The new Food Law will guarantee Bulgarian consumers quality and safety. Conditions for clarifying the sector in terms of production, processing and distribution of food products are being created. The legislative package, including the Law on the Agro-Food Chain, regulates public relations from the farm to table. This said the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Desislava Taneva during a briefing in the National Assembly.
According to her, the new Food Law for the first time regulates requirements for distance food trade, food packaging, labeling and advertising, which is gaining more and more popularity and preference from the Bulgarian consumer. She explained that carrying out food-related industry activities without being in the register will be subject to a fine.
According to the new act, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency will maintain on its website a national register of producers, processors and distributors of food and food additives, as well as of producers of bottled mineral and spring water. The “Product of Bulgaria” designation on foods will guarantee that the main ingredient for their production is extracted on the territory of Bulgaria and that all stages of the production process take place in the country. Requirements for distance selling are regulated in the new act for the first time.
The bill sets out food banking activities are regulated. Requirements for food donation are introduced, as well as the conditions and the way of marking the donated food. It will be carried out after registration of persons under the Non-profit Legal Entities Act, designated to carry out activities in public benefit.
A National Council is also being set up as a permanent advisory body to coordinate government policy in the food sector, involving representatives of all interested parties. Minister Taneva pointed out that so far representatives of the branch organizations have participated in all working groups on the drafting of the law.
Minister Taneva thanked the MPs from all political groups who consensually supported the legislative package initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.