Act No. XLVI of 2008 on food chain and its control.

Through the determination of requisites pursuant to food chain actors and their standardized control, this Act aims to: the protection of consumer health and of the interest of food enterprises; the assurance of the necessary guarantees to produce safe food of adequate quality and to the international trade of food; the reduction of risks during food production; the prevention and fight against contagious animal diseases; the achievement of guarantees that ensure the safe international trade of live animals and products of animal origin; the assurance of safe production, trade and use of animal drugs; the prevention of plant pests and diseases and of risks in connection with plant protection; the prevention of pollution of land used for plant production; the protection of the final consumer through the use of safe feedstuff; put into effect aspects of environmental protection.
This Act contains basic rules on labelling and marketing of foodstuff, and on liability (Articles 10-15.). Articles 16-23/A deal with rights and obligations of food chain actors, such as: traceability system; obligations of producers and users of phytosanitary products and of the persons entitled to phytosanitary product licence; the obligations of food and feedstuff producing enterprises; rights and obligation of animal breeders and veterinarians. The system of governance of public functions of food chain control is set forth in Articles 24-38. These articles contain rules regarding: the organization and governance of state duties; the duties of the minister, of public laboratories, of scientific institutes of food chain safety, of controlling organs. Special rules of public administration procedures are laid down in Articles 39-47. Rules regarding measures to be taken in case of epidemics or infestation by pests are contained in Articles 48-55. Sanctions (penalties) are foreseen in Articles 56-64. Collections of obligatory rules and of professional guidelines and references, such as the Codex Alimentarius, the Codex Alimentarius Hungaricus, the Codex Pabularis Hungaricus, the Hungarian Code of Animal Health and Animal Welfare, the Collection of Plant Protection Methods are set forth in Articles 65-69. Articles 70-73 deal with the publicity of data during the licensing procedures of phytosanitary products and with the information of the population.