Photo: FAO

In May 2023, through the support of the European Union, representatives of the National Food Agency (NFA) of Georgia participated in a study visit to Latvia to learn about the role and responsibilities of the stakeholders across the fresh meat value chain in the European Union. The visit was supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of Georgia through the National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS) project and through the support of the EU under the ENPARD IV program.  

During the visit, the employees of the food department of the National Food Agency of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia got familiarised with the responsibilities for traceability along the fresh meat value chain, including the electronic tracking of the movement of the animals, storage of data and the implementation of safety control on carcasses.

The experts from Latvia’s Food and Veterinary Service also shared the experience with colleagues from Georgia regarding practices, roles, and responsibilities of the competent authority and FBOs related to post-slaughtering food safety controls and the duties related to HACCP implementation and audits of slaughterhouses.

„This visit was particularly significant to us because Latvia’s animal identification and registration system is considered one of the most successful in the European Union. The knowledge we acquired will help us in proceeding with the state control and training of 103 food business operators at the working slaughterhouses in Georgia. This will also allow us to better implement meat traceability incorporating Latvia’s experience. We would like to thank FAO for supporting this opportunity,” said Paata Kurdadze, the deputy head of the Food Safety Department of the NFA, who attended the visit.

„Getting introduced to the international experience when we are working on the sustainability of the National Animal Identification and Traceability System is of utmost importance, particularly from the EU countries. Along with leading to an improved food system in Georgia, NAITS facilitates trade and contributes to the effective implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement,“ said Dragan Angelovski, FAO Georgia’s technical advisor.

The National Animal Identification and Traceability System of Georgia (NAITS) is a comprehensive National Food Agency electronic platform that records, stores and analyses information on animals, their keepers, their movements and related aspects of animal health and food safety. The NFA implements the NAITS with technical assistance from FAO and financial assistance from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC).

“NFA staff has a challenging task ahead to be able to fully implement EU regulations in food safety in Georgia. We are happy to provide technical support and opportunities to visit EU member states and have hands-on experience with their peers, in this case with the Latvian food safety authority. Improved food safety will be beneficial to Georgian consumers and will allow for export opportunities for Georgian products”, said Javier Sanz Alvarez, FAO Programme Coordinator.