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During the emergency state, inspectors of the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) focused in particular on keeping of requirements for hygiene and safety in food retails given by this situation. This regime of inspections was, inter alia, less demanding for food business operators as regards time and administration compared to ordinary inspections. The aim was to enable the sellers to focus fully on fluent supply of citizens. After the emergency state was terminated on 17^th May 2020, CAFIA inspectors got back to the standard regime of inspections including comprehensive inspections of selling conditions in retails together with their utility rooms, storages, etc.

During the inspections carried out in retails after 17^th May 2020, 14 premises had to be partly or completely closed down. The reason for that was failure to comply with elementary requirements for hygiene in the selling area or utility rooms of the premises. Results of the inspections show that keeping of food legislation by certain operators remains unsatisfactory.

At the majority of the closed establishments, the inspectors detected neglecting of measures against occurrence of pests and rodents in particular. Inspection in shops or their utility rooms found presence of mice excrements, foodstuffs damaged by mice gnawing and in certain cases, presence of dead mice as well. Neglected cleaning in a long-time horizon – dirty floors and shelves, occurrence of moulds at the premises or even in cooling equipment, storage of items irrelevant to sale of foodstuffs, neglected waste disposal were further frequent deficiencies. Proper check of keeping hygiene regulations is essential in particular because safety of foodstuffs cannot be guaranteed when these regulations are violated, no matter whether in the production, transport, storage or selling stage.

Inspectors impose ban on the use of the premises if unacceptable hygiene conditions are detected. The operator is also ordered to remove these detected deficiencies. Repeated check verifying whether the operator put the premises into compliance with legislation requirements is carried out and only after that the ban is lifted. Administration proceeding on imposition of a fine is subsequently initiated as well.

Summary of closed retails including detected deficiencies and photographic documentation is available on website Food Pillory in its Section Closed Establishments.

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

23^rd July 2020