The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority keeps making effort to reveal adulterated foodstuffs or cases of deceiving consumers. Both practices lead to the fact that foodstuffs pretending to be something they are not occur on the market and consumers have not many chances how to identify them. Based upon experience from previous controls, CAFIA focused its attention on control of jams and marmalades.

The Customs Authorities warned last week the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority of a consignment of jelly sweets from Vietnam. Prague company TY ASIA FOOD, s.r.o. attempted to import it to the CR. During the check of the consignment, inspectors found that it contained 365 kg of jelly in plastic cups of various fruit flavours. All batches contained jelling substance carrageenan (E407). However, the European Commission has already in 2004 issued a Decision which bans sale and import of jelly in shape of mini-cups containing additives produced from seaweeds and certain gums. Carrageenan falls into this category. From this reason, CAFIA did not release the consignment to the CR.

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority received through the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed information that soy sauce originating from Vietnam containing exceeded levels of 3-MCPD (3-monochlorophane-1,2-diol) could appear on the Czech market. The limit laid down by legislation is 20 micrograms per one kilogram, however, laboratory tests revealed that the sauce in question contained 75,5 micrograms per one kilogram.

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority forbade, due to Listeria monocytogenes detection, production at Nové lahůdky Sixta (Ostrava-Kunčice) and at Zemědělské obchodní družstvo Ludmírov – cold meals manufacturing (Jesenec) last week.

What to do when an inspection authority reveals that a Czech company is distributing a dangerous food abroad? Where shall the authority find specific information when scaremongering concerning Italian production and distribution of the so-called recycled cheese is going on? This is exactly the situation when the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) is to be used. In this system, centrally managed by the European Commission, all the EU Member States are engaged.

Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) banned, due to Listeria monocytogenes detection, production and distribution of delicatessen at Zemědělské obchodní družstvo Ludmírov – cold meals manufacturing (Jesenec) and at Nové lahůdky Sixta (Ostrava-Kunčice).

Project entitled Enhancing the Food Law Enforcement by the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) was completed.

Products concerned are being immediately withdrawn from the market, replaced by new products and the matter is being discussed with the Italian supplier who guaranteed the absence of GMO by all necessary certificates

Last week the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority received information through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed that rice with unauthorised genetic modification could occur on the Czech market.

Food originating from Asia is becoming more and more popular among Czech consumers. Traders respond to this increased demand and hence the number of shops specialised in sale of Asian foodstuffs is rising as well. However, findings of the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority show that consumers should pay higher attention to information on the packaging, in particular to the recommended use and dosage.