Food Chain Safety Strategy 2013-2022

The strategy’s vision is that food chain products (particularly food) will be always healthy, high quality and safe as well as that people and the society show a high level of awareness and responsibility in food production, in trade and in consuming behaviour. In this context society includes all actors of the food chain, so in addition to companies and authorities, it includes the media, politics, professional, civil, educational and scientific organizations as well. Definition of food chain safety In order to understand the basic purpose of the strategy and to define appropriate goals we must define what do we mean by food chain safety. Food chain safety is only a few years or decades old concept, it has various definitions. Defining it is crucial in this strategy, because the exact definition is necessary to define and break down objectives. To get closer to the concept of food chain safety, let’s examine its elements separately. Summary The Food Chain Safety Strategy defines 4 strategic objectives and 11 programs to achieve the main goal – increasing food chain safety. Main issues object of this Strategy are: I. Food chain safety knowledge management I. A. Establishing and operating the knowledge centre 1. Global information management 2. Introducing transparent risk analysis 3. Reorganization of the laboratory network I. B. Developing a knowledge network and innovation 4. Building the basis of the knowledge network 5. Modern education and training 6. Partnerships in research and innovation 7. Active public relations; II. Control of food chain risks II. A. Control of known hazards 8. Extensive risk reduction 9. Strong and credible authority II. B. Control of unknown hazards and unacceptable risks 10. Successful fight against abuse 11. Protection of critical infrastructures For each of the strategic objectives it is observable that for achieving them an increasingly expanding cooperation among different fields is necessary, and only a food chain control with network approach will be able to provide the framework for this. The strategy’s mission is to protect people and society by improving food chain safety. This mission is intended to be achieved mainly through protection of health and economy, with environmental aspects considered, where health includes not only to be free from diseases but also physical, mental and social well-being too; furthermore protection of economy covers beyond enforcing the nation’s economic interests also purity and sustainability of economic processes. The vision of the government is that the food chain products (particularly food) should be healthy, high quality and safe, and the people and the society should show a high degree of awareness and responsibility in the manufacture, sale, use, or consumption of those products.