Member States of the EU were warned through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed against food supplement Magic Power Coffee originated from the USA. The food supplement in question is sold in the form of instant coffee beverage enriched with further ingredients (vitamins, Chinese matrimony, and ginseng). According to the producer, the product is manufactured solely from natural raw materials and has strong aphrodisiac effects. However, the American Food and Drug Administration detected presence of hydroxythiohomosildenafil in the product in question and therefore warned American consumers against consumption of this supplement. General warning against this supplement was also sent through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) to all EU Member States.

At the close of 2008, the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority announced its intention to assess retail chains and subsequently release results of this assessment. For this purpose, a special statistical method was developed in cooperation with the University of Technology. This method considers different number of premises of single chains, different number and scope of inspections. Based on the results, it can be determined whether there are statistically significant differences among the subjects assessed. Representatives of all the chains assessed were acquainted with the rules, methodology and results in detail.

On Wednesday 9 June Martin Klanica, authorized to deputize the CAFIA Director General, and Jakub Frydrych, Director of the National Antidrug Central Office of Criminal Police and Investigation Service of the Police of the Czech Republic, signed together an agreement about mutual cooperation when solving cases of food supplements containing substances with anabolic or other hormonal effect.

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority ceaselessly pays high attention to checks of food supplements, in particular their safety. The Authority warned against five dangerous supplements in the previous year and deals already with a third case this year. Laboratory analyses revealed presence of substance aildenafil in food supplement Man Power claiming enhancement of men’s potency. The product in question was imported from Estonia. According to the health assessment of the Ministry of Health, any foodstuff containing this substance is dangerous for human health.

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority in cooperation with the Customs Administration of the Czech Republic seized two consignments of Brazil nuts from Bolivia, even before the entry on the European market. CAFIA inspectors took samples of both consignments into laboratories in order to determine the levels of aflatoxins. In both cases limits of aflatoxins set by the legislation were severalfold exceeded, therefore the inspection issued a binding position not allowing to release the nuts into free circulation. Aflatoxins are mycotoxins produced by some sorts of moulds.

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority has already many times warned of the obligation of producers to indicate the presence of allergens on the food packaging. This year, CAFIA has already warned for example against rice flour with undeclared gluten, filled peppers and raisins which both contained undeclared sulphur dioxide. Waffles of which labelling failed to indicate peanuts were also withdrawn from the market.

Foodstuffs may reach consumers in different ways: These days foodstuffs are commonly sold in tobacco shops, drugstores, clothes shops, by means of the Internet or at various sales presentations. Foodstuffs are often offered for free, for example within sales promotion or as a present to the purchased goods. However, these foodstuffs also have to comply with the requirements of the legislation, namely as far as hygiene and food safety are concerned.

Water in flooded areas is subsiding slowly and so the time of cleaning and removal of losses is coming. In this connection, the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority reminds the rules for safe handling foodstuffs.

Similarly to previous years, also this year CAFIA published the Report on Results of Planned Foreign Substances Inspection in Foodstuffs in 2009 on its websites. The results of pesticide residue analyses in organic food were interpreted by some media totally erroneously and in a misleading way. Therefore we consider it desirable to provide our opinion in this matter.