Results of the audit of the Belarusian system for controlling the residue of harmful and prohibited substances in animal husbandry products and controlling the production of fish products were summed up at premises of the Agriculture and Food Ministry. Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Ivan Smilgin took part in it. The fulfillment of the recommendations European Commission representatives gave after the production of dairy products was audited in 2011 was also checked.
The inspectors spoke in positive terms about the work of the Belarusian chain of labs and about control over the distribution of veterinary medications. They mentioned noticeable progress since the previous audit of control of harmful and prohibited substances in 2014. The auditors pointed out that plans to monitor the residue of harmful substances in animals and animal husbandry products are drafted and implemented fully in line with requirements of the European Union legislation. They recommended that several other substances should be added to the list. It was noted that for a number of substances Belarus' standards are even tougher than those of the European Union. Procedures designed to detect discrepancies were also praised.
As part of the audit the European Commission inspectors visited the state institution Belarusian State Veterinary Center. They confirmed the equivalence of the methods used by accredited labs in Belarus. They drew attention to their timely validation. They also mentioned the presence of effective oversight inside labs and via round robin testing. The inspectors also praised the expansion of the range of pollutants and harmful substances being tested. They stressed that the matrixes of reports coincide with reports from the European Union member states.
Members of the European delegation noted that in the eight years since the latest audit of production of dairy products a huge amount of work has been done to implement the recommendations through joint efforts of the competent Belarusian agencies. The inspectors positively evaluated the system of official oversight over food production (fish products, dairy products). It was noted that the oversight system's structure and organization enable effective audits of food producers, including those that export their products to the European Union. The inspectors underlined the importance of continued training of specialists involved in oversight and certification of products made by the companies that export their merchandise to the European Union taking into account changes in European legislation.
In turn, the Belarusian side confirmed the importance of mutual inspections and productive cooperation of Belarusian and European oversight agencies.
Written by minsk-region.gov.by