Organising of the Official Food Control in Finland Jorma Hirn Director General National Food Agency

Food control in Finland  The National Food Agency (NFA) directs, plans and develops the food control; activities cover the control of all foodstuffs from field to table.  Five Provincial Governments co-ordinate and develop the local food control  Municipalities carry out the local food control  The FVO checks it all!

Food control authorities and other related institutions Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry * Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry * Ministry of Trade and Industry ** Ministry of Trade and Industry ** National Food Agency NFA Plant Production Inspection Centre Plant Production Inspection Centre National Veterinary and Food Research Institute EELA National Veterinary and Food Research Institute EELA Provincial Governments Provincial Governments Municipal Food Control Authorities Municipal Food Control Authorities Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Ministry of Social Affairs and Health National Agency for Medicines National Agency for Medicines National Public Health Institute National Public Health Institute Ministry of Finance Ministry of Finance National Board of Customs National Board of Customs Customs Laboratory Customs Laboratory * Coordinating Working Group for Food Control - Coordination of management by result - Working group From Field To Table: NFA, EELA, and Plant Production Inspection Centre ** Advisory Committee on Foodstuffs - Cooperative body for authorities and interest groups

Director General Management Group Meat and Fish Hygiene Milk and Egg Hygiene Health Protection Food Control Administrative Unit Meat and Fish Hygiene Milk and Egg Hygiene Health Protection Food Control Administrative Unit Organization of the National Food Agency

National Food Control Programme NFA issues annually a NFCP –National Salmonella Control Programme –Control Programme for Contaminants in Foodstuffs of Animal Origin –Pesticide Residue Control Programme –Dioxin Control Programme –EU Co-ordinated Control Programmes –National Projects Planned by NFA

Organising of Local Food Control Instructions given by NFA (2003)  Risk assessment based food control  Ensuring systematic food control  Improved quality, consistency and conformity  Written annual food control plans

Local Food Control Plan Updated files of all food establishments Risk assessment of establishments Inspection, sampling and testing plan Readiness for food related health hazards and for investigation of food poisoning outbreaks Sufficient resources Follow-up of the control plan

Is the NFA Instruction followed? Starting in 2005 there will be carried out assessments of conformity Activities of the municipal food control authorities will be audited against the food legislation and the instructions and recommendations issued by NFA Criteria for the assessment are listed in the NFA Instruction

Safe food - in everyone’s interest