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The CAFIA receives complaints and notices from consumers and other entities (state administration bodies; and the media) regarding the breach of legal regulations when putting foodstuffs into circulation. These incentives significantly influence the focus of the inspections.

In 2000, the CAFIA received 1,655 complaints and incentives; their number increases every year. Some notices came from regional and district hygiene stations; from the Czech Trade Inspection; State Veterinary Administration; or from the Trade Licensing Authority.

Most complaints, however, came from consumers. A growing number of complaints from consumers does not mean that the quality or safety level of food sold would worsen. This fact is a result of a more frequent presentation of the CAFIA in the media, including the Internet ( www.czpi.cz); of the growing interest of the consumer public in food issues; and of the increasing knowledgeability of the public as a whole.

The most frequent subjects of complaint were as follows: non-conforming quality; sale of foodstuffs after their Expiry date or Date of minimum durability; hygienic deficiencies in shops; unsatisfactory storage conditions; and deceptively marked foodstuffs.

As for commodities, the complaints most frequently concerned fresh fruit and vegetables; delicatessen products; and meat, bakery, and pastry products. Consumers also complained about the quality of alcoholic beverages relatively often.

A majority of complaints concerned food sales in smaller self-service shops and shops selling over the counter; fewer of them concerned sales in supermarkets.