The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is working on a new regulation under the Food Law to tune up farmers' markets with the aim of safety of the products offered to consumers. This was announced by the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Kiril Vatev, before the National Food Council, which was held at the Ministry of Agriculture. The unscrupulous practices with food offered as own production, without being such, must end at the farmers' markets, emphasized Minister Vatev.
The purpose of the proposal for a new regulation for farmers' markets is to get flexible application of hygiene requirements without compromising safety, commented Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Alexander Iotsev. The Executive Director of NAMRB (National Association of the Municipalities in Republic of Bulgaria), Silvia Georgieva, stated that municipalities are very interested in having such a regulation to clear security rules, protect and enable their production to reach consumers.
Now, the normative act is being prepared within the framework of a working group, after which interdepartmental coordination is pending. It is necessary a legal basis to be created by amending the Food Act.
The participants in the meeting have also been informed that farmers with registration under Ordinance 26 of 2010 who offer small quantities of processed animal products directly from farms will now be able to make deliveries throughout the country. The ordinance now allows the direct delivery of raw milk, dairy products, honey, eggs and more to the area where the farm is located and to an area adjacent to it. The Ordinance has gone through coordination and notification before the EC and an amendment to the Food Act is required to be promulgated in the State Gazette.
Minister Vatev announced that the prepared draft of the Food Trade Law, which has been jointly produced with the experts from the Ministry of Economy, is to be discussed with the branch organizations. He specified that leading experts in the field of trade are working on the regulations. It affects food trade as a specific commodity. We need to organize our market so that our production be arranged, commented Deputy Minister Iotsev.
Experts from the ministry informed about the implementation of the measures set out in the Action Plan for the National Program for Prevention and Reduction of Food Loss for popularizing and promoting healthy eating among students and the the steps taken by the ministry in the process of Bulgaria's accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The council also discussed the entryi n the register as Protected Designations of Origin in the European Register of Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) of the two dairy products of national importance Bulgarian yogurt and Bulgarian white brine cheese.
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