.)
Number of unique visits	529	1772	2954	2298	2028	1755	29336
Number of all visits	11856	28194	46805	54205	42707	47242	231009
Visits to the home page – unique							10228
Visits to the home page - all							35455
Note.1: Visits to the sites have been monitored since July 2002 when the new web sites were activated)

Table 11.2: The most often read articles in 2002

The most often read articles in 2002
Unique visits	All visits
Employment in CAFIA	Act No. 106/1999, job vacancies
Control Principles	Control principles, organizational structure
Organizational structure	Excessive sensitivity to foodstuffs, Food for special dietary use and approach to their control
Act No. 106/1999 on Free Access to Information	Press release on the control of instant coffees
Report on the results of the control of instant coffees	Laboratory activity
Act No. 110/1997 and Decree No. 347/2002, Law on CAFIA and arising changes	Act No. 110/1997, Decree No. 347/2002 Articles such as Dioxins in foodstuffs, International list of E codes, What can packing tell about foodstuffs and how to read data declared on the packaging
CAFIA units competencies, Laboratories, Information system	CAFIA approach to genetically modified food
Articles for consumers written by the CAFIA specialists on specific foodstuffs	Certification
The most often read sections of the year
Unique visits	All visits
Unhealthy foodstuffs	Legislation
Information for consumers – food column	News
Legislation	Press Releases
Documents to be downloaded	Information for consumers – food column
Job vacancies	Unhealthy foodstuffs
Press Releases	Approaches to inspection
CAFIA activities (Inspection)	Seminars
Organizational structure	Job vacancies
Approaches to inspection	Documents to be downloaded
Act No. 106/1999, Coll. of L.	Information for consumers – chemical agents in foodstuffs
Information for consumers – chemical agents	Organisational Structure
Seminars	Inspection Activities
Information for consumers – general advice	Information for consumers – general advice
Note.2: unique visits-total number of users who visited the web sites, all visits – all even the repeated visits to the web sites

Consultations of university students

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority was also a well-sought administrative body for the consultations and excursions by university students, especially students of economic schools, such as the School of Economics and Management at the Masaryk University in Brno, the Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno, or the School of Economics in Prague.

Summary

In 2002 PRU published the total of 58 press releases, of which 8 provided prompt information in connection with the catastrophic floods in Bohemia, the others informed about the results of inspections and further up-to-date information. Two press conferences were held – on food safety and on the results of inspections of fresh fruit and vegetables carried out in the trade network. CAFIA took an active part in the International Gastronomic Fair Salima 2002 held in Brno where the CAFIA representatives provided visitors with information in two places (their own information stand and at the stand of the Ministry of Agriculture).

The PRU responded to 1,008 queries received from the general public in 2002, of which 354 came from various mass media. The total of 1,230 articles, news and reports were published in papers, radio and television. With effect from October 2002 CAFIA has been collaborating with the Czech TV on a broadcasting for women called “At home alone” and with the daily paper “MF Dnes”, giving expert advice in the preparation of sections for consumers dealing with food issues. The CAFIA specialists contribute also to other consumer “columns” in various mass media.

Data provided in compliance with Act No. 106/1999, Coll. of L., on Free Access to Information:

number of satisfied applications for information - 1008
number of appeals from decisions submitted received - 0
copies of essential parts of each court decision - 0
results of Administrative proceedings about penalties for non-adherence to the law without specification of personal data - 0
Other information relating to the enforcement of this law - 0

Graph 11.1.1: Number of unique visits by months

Graph 11.1.1 Number of unique visits by months.jpg