Increased checks on food content of trans fatty acids, other than those naturally found in animal fats, begin
Additional regulations are introduced at imitation dairy products in order to improve consumer awareness and protection. This was announced by the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Dr. Georgi Tahov, at the sixth meeting of the National Food Council, which was held at the Ministry of Agriculture. The changes will give consumers more information about imitation dairy products offered in catering establishments.
Minister Takhov announced that changes will be prepared in The Ordinance for
providing information to consumers about food,
which make it mandatory to announce the exact composition of meals in public catering establishments. “This initiative is in response to numerous inquiries and the broad public response on the subject,” said Minister Takhov.
The participants in the discussion recalled that currently in grocery stores it is mandatory that imitation dairy products be explicitly marked and labeled. However, restaurants are not required to write on the menu if they offer shop salad with an imitation dairy product instead of cheese, and only if customers ask, they are required to inform them whether the product is imitation or not. With the changes, the provision of this information will also become mandatory for food establishments.
The proposal was supported by the representatives of the Ministry of Health in the National Food Council.
Minister Georgi Takhov also announced that they are starting
increased checks on the content of trans fatty acids,
other than those naturally occurring in fats of animal origin. According to the regulatory requirements, processing plants must not allow more than 2 g of non-animal trans fatty acids per 100 g of fat in dairy products and must have systems to control the raw materials, the formulation, the technological process and the final product.
The Executive Director of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, Dr. Svetlozar Patarinski, stated that increased sampling is forthcoming, with the focus on dairy products being an urgent priority in the Multi-Year Control Plan 2024-2026 and the national monitoring programs of the BFSA.
Analyzes will be made in reference European laboratories
about the content of trans fatty acids, other than those naturally occurring in fats of animal origin, became clear in the course of the discussion.
The participants in the meeting
chose Atanas Urdzhanov
– chairman of the Association of Meat Processors in Bulgaria, for deputy chairman of the National Food Council, at the proposal of the branch organizations. This happens after the voluntary resignation of Yordan Chorbadzhiyski – chairman of the National Viticulture Chamber.
The experts from the Ministry of Agriculture presented the legislative initiatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and newly published normative acts in the field of food, as well as the changes in the relevant European regulations.
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Assoc. Dr. Deyan Stratev, representatives of state institutions and control bodies responsible for food policy, branch associations of food producers and processors, academic circles and non-governmental organizations .
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