A food safety assurance system is being created in Belarus along the 'farm-to-fork' chain

April 5, Minsk / Liliya Krapivina - BELTA /. A system for ensuring food safety throughout the entire "farm-to-fork" chain is being created in Belarus. One of the steps towards this system is the introduction of technical regulations for milk and dairy products, as well as for pre-packaged goods, from January 1, 2011. This was reported to BELTA correspondent by the press service of the State Committee for Standardization, commenting on the government decrees that approved these regulations. Resolution of the Council of Ministers of March 25, 2010 No. 431 approved the technical regulation of the Republic of Belarus "Milk and dairy products. Safety" (TR 2010/018/BY), and resolution of March 24, 2010 No. 424 - the technical regulation "Pre-packaged goods. Requirements for quantity and labeling" (TR 2010/004/BY). The program for the development of technical regulations in Belarus for the period up to 2011 pays special attention to the food industry, the State Committee for Standardization noted. In general, it is planned to create a system of technical regulation for food products based on seven technical regulations and related state standards. This set of documents will allow for the creation of a food safety assurance system throughout the entire "farm-to-fork" food chain, similar to the one in force in the European Union. These regulations concern the general safety of food products, fats and oils, meat and meat products, requirements for pre-packaged goods, drinking water bottled in consumer packaging, as well as the safety of infant food. As for the technical regulation on milk and dairy products and their safety, it is developed based on the legislative acts of the European Union in the field of food safety and the Russian federal law "Technical Regulation on Milk and Dairy Products" and is aimed at ensuring the necessary level of protection of human life, health and heredity, environmental protection, as well as preventing actions that mislead consumers of milk and dairy products regarding their safety, purpose and quality. The development of this document was carried out by the State Committee for Standardization, BelGISS, together with a working group consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and a number of domestic milk processing enterprises. The technical regulation applies to milk and dairy products released into circulation in Belarus, as well as functionally necessary components used in the production of milk processing products. Milk and dairy products obtained through home production and intended for home use, as well as food contact materials, the requirements for which will be established in a relevant special technical regulation, are not covered by this regulation. TR 2010/018/BY establishes mandatory safety requirements for milk and dairy products, their production, storage, transportation, sale processes, packaging and labeling, as well as rules for market placement, responsibility and state supervision. Thus, along with general requirements for raw milk intended for the production of dairy-based infant food, sterilized milk, cheese, and dietary food products, a number of additional requirements are imposed. The set of requirements concerns personnel of organizations whose activities are related to the production, storage, transportation, and sale of milk and dairy products, the production itself, production facilities, technological processes, and the organization of production control. Before being placed on the market, milk and dairy products must undergo a conformity assessment procedure for this technical regulation, which is carried out in the form of declaration or certification. Certificates of conformity and declarations of conformity issued (adopted) before the entry into force of TR 2010/018/BY are valid for the periods established by the State Committee for Standardization, but not longer than the shelf life of milk and dairy products in circulation on the date of entry into force of the technical regulation. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food, together with interested parties, will develop and approve an action plan for the implementation of the technical regulation, and the State Committee for Standardization, together with the Ministry of Health, will approve a list of interconnected technical regulatory legal acts and ensure its continuous updating. During the development of the EAEU technical regulation "Milk and dairy products," the State Committee for Standardization, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and the Ministry of Health are instructed to ensure that the position of the Belarusian side is communicated to interested parties. -0-