North Macedonia
Codex Contact Point
Nikolche Babovski, Director Food and Veterinary Agency Food and Veterinary Agency "Treda Makedonska brigade", No. 20 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
Telephone:
+ 389 2 2457 895
Fax:
+ 389 2 2457893 ext.
Competent authorities
Name of authority:
Food and Veterinary Agency
Mandate/competence:
According to article 119 of the Food safety Law, the Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA) is an authority competent for coordination of the legislation and the control systems, for issues related to the food and feed safety between the competent institutions in Republic of North Macedonia as well as for communication with the institutions of the European Union in relation to the food safety, feed safety, veterinary and phyto-sanitary policy.
The existing institutional structure in the country was established in order to ensure an appropriate division of responsibilities, coordination of activities and covering of entire chain of food safety, which will ensure effective implementation of legal provisions in the field of food safety.
www.fva.gov.mk
Name of authority:
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy
Mandate/competence:
In respect to primary production responsible institution is The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy represented by State Agricultural Inspectorate and the Phytosanitary Directorate.
www.mzsv.gov.mk
INFOSAN Emergency Contact Point
Deputy Emergency contact point – Vanco Novoselski, Head of Department for Inspection supervision, Food and Veterinary Agency, [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.The national Codex programme
National Codex consultative mechanism
The country is in the process of implementing CTF2 project which will strengthen the National Codex structures and build more effective engagement in Codex activities
Providers of scientific and technical input to national consultation on Codex
List of stakeholders: Food and Veterinary Agency, Faculty of Medicine Skopje, Institute of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute for Public Health, Faculty of Pharmacy Skopje, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Skopje, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food Skopje, Institute of Agriculture Skopje, Institute of Animal Husbandry Skopje Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Skopje- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Skopje (Department of Biology), Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Skopje (department chemistry), Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, Economic Chamber of Macedonia, Union of Chambers of Commerce; Economic Chamber of North-West Macedonia.
Risk Assessments and Scientific Data
National bodies providing risk assessment and scientific advice
- Food and Veterinary Agency, Department for Risk assessment and communication
The Government of Republic of North Macedonia has established the National Council (NC) for Food and Feed Safety. NC is consisted of members that are representing relevant high educational and scientific institutions in the country. The concept of risk assessment:
• Includes all relevant national experts, representatives of FVA and scientific institutions.
• Introduces qualitative and quantitative methodologies, risk assessment and the need for harmonization of methodologies for risk assessment.
• Ensures effective and efficient operation of the bodies established for providing risk assessment, the National Council for food and feed, various scientific panels, database experts and scientific networks of the FVA
• Introduces communication strategy in the field of risk analysis.
• Establishes methodology for data collection and assessment;
• Establishes effective communication in relation to risk assessments.
Within the Food and Veterinary Agency there is Department for Risk assessment and communication
The Department for Risk Assessment and Communication is consisted of the Following Units:
• Unit for risk assessment; and
• Unit for risk communication and Rapid Alert System for food and Feed
The Department for Risk Assessment and Communication is responsible for coordination of the activities in performing risk assessment and communication in terms of safety of food and animal feed in order to ensure timely prevention all potential hazards. The Department is the RASFF contact point for North Macedonia.
Risk assessment, risk profiles, scientific opinions
There is small number of quantitative studies.
- Presence of Escherichia Coli in food
- Maximum residue level of heavy metals in game meat in North Macedonia
- Salmonellosis
- Trihinela Spiralis - safety aspect on human health
- Acrylamide in food
- Additives in food placed on the market in North Macedonia
- Enzymes in food
Official Laboratories
Official Laboratory:
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - Skopje
Official Competence:
Faculty of veterinary medicine in Skopje (FVMS) is public institution for high education that operates within the University St. Cyril’s and Methodius in Skopje, and is the leading national diagnostic, research and scientific institution in the field of veterinary medicine and food safety in Republic of North Macedonia. Comprised of three Institutes [the Veterinary Institute (VI), the Food Institute (FI) and the Institute of Reproduction and Biomedicine (IBR)],
Laboratories are accredited by the Institute for Accreditation of R. Macedonia (certificate.no. LT-006) (http://iarm.gov.mk/files/Akreditirani-tela/Laboratorii/OB05-25_LT-006.pdf), which confirms the fulfillment of the requirements of the international standard „МКС EN ISO/IEC 17025:2006” in the field of testing foodstuffs, water, examination of animal diseases and testing of environmental condition at farms for food producing animals and air emission from animal farms.
Competences:
Food institute (FI)
FI has four different laboratories (Laboratory for microbiology, Laboratory for residues and contaminants, Laboratory for quality of food and feed, Laboratory for raw milk quality). All of them are accredited according to ISO/IEC 17025. Methodology that is used is in compliance to relevant international standards such ISO, AOAC and other recognized protocols.
Samples that are processed in the FI are: raw materials, food and feed, animal tissues, raw milk, potable water, wine, honey, surface and carcasses swabs, environmental samples (feces and dust), isolates for antimicrobial resistance, and foodborne pathogens.
Testing methods are implemented do detect and identify following agens: all foodborne pathogens - Salmonella spp.,Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter spp., E. Coli O157:H7 and hygiene indicator-TVC, enterobacteriaceae, coagulase-positive staphylococcus, Cl. Botulinum and other, PFGE typing of foodborne isolates with own database FPQuest, antimicrobial resistance, residues of pesticides and veterinary medical products, heavy metals and other toxic elements and contaminants, microelements, mycotoxins, radionuclides γ-spectrometry, and additives using UV/Vis spectrometry, histamine, food and feed quality-fat, proteins, sugars, ash, dry matter, acidity, pH, fatty acids composition, artificial sweetener, food colorants, lactose, food preservatives.
Veterinary Institute (VI)
The VI acts as reference and designated laboratory in the field of animal health and veterinary public health. It performs routine testing for various animal diseases (including zoonoses) for governmental interest and also performs tests upon requirement of contracted customers. VI consists of 9 laboratories such as: Laboratory for microbiology, Laboratory for serology and molecular diagnostics, Laboratory for diagnosis of rabies, Laboratory for parasitology and parasitic diseases, Laboratory for TSE, Laboratory for diagnosis of fish, bees and wildlife, Laboratory for pathology and pathohistology, Laboratory for pathophysiology, Laboratory for animal hygiene and ecology and Centre for zoonosis.
Official Laboratory:
Institute of public health of Republic of North Macedonia (IPH)
Official Competence:
Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Macedonia is a national health institution in the field of preventive health care with aim to promote health and general welfare of the population through scientifically based knowledge, best practices, information and organizational partnerships and sustainable impact on public health policies.
Laboratory tests are performed in accordance with applicable national and international standards and regulations, considering the needs and requirements of the food operators and official controls. Quality in performing laboratory analysis at the Center of reference laboratories is provided by developing and following agreed professional standards and guidelines, continuous professional development of staff in the field of public health, implementation and maintenance of laboratory management system and accreditation of laboratories.
Methods for testing food and feed safety, drinking and mineral water safety, food contact products, medical products and drugs, radiological testing are accredited by Institute for accreditation of Republic of Macedonia, according ISO 17025:2005.
Institute of public health is composed of:
Biological Laboratories: Laboratory receipt of biological materials, the preparation of substrates and disposal of infectious waste, Laboratory of Bacteriology and antimicrobial resistance, Laboratory of Virology and Molecular Diagnostics, Laboratory of Parasitology, Laboratory for sanitary microbiology, Laboratory hematological – biochemical tests.
Chemical Laboratories: Laboratory for testing food quality, Laboratory for water testing, Laboratory for contaminants and eco-toxicology, Laboratory testing of metals, Laboratory for health safety of items for general use
Radiological laboratories: Laboratory of Radioecology, Laboratory for ionizing radiation.
Department for food safety and Department for drinking water safety and environmental sanitation, are within Sector for Environmental health and stuff is dealing with risk assessment for microbiological, chemical or radiological hazards in food, drinking water, mineral water or spring water.
At local level IPH has 10 Centers for public health, with similar structure like IPH, units for epidemiology, environmental health, health statistics, and laboratories mainly developed for testing microbiological safety, food quality, metals.
Official Laboratory:
State Phytosanitary Laboratory (SFL)
Official Competence:
The State Phytosanitary Laboratory (SFL) provides advanced and quality laboratory services for the diagnosis and determination of harmful organisms, biological testing, examination of the physical and chemical properties of plant protection products, pesticide residues in plant production, analysis of the active substance, analysis of the active substance seeds and seedlings, sampling of seeds and parameters for determining the quality of agricultural products.
The State Phytosanitary Laboratory is an accredited laboratory in accordance with the standards for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories MKS ISO / IEC 17025: 2006. A total of 145 methods have been accredited, of which 55 in the Department for Analytical Chemistry and Analysis of Fertilizers, 64 Methods in the Department of Plant Diseases and Harmful Organisms, and 26 methods in the Sector for Seed, Planting Material and Class Cleanliness
Surveillance of foodborne diseases and monitoring of food contamination
National surveillance systems – foodborne disease in humans
Law on protection of the population against infectious diseases(Official Gazette of RM no. 66/2004, 139/2008, 99/2009, 149/2014/ 150/2015/ 37/2016);
Programme for control, prevention and eradication of brucellosis in humans in Republic of North Macedonia for 2019 (Official Gazette of RM no. 4/2019);
National annual monitoring program for public health in Republic of North Macedonia for 2019 (Official Gazette of RM no. 9/2019);
National monitoring systems – foodborne hazards in the food chain
- Programme for control and prevention of individual physical, chemical and biological hazards in certain types or categories of food (Official Gazette of RM.no. 13/2019);
- National Monitoring Program on control of residues of veterinary drugs and contaminants in live animals and foodstuffs of animal origin (Official Gazette of RM.no. 39/2019);
- Program for Antimicrobial resistance for 2017 – 2020 (Official Gazette of RM.no. 49/2017)
- Monitoring programme for feed safety 2019 (Official Gazette of RM.no. 5/2019);
National control plan for reducing the presence of salmonellosis in laying hens, broilers, hatcheries (Gallus gallus) in the Republic of Macedonia for the period 2017-2020