Animal Health Care and Food Safety
| Animal Helath Care |
At the summit devoted to promoting the integration of Central and East European partner states held in 1995 in Cannes the european Union put forward a proposal in a White Book for the most important measures to be taken in the single internal market. Hungary's animal health care and food trading legislation and system of supervision are being shaped in accordance with these recommendations.The foundations of food safety and food quality must be laid down already at the stage of breeding. The animal health care technology developed by the breeder firm for each particular breed is used during breeding. This technology is identical with that being used in the most highly developed countries, as a consequence of the several decades of experience acquired by the Hungarian poultry industry in the international breeding system and of the high level of specialist skills in Hungary. Hungary's universal epidemic regulations are in conformity with the recommendations of the OIE, the FAO, the WTO and the EU. The official Hungarian animal health care service - which has been in existence for a century - operates a reliable supervisory system. The following Hungarian regulations pertain to infectious diseases of particular importance. Avian Influenza This disease is unknown in Hungary, therefore it is forbidden to use preventive vaccination against it. On discovery or suspicion of the disease the culling of the entire stock is ordered. Newcastle Disease Discovery or suspicion of the disease leads to the culling of the stock. Vaccination of susceptible breeding and commercial stacks is mandatory, using a vaccine made from lentogen strains. Salmonellosis A specialised programme - in which the ma jority of producers participate on a voluntary basis - was developed several years ago and operates to eliminate salmonella from poultry stocks. |
| Food Hygiene |
Food manufacturing and trade is regulated by Act 91 of 1995 on Animal Health and Act 90 of 1995 on Food. In Hungary, food manufacturing is supervised by 20 animal health-care and food supervisory stations at county level. In addition to licensing the operations of slaughter and processor plants, food hygiene units of the aforementioned stations operating at the plants concerned carry out production and meat inspection. The Hungarian Food Inspection Institute coordinates a food hygiene and safety programme, organises and operates a toxicological, microbiological and radiological monitoring system forwaste materials, and supervises the work of the laboratories in charge of inspection. Today, there are 31 poultry slaughter and processor plants licensed to engage in export activities to EU countries, and 13 cooling houses which store poultry (among other things).Food safety is partly a question of legislation regulating feed production and trade. Such legislation is based on Act 3 of 1981 and the related, several times modified, decrees of the Ministry of Agriculture. The legislation prohibits the use of substances potentially dangerous for animal and human health for the purposes of feeding, regulates the methods of inspection, sets admissible limits for toxic substances, microbes and micro particles, and regulates the conditions of the rendering-harmless or recycling of animal waste and byproducts. In Hungary, hormone products and hormonally active compounds must not be used for the purposes of feeding. Licensing and supervision are within the competence of the Orsz gos Mez¢gazdas gi Min¢sit¢ IntÇzet (Hungarian Institute for Agricultural Standardisation) in co-operation with animal health care and food supervisory stations at county level. |
| Sales and Standard |
The sale of poultry products and quality requirements are contained in Hungarian Standards (MSZ) which were drafted on the basis of UN/EEC/AGRI standards. These standards are not binding, but a Hungarian Food Codex (Codex Alimentarius) has been completed, and its provisions are gradually being introduced. The regulations of the Food Codex for poultry were drafted on the basis of EEC directive 1906/90, and for eggs on the basis of EEC directive 1907/90.ISO 9002 quality auditing has been successfully completed for the ma jority of export plants. |
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