Resolution No 29 of the Ministry of Health “On amendments and addenda to the Decree No. 1446 of the Council of Ministers on some issues related to the competence of the Ministry of Public Health.

This Resolution focuses on sanitary standards and safety requirements for food and foodstuffs. It aims to regulate food safety, quality, and public health protection. The primary policy goal is to ensure food safety through specific standards on the use of ingredients, permissible levels of contaminants, microbiological indicators, and safety parameters for various food categories, including dairy, meat, fish, and processed products. Key measures include strict requirements for the use of iodized salt in food production, specific permissible levels of toxic elements such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and antibiotics like chloramphenicol, with certain substances explicitly prohibited. The standards specify microbiological limits for different food products, including coliforms, salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus, with detailed thresholds for various categories such as raw, processed, and canned foods. Additionally, the document sets safety indicators for chemical and microbiological parameters, including permissible levels of organic acids, vitamins, and minerals, and emphasizes the importance of compliance with industrial sterility standards. Implementation mechanisms involve adherence to the outlined standards by food producers, with specific timelines for compliance, notably permitting the continuation of existing practices until 15 February 2015. The regulation assigns responsibilities to relevant authorities for overseeing compliance, with provisions for procedural enforcement and stakeholder involvement. It also incorporates procedural details for testing, sampling, and certification processes, ensuring that food products meet the specified safety and quality standards as explicitly detailed in the amendments.