VETERINARY INSPECTION IN THE FOOD SAFETY SYSTEM IN POLAND

Objectives The objective of this paper is to analyse the activities of the Veterinary Inspection (VI) while presenting its role and operational efficacy in the domain of food safety and quality. Material and methods The analysis has demonstrated that the VI executes animal health protection and veterinary protection of public health. The authority is obliged to supervise the safety of animal-origin food products at the stages of production, marketing and direct sales. Its control measures also cover the health of reproduction animals and its health quality. Results The Veterinary Inspections also cover animal protection regulations, rules for animal identification and registration, and the transport of animals. Furthermore, the body imposes veterinary requirements on animal farms. It has been demonstrated that the VI also monitors illegal substances, chemical, biological and medical product residues as well as radioactive contamination in animals and poultry, and the trade and volumes of veterinary medicinal products. Conclusions The competencies of the VI enable the authority to effectively execute its statutory responsibilities. However, the domain in which the VI operates does not include all business entities of the food chain. This creates challenges for the comprehensive supervision of food production and distribution and suggests that the currently proposed concept of the National Food Safety Inspection will increase the efficacy of control measures on this new body in comparison with the VI