Georgia| Codex Contact Point | |
| Ms. Tamta Mikanadze, National Service of Food Safety, Veterinary and Plant Protection, 6 Marshal Gelovani ave, 0159 Tbilisi | Tel: (+995 32) 91 91 67 E-mail: [email protected] Website: National legislation on food safety: FAOLEX |
Competent authorities
Name of authority
Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia
LEPL National Food Agency of Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia
Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia
National Center for Disease Control and Public health
Ministry of Finance- Revenue Service
LEPL National Food Agency of Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia
Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia
National Center for Disease Control and Public health
Ministry of Finance- Revenue Service
Mandate/competence
Defines and implements the national food policy (http://mepa.gov.ge/En)
Conducts official controls for food/feed safety, as well as veterinary and plant protection fields in the territory of Georgia (http://nfa.gov.ge/en/)
Participate in the determination of food safety standards and parameters; determination of requirements for special groups of consumers (diabetics, baby food etc.) (https://www.moh.gov.ge/)
Conducts public health surveillance of food-borne disease (http://www.ncdc.ge/default.aspx?language=en-US)
Conducts official control of goods subject to veterinary and phytosanitary control in case of export-import (https://www.rs.ge/en/1340)
Conducts official controls for food/feed safety, as well as veterinary and plant protection fields in the territory of Georgia (http://nfa.gov.ge/en/)
Participate in the determination of food safety standards and parameters; determination of requirements for special groups of consumers (diabetics, baby food etc.) (https://www.moh.gov.ge/)
Conducts public health surveillance of food-borne disease (http://www.ncdc.ge/default.aspx?language=en-US)
Conducts official control of goods subject to veterinary and phytosanitary control in case of export-import (https://www.rs.ge/en/1340)
INFOSAN Emergency Contact Point
INFOSAN Emergency contact point: Head of the Planning and Analysis Division at LEPL National Food Agency, Mrs. Tamta Mikanadze (Tel: +995 599213613; e-mail: [email protected] )
Food safety and consumer protection – laws and regulations
The current list of legislation, related to food safety and consumer protection in each country, is extracted from FAO's database on Food Legislation FAOLEX.
While FAOLEX makes every effort to serve as a high quality, reliable source of information, no guarantee is given that the information provided in FAOLEX is correct, complete, and up-to-date.
While FAOLEX makes every effort to serve as a high quality, reliable source of information, no guarantee is given that the information provided in FAOLEX is correct, complete, and up-to-date.
The national Codex programme
National Codex consultative mechanism
Creating National Codex Committee Working Group, which includes all main stakeholder is in process.
Providers of scientific and technical input to national consultation on Codex
Creating National Codex Committee Working Group, which includes all main stakeholder is in process.
Risk Assessments and Scientific Data
National bodies providing risk assessment and scientific advice
LEPL Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture of the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia is the only one competent authority, who carries out independent, objective and transparent risk assessment and scientific consulting to support risk managers.
In the Scientific-Research Center, there is created Risk Assessment Scientific-Advisory Board and Risk assessment service. These structures of risk assessment are the scientific part of the unified system of state regulation of food safety.
LEPL Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture is a national contact institution of European Food Safety Agency (EFSA).
Risk assessment, risk profiles, scientific opinions
The Risk Assessment Projects accomplished since 2015-2018:
1. The Assessment of Severity and the Probability of Harmful Effects of Industrial Trans Fats on Human Health;
2. Risk Assessment of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenca A(H5N1);
3. The Probability of Presence of Campylobacter spp. in Animal Origin Food and Severity of the Infection;
4. Risk Assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-eat food and Determining Products Highly Contaminated by this Pathogen;
5. Food-borne Inorganic Arsenic as a Risk Factor for Human Diseases in Georgia;
6. The Assessment of Potential Health Risks Associated with the Consumption of Food Containing Palm Oil;
7. Risk Assessment of Harmful Food Additives;
8. Risk Assessment of Salmonella in Mechanically Separated frozen Poultry Meat;
9. Risk Assessment of Lead in Food as Being a Potential Threat to Public Health in Georgia.
10. Risk Assessment of Acrylamide in Food;
11. Risk Assessment of Contamination of Hazards Water Being Provided by the Water Supply Systems in Georgia.
12. The Assessment of Public Health Risks Associated with the Presence of Antimicrobial Residues in Food.
13. The Application of Food Safety Monitoring Data and Accompanied Uncertainties in Risk Assessment.
http://srca.gov.ge/en/about/councils
Official Laboratory
Since, LEPL National Food Agency does not have its own laboratory, testing of food analysis are performed into privet, accredited laboratories through the tender procedures. Every privet, accredited laboratories can participate in tender, which is always announce at the beginning of every year.
G. NATADZE SCIENTIFIC-RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF SANITATION, HYGIENE AND MEDICAL ECOLOGY LLC Testing Laboratory
“Wine Laboratory" LLC Testing Laboratory
"Quality Lab" LLC
LEPL Ministry of Agriculture Testing Laboratory
LEPL "Laboratorial Research Centre" Testing Laboratory
"Multitesti" LLC Testing Laboratory
In case, lack of accredited laboratories for analyzing specific substance(s), food samples can be sent to the different European Accredited Reference Laboratories. For example, NFA contracted the analysis of honey samples within the 2013 - 2018 Annual National Residue Monitoring Programs to the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR;
G. NATADZE SCIENTIFIC-RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF SANITATION, HYGIENE AND MEDICAL ECOLOGY LLC Testing Laboratory
“Wine Laboratory" LLC Testing Laboratory
"Quality Lab" LLC
LEPL Ministry of Agriculture Testing Laboratory
LEPL "Laboratorial Research Centre" Testing Laboratory
"Multitesti" LLC Testing Laboratory
In case, lack of accredited laboratories for analyzing specific substance(s), food samples can be sent to the different European Accredited Reference Laboratories. For example, NFA contracted the analysis of honey samples within the 2013 - 2018 Annual National Residue Monitoring Programs to the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR;
Official Competence
Despite the fact, there are lot of accredited laboratories, (http://gac.gov.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=16) here is the list of winner laboratories for previous and this year, where food analysis for different monitoring programs are carried out:
Accreditation scope: Testing of drinkable water; surface, agricultural and recreation water; waste water; soil; atmospheric and indoor zone air; air of the working area; meat and meat products; poultry products and products made by their recycling; tinned products; eggs; fish and sea food; tinned products; ready-made culinary products; milk, milk products, tinned milk products, prepared food, ice-cream, butter; vegetable fat (sunflower, olive, corn, soya refined and non-refined oils); culinary and confectionery fats; margarine, mayonnaise; ready-made and social nutrition products; baby nutrition products; nuts, walnuts, almond and chestnut; peanut and oil seed crops; non-alcoholic beverages, syrups, concentrates, extracts, kvass; honey; fruits; berries; citrus fruits; vegetables; herbs; mushrooms and products made by their recycling; salt; spices; laurel leaf; tea, coffee; perfumery-cosmetic products: oral hygiene, skin and body care; household chemical products; washing facilities; soap; dishwashing detergent; stain remover; antistatic agents; physical and environmental factors; testing washed out substances in medical-preventive, industrial, household and social nutrition buildings.
Accreditation scope: Physico-chemical testing of alcoholic drinks
Accreditation scope: 1. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages; 2. Water, mineral water, shallow waters, wastewater; Meat, meat products, poultry meat, canned goods, culinary products; Fish, fish products, fish products, preserves, preservatives; 5. Vegetable fats, margarine and miniosis; 6. Tea, coffee; 7. Table salt; 8. Spices and spices, bay leaf; 9. Bread, flour confectionery, bread and pasta and mackerel;10. Berries and grain products (flour; 11. Yeast; 12. Starch; 13. Fruits and vegetables; 14. Nuts, nuts, almonds and others; 15. Fruit and vegetable processing products; 16. Milk and dairy products, canned; 17. Poultry eggs 18. Food products, ready-made culinary products;19. Sugar and confectionery products, honey; 20. Other products: animal and poultry food; 21. Child feeding; 22. Sanitary-bacteriological control of public food, food production and realization facilities; 23. Genetically modified organisms and products derived from them;24. Food products - milk powder content. Scope of Accreditation of Batumi Branch: Genetically Modified Product: Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Drinks; Meat and meat products; Fish and fish products; Vegetable fats; Tea Coffee; Penalties; Bread, flour confectionery Berries and brewing products; Fruits, vegetables and their products; Milk and dairy products, public food products, ready-made culinary products; Sugar and sugar confectionery; Protein concentrates and textured protein items; Animal, poultry and fish food; Tobacco; Child feeding Planting material;
Accreditation scope: Food Products, Veterinary Samples, Vegetable Samples, Vegetable Samples, Food Products (GMO) Laboratory Branches: Akhaltsikhe Zonal Diagnostic Laboratory: Food Product, Animal Food, Veterinary Samples, Kutaisi Zonal Diagnostic Lab: Food Product, Animal Feeds, Veterinary Samples, Batumi Regional L oratorio: veterinary samples, plant samples.
Accreditation scope: 1. Water: Drinking, surface, wastewater, sea and basin waters; 2. Non-alcoholic, soft and alcoholic beverages; Milk and dairy products, canned; 4. Tea, coffee, bay leaf, spices; Salt; 5. Meat and its products; Canned eggs, poultry eggs 6. Seedlings of oily crops, raw and fatty products; 7. Fish, unattached objects and their processing products; 8. Fruits, vegetables, canned food; 9. Grains and grain products (flour, drum, yeast, starch); 10. Bread, biscuits, jelly and flour confectionery products; 11. Sugar, sugar confectionery, honey; 12. Food products, ready-made culinary products; 13. Soil; 14. Meteorological, physic-chemical sanitary measurements of the environment (air); 15. Medical-profile, public and household destination, food producing and rearing facilities, swimming pool, disinfecting facilities; 16. Food, animal and fish use products; 17. Mineral fertilizers; 18. Quarantine and non-quarantine materials: plants; Vegetable origin products, tare; 19. Meat and its products, canned. Poultry eggs 20. Milk and dairy products, canned; 21. Sugar, sugar confectionery, honey; 22. Fish, unattached objects and their processing products.
Accreditation scope: Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages; Drinking water, mineral, wastewater and surface waters; Fruits, nuts, vegetables and their processing products; Milk and dairy products, canned; Poultry eggs, egg products; Sugar, sugar confectionery, honey; Vegetable fats, margarine products and mayonnaise; Meat, meat products, poultry meat; Canned, Semi-syllabuses and culinary products; Fish, fish products, seafood, preserves, preservatives; Table salt, tea, bay leaf; Flour grains, yeast, granular legumes; Bread, spruce, flour confectionery Fertilizers, toxic chemicals; soils; Survey-related research in food producing-recycling objects
Accreditation scope: Testing of drinkable water; surface, agricultural and recreation water; waste water; soil; atmospheric and indoor zone air; air of the working area; meat and meat products; poultry products and products made by their recycling; tinned products; eggs; fish and sea food; tinned products; ready-made culinary products; milk, milk products, tinned milk products, prepared food, ice-cream, butter; vegetable fat (sunflower, olive, corn, soya refined and non-refined oils); culinary and confectionery fats; margarine, mayonnaise; ready-made and social nutrition products; baby nutrition products; nuts, walnuts, almond and chestnut; peanut and oil seed crops; non-alcoholic beverages, syrups, concentrates, extracts, kvass; honey; fruits; berries; citrus fruits; vegetables; herbs; mushrooms and products made by their recycling; salt; spices; laurel leaf; tea, coffee; perfumery-cosmetic products: oral hygiene, skin and body care; household chemical products; washing facilities; soap; dishwashing detergent; stain remover; antistatic agents; physical and environmental factors; testing washed out substances in medical-preventive, industrial, household and social nutrition buildings.
Accreditation scope: Physico-chemical testing of alcoholic drinks
Accreditation scope: 1. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages; 2. Water, mineral water, shallow waters, wastewater; Meat, meat products, poultry meat, canned goods, culinary products; Fish, fish products, fish products, preserves, preservatives; 5. Vegetable fats, margarine and miniosis; 6. Tea, coffee; 7. Table salt; 8. Spices and spices, bay leaf; 9. Bread, flour confectionery, bread and pasta and mackerel;10. Berries and grain products (flour; 11. Yeast; 12. Starch; 13. Fruits and vegetables; 14. Nuts, nuts, almonds and others; 15. Fruit and vegetable processing products; 16. Milk and dairy products, canned; 17. Poultry eggs 18. Food products, ready-made culinary products;19. Sugar and confectionery products, honey; 20. Other products: animal and poultry food; 21. Child feeding; 22. Sanitary-bacteriological control of public food, food production and realization facilities; 23. Genetically modified organisms and products derived from them;24. Food products - milk powder content. Scope of Accreditation of Batumi Branch: Genetically Modified Product: Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Drinks; Meat and meat products; Fish and fish products; Vegetable fats; Tea Coffee; Penalties; Bread, flour confectionery Berries and brewing products; Fruits, vegetables and their products; Milk and dairy products, public food products, ready-made culinary products; Sugar and sugar confectionery; Protein concentrates and textured protein items; Animal, poultry and fish food; Tobacco; Child feeding Planting material;
Accreditation scope: Food Products, Veterinary Samples, Vegetable Samples, Vegetable Samples, Food Products (GMO) Laboratory Branches: Akhaltsikhe Zonal Diagnostic Laboratory: Food Product, Animal Food, Veterinary Samples, Kutaisi Zonal Diagnostic Lab: Food Product, Animal Feeds, Veterinary Samples, Batumi Regional L oratorio: veterinary samples, plant samples.
Accreditation scope: 1. Water: Drinking, surface, wastewater, sea and basin waters; 2. Non-alcoholic, soft and alcoholic beverages; Milk and dairy products, canned; 4. Tea, coffee, bay leaf, spices; Salt; 5. Meat and its products; Canned eggs, poultry eggs 6. Seedlings of oily crops, raw and fatty products; 7. Fish, unattached objects and their processing products; 8. Fruits, vegetables, canned food; 9. Grains and grain products (flour, drum, yeast, starch); 10. Bread, biscuits, jelly and flour confectionery products; 11. Sugar, sugar confectionery, honey; 12. Food products, ready-made culinary products; 13. Soil; 14. Meteorological, physic-chemical sanitary measurements of the environment (air); 15. Medical-profile, public and household destination, food producing and rearing facilities, swimming pool, disinfecting facilities; 16. Food, animal and fish use products; 17. Mineral fertilizers; 18. Quarantine and non-quarantine materials: plants; Vegetable origin products, tare; 19. Meat and its products, canned. Poultry eggs 20. Milk and dairy products, canned; 21. Sugar, sugar confectionery, honey; 22. Fish, unattached objects and their processing products.
Accreditation scope: Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages; Drinking water, mineral, wastewater and surface waters; Fruits, nuts, vegetables and their processing products; Milk and dairy products, canned; Poultry eggs, egg products; Sugar, sugar confectionery, honey; Vegetable fats, margarine products and mayonnaise; Meat, meat products, poultry meat; Canned, Semi-syllabuses and culinary products; Fish, fish products, seafood, preserves, preservatives; Table salt, tea, bay leaf; Flour grains, yeast, granular legumes; Bread, spruce, flour confectionery Fertilizers, toxic chemicals; soils; Survey-related research in food producing-recycling objects
Surveillance of foodborne diseases and monitoring of food contamination
National surveillance systems – foodborne disease in humans
Electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance System (EIDSS) includes Human and Veterinary data entry sites throughout the country. EIDSS ensures the exchange of information in real-time between two structures – healthcare and veterinary sector.
Healthcare facilities at local level notify epidemiologist at district Public Health Center via phone (defined by the Order No.01-2 / N. - Regulations on the production and delivery of medical statistical information). PHC epidemiologist conducts initial epi investigation and enters information into EIDSS. Specialists at national level receive information in real-time. In case of zoonotic or foodborne disease, National Food Agency (NFA) is notified according to Ordinance of the Government on Approving Rule of Functioning of Integrated National Surveillance System on Infectious Diseases. Human and animal sector share the same surveillance system (EIDSS) based on One Health approach. It is possible to link human and animal cases in the system.
This a coordination system involves sectors from public health, food inspection, veterinary and laboratory.
National monitoring systems – foodborne hazards in the food chain
The National Food Agency conducts monitoring of chemical and microbiological hazards in accordance with the annual program approved by the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia.
There is also, an effective mechanism for information exchange between the National Food Agency and the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health during the food-borne outbreak or event. Based on Decree N336 of the government of Georgia “On Approval of Rule of Operation of National Integrated Epidemiological Surveillance System for Infectious Diseases, including Diseases Caused by the Especially Dangerous Pathogens,” 9 July 2015.