Responsible inspections in the winter season too

By: Trademagazin editor Date: 2024. 12. 02. 10:39

Seasonal markets and advent fairs in the winter remain popular with consumers. In each segment of the food chain – including production, HoReCa and retail trade – ensuring food safety is paramount.

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2024/11

Hygiene is a basic requirement, together with food safety, good quality, labelling, identification and traceability. General hygiene requirements are laid down in Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the hygiene of foodstuffs. The health of all workers and their food safety training must be certified. It is also essential to provide adequate working clothes and hygienic hand washing facilities. In accordance with VM decree No 3/2010 (5 July 2010), the traceability of raw materials is also obligatory.

Care must be taken to protect food from contamination, infection and pests

Possible errors

It is also essential to make sure there is adequate refrigeration at each point in the chain. A break in the cold chain may lead to deterioration in quality and pose a food safety risk. It is important for the temperature of finished food not to fall below +63oC or that it is served within 3 hours of preparation. In all cases, mobile catering must have a base to serve as a backdrop for supplementary activities (e.g. storage, preparation, washing-up). Booths must also display the name and address of the enterprise. With fresh meat and meat products, the authorities will check compliance with food hygiene standards, traceability and labelling requirements. For prepared and processed products, the expiry date and allergens are important, together with the preparation instructions. As for seasonal fruit and vegetables, the authority will inspect traceability and marketing conditions, as well as quality and labelling. //

Szupermenta: 10 years of testing

Szupermenta is the product testing programme of the National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih), which was launched in November 2014.

From food to alcoholic beverages, from seeds and veterinary products to food supplements, the list of “test subjects” has been extended to include the inspection of establishments: dog boarding facilities and commercial units have also been certified.

Complex inspection system

Product tests are unique and inimitable because they are performed by Nébih’s expert staff. On-site checks are carried out at manufacturers, factories or catering establishments to examine the technology, hygiene conditions, the self-monitoring system and raw materials. Products are tested for food safety and quality in Nébih’s laboratories. Nébih’s experts do the tests on the microbiological and analytical parameters defined at the beginning of the testing process and check compliance with the relevant legislation.

Szupermenta logo

The product testing programme is for the benefit of manufacturers and distributors just as much as for consumers. A ranking in the Szupermenta product test creates trust in consumers and is great prestige for the manufacturer or distributor. Introducing the Szupermenta logo for the top three product group test winners was an important milestone in the life of the programme in November 2015. Until September 2024 99 manufacturers and distributors applied for this free recognition, which they can use for a year on their product packaging or in advertising. As for communication results, the Szupermenta website has almost 4.6 million hits and the programme has around 30,000 followers on social media. //