In Germany, will in future be carried out less routine checks in the food sector than in the past. This was decided by the Federal Cabinet on Wednesday. In turn, conspicuous businesses will be monitored closely.
Jessica Blazekovic
editor in the economy.
F. A. Z.
For the implementation of the controls, the Federal States are responsible, you had the Minister of agriculture, Julia Klöckner (CDU) asked for cross-party support for a Revision of the regulations. The current monitoring practice had shown that “the current risk classification of food establishments is partially to frequencies of a rule, not carry out checks that are proportionate to the risk,” reads a statement from the Ministry of agriculture. Too little space to stay, to event-driven controls in Problem companies.
According to the new decision, the minimum frequency of a rule is to be reduced checks for businesses in the highest risk class of work a day, at least once a week, the risk class 2 from weekly to at least monthly and to the risk class 3 of the monthly to at least quarterly. An operation should be noticeable, he may continue to be monitored on a daily basis. In what risk category a company that depends on a points scale that takes into account many criteria, such as the mode of operation, the training of the employees, Hygiene and compliance with the cooling provisions.
authorities in criticism
The Ministry said that the control density overall. “The people in Germany need to be confident that food is safe. Therefore, we want to raise the monitoring pressure in problem operated by additional controls,“ said Klockner. The countries would have to ensure, “that the rule checks continue to be performed in a reasonable extent”. The Federal Council must agree to the amended regulation so that it can enter into force.
the practice of the authorities has been criticized, because it was always came back to incidents in companies. In the past year such as the sausage manufacturers Wilke from the North of Hesse was in the headlines after at least ill 37 people to germinate in the products of the company and three people were died.
The former consumer protection Minister Renate Künast (Green party) criticized the new regulation as “absolutely counterproductive”. Food scandals have shown how important a well-functioning, independent and unannounced monitoring of food products is, to discover grievances, and to turn it off.
“The Federal Council may in any case
Similar to the head of the Federal Association of consumer centres, Klaus Müller said. “Most of the food monitoring authorities are able to cope with their tasks already and have too little personnel,” he said the Newspapers of the “spark”-a media group. That an extension of the inspection intervals leads to a better and more effective monitoring of food products, is doubtful.
