This Law governs all aspects of production, circulation, control and consumption of food, general conditions for ensuring safety of food and feed, rights and responsibilities of persons performing food and feed businesses, early warning systems, and hygiene and quality of food and feed. The Law shall not apply to primary food production and preparation, handling and storage of food for private domestic use. The Law classifies food according to whether it is of animal origin, plant origin, composed of mineral substances or genetically modified food. The basic principles of public policies ensuring food safety include principles of risk analysis, protection of consumer’s interests and principles of transparency. Ministries and state management authorities involved in the field of food and feed safety are specified in articles 11-14. The Law authorizes operators to be engaged in the production and circulation of food only if they are entered in the Register of Economic Operators and in the Central Register of Facilities as provided for in the text. In addition, the Law provides for the establishment of: a Directorate for National Reference Laboratories to perform activities in the field of food safety, animal health, plant health, health of agricultural and decorative plants, seeding material, residues, milk and plant genes bank; and an Expert Council for Risk Assessment in the Field of Food Safety. The Law prescribes that all subjects dealing with food must apply the hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) system to minimize food-born diseases. The Law further provides for: general food and feed safety requirements; general duties of food and feed business operators; general duties in the importation or exportation of food and feed; establishment of rapid communication and alert systems; emergency measures; crisis management programmes and plans; requirements for food and feed quality; requirements for novel food, genetically modified food and genetically modified feed; appellation of origin and geographical indications of food; food and feed safety, monitoring, sampling and analysis; rights, and duties of veterinary, phytosanitary, agricultural and sanitary inspectors; offences and penalties; etc.
Serbia · 2009-05-29