Health safety and hygienic quality of food products

Zakonom o hrani koji je donesen u srpnju 2003. god. Vlada R. Hrvatske prihvatila je kriterije zdravstvene ispravnosti, sigurnosti i higijene hrane propisane zakonodavstvom EU. Zakon donosi niz novina definirajući postojeće i uvodeći nove pojmove i organizacijske promjene u kontroli hrane. To se odnosi na kontrolu i analizu rizika, novu hranu, službenu i laboratorijsku kontrolu uključujući i hranu za životinje, te osnivanje Hrvatske agencije za hranu. U pogledu opasnosti namirnica za zdravlje ljudi, prema podacima HZZJ za 2002.god.,ona je povećana u odnosu na proteklih nekoliko godina te je zabilježen porast ukupnog broja oboljelih od bolesti koje se prenose hranom. Laboratorijska ispitivanja pokazala su da je zdravstvena ispravnost hrane iz uvoza prosječno bolja od one domaće proizvodnje. Za unapređenje postojećeg stanja neophodno je unaprijediti sustav “žurnog obavještavanja”, rad inspekcijskih službi i kontrolnih laboratorija, ažurirati poslove Hrvatske agencije za hranu i ubrzati donošenje popratnih propisa.By the Food law of July 2003, the Government of the Republic of Croatia has accepted the criteria relative to the health safety and hygienic quality of food products in compliance with the legislation in force in the EU. The Food law contains a series of novelties, defines the existing and introduces novel concepts and organisation changes in the control of food products. This refers to the control and analysis of risks, new food products, official and laboratory control, including animals feed, and the establishment of the Croatian food agency. As regards the risk that food products pose to human health, and according to data recorded by the Croatian Public health Institute in 2002, the incidence of food transmitted diseases shows an upward trend in comparison with the preceding years. Laboratory tests have shown that health quality and safety of imported food products is better on an average compared with home produced food products. In order to improve the present situation it is indispensable to undertake certain activities for the improvement of the “emergency information” system, work of inspection services and control laboratories, to update the activities of the Croatian food agency and to accelerate the establishment and implementation of the accompanying regulations