We pulled it off! – an interview with Anna Zoltai

Anna Zoltai, head of the HoReCa supervision department at the Central Agricultural Office (MgSzH) and her colleagues have a lot to do with the fact that Hungary finally has a regulation on food safety at HoReCa units. Food safety inspectors tend to be rather unpopular with bar and restaurant owners, no matter how objective and benevolent they are. However, Anna Zoltai is known as a fair partner and she represents a humane authority. She was the one who realised that the harmful anomalies in legislation (e.g. too many administrative duties) have to be abolished and the numerous laws and decrees must be harmonised in order to create a modern regulation, which also meets the requirements of the European Union. In 2008 a hygiene working group was set up, with the participation of representatives from all professional associations and authorities. The group met every other week and debated all proposals until in December 2011 a ‘Guidance document on the best practice in the hygiene of catering and HoReCa units’ was published, which the Hygiene Committee adopted on 1 February 2012. This document simply, understandably and professionally summarises the tasks of HoReCa unit owners and operators. What is in it can be put into practice and MgSzH will raise awareness of the new legislation within the framework of a roadshow this spring. For her efforts, in 2011 Anna Zoltai was decorated with the Silver Grade of the Cross of Merit of the Hungarian Republic.