Estonia

Codex Contact Point

Food Safety Department, Ministry of Rural Affairs, Lai 39/41 15056 Tallinn Estonia

Fax:
+372 6256210

Competent authorities

Name of authority:
Ministry of Rural Affairs
Mandate/competence:
Planning and implementation of agricultural policy, the trade policy of agricultural products, the organisation of ensuring food safety and compliance, organisation of agricultural research and development and agricultural education and the preparation of corresponding draft legislation.

Name of authority:
Veterinary and Food Board
Mandate/competence:
Functions as a supervising body and sees to that that the requirements stipulated by the legislation that governs food safety are followed and executes supervision over fulfilment of these requirements and applies enforcement by state pursuant to the procedures and in the amount prescribed by law.

Name of authority:
Agricultural Board
Mandate/competence:
The main tasks include executing state supervision over meeting the quality, marketing, import and export requirements set for horticultural products, organising the supervision in organic farming area

Name of authority:
Health Board
Mandate/competence:
Competent authority in the field of drinking water and the responsible authority in the field of natural mineral water.

Name of authority:
Consumer Protection Board
Mandate/competence:
The possibility to carry out the control of labelling in the retail stage.

INFOSAN Emergency Contact Point

The Health Board performs the role of INFOSAN Emergency contact point.
Corresponding contact details are given as follows:
Name: Mihhail Muzõtšin
Address: Tartu Road 85, Tallinn, Estonia
Telephone: (+372) 79 43703
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.

The national Codex programme

National Codex consultative mechanism

Matters are discussed according to the general procedure of consultation of Estonian positions. The National Contact Point receives information from the Codex Alimentarius Commission and distributes if needed to the different parties. A Codex coordinator who works at the Food Safety Department of the Ministry of Rural Affairs, acts as the link between appointed experts and the Codex secretariat as well as the Council Secretariat (EC). If needed, the appointed expert of the National Codex Contact Point prepare Estonian positions on the Codex documents. Estonia coordinates its Codex positions with the other MS and the European Commission following the agreed procedures.

Providers of scientific and technical input to national consultation on Codex

Universities, food industry associations, state authorities, reference and approved laboratories, experts.
Generally Estonian experts take part in EU coordination meetings, where EU’s positions for Codex meetings are discussed. Estonian delegation also attends several Codex meetings.

Risk Assessments and Scientific Data

National bodies providing risk assessment and scientific advice

University of Tartu, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Institute for Health Development.

Risk assessment, risk profiles, scientific opinions

In the following the most relevant risk assessments and opions published over the last 6 years are given.
• Quantitative risk assessment on nitrites (E 249-250) as food additives (http://www.pikk.ee/upload/files/Nitritid_lopparuanne.pdf)
• Food safety risk assessment of Campylobacter spp., Listeria monocytogenes and verotoxigenic E.coli in Estonia (http://www.pikk.ee/upload/files/Mati_Roasto_2014.pdf)
• Expert opinion on coastal fishers exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs (http://www.agri.ee/sites/default/files/public/juurkataloog/UURINGUD/uuring_rannakalurite_toitumine_2011.doc)

Official Laboratories

Official Laboratory:
Reference laboratories
Official Competence:
http://www.agri.ee/en/objectives-activities/food-safety/reference-laboratories

Official Laboratory:
Approved laboratories
Official Competence:
http://www.vet.agri.ee/static/body/files/2684.Toiduseaduse%20alusel%20j%E4relevalveanal%FC%FCsideks%20volitatud%20laboratooriumid%20-%2011.03.2016.pdf

Official Laboratory:
Trichinella laboratories
Official Competence:
http://www.vet.agri.ee/static/body/files/2139.Trichinella%20ametlikud%20laborid%20-%2027.06.2016.pdf

Surveillance of foodborne diseases and monitoring of food contamination

National surveillance systems – foodborne disease in humans

The Health Board is the competent authority in the field of monitoring foodborne diseases in humans on the basis of monitoring programmes. Additionally, exceptional checks are carried out, if necessary.

National monitoring systems – foodborne hazards in the food chain

The Veterinary and Food Board functions as a supervising body throughout the food chain on the basis of monitoring programmes. As a member of the EU, multi-annual national control plans that cover feed and food law and the legislation on animal health and welfare are established and implemented.