EU TWINNING PROJECT
Mission Report
SR12-IB-AG-02
Mission report 38
STUDY VISIT TO LATVIA
WITHIN THETWINNING PROJECT: CAPACITY BUILDING FOR UPGRADING OF FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS AND ANIMAL BY-PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
14th – 18th 12.2015
Goal of the visit:
Since the 3rd February 2014, the Veterinary Directorate has been implementing the twinning project: “Capacity building for Upgrading of Food establishments and Animal By-Product management”. From the EU side, the project is implemented by the consortium between the Netherlands, Denmark and Latvia.
The goal of the project is preparation and adoption of strategic documents and building capacity for the implementation of EU food hygiene standards in the area of modernization of establishments, as well as adequate ABP management.
One of the activities is implementation of study visit to Riga, Latvia in the period from 13th to 19th December 2015.
The study visit is organized with the aim to introduce the representatives of the Republic of Serbia, who are project component coordinators and who participate in the development of strategic documents, procedures and trainings for inspectors, with the organization of Latvian food and ABP sector, institutions and practice through theoretical work and visits to food establishments.Also, the visit should create opportunities for deeper cooperation, as support to building capacities and harmonization with the EU legislation in the mentioned areas.
Participants:
TamaraBošković, Head of Department for veterinary public health /RTA Counterpart
SanjaČelebićanin, Head of Department for veterinary inspection /Component 1 coordinator
SlavicaNikolić, Head of Group for ABP /Component 3 coordinator
MarkoBjekić, veterinaryinspector, /Component 2 coordinator
LjilјanaIvanjac, independent advisor for meat processing establishments
OliveraMarić, Project Language Assistant
Anette Haurum, RTA
Description of the activities:
14.12.2015–Presentation of the system of Latvian Food and Veterinary Service
During the first day, a presentation was held on the organizational structure, scope and activities of the Food and Veterinary Service, as well as the history of establishing a uniform control system of the food chain.
Up to 2001, Latvia had an organization which consisted of 4 Ministries and 5 services, with 27 regional offices and 26 laboratories, which resulted in overlaps in the tasks, unclear supervision and division of responsibilities, different criteria for control and non-uniform approach to utilization of data gathered during the inspection controls.
In April 2001, the Government issued a decision to reorganize the service starting from 1st January 2002. The Ministry of Agriculture is appointed as a central body and Food and Veterinary Service (FVS) is established. This change was a result of the EU integration, pressure from the industry and consumers and because of the needs regarding the certification and export to foreign markets.
The Ministry of Agriculture follows and prepared the draft regulations which are sent to the FVS for consultation. Within the Ministry of Agriculture, specific areas are covered by an adequate number of employees. Once a regulation comes to force, it is implemented, i.e. enforced by the FVS.
FVS consists of the following organizational units: food supervision, animal health protection, identification and registration of animals, register and assessment of establishments, border control, financial and legal service.Besides the operational departments, there are international circulation and cooperation, international projects, internal control, data analysis, emergency service and PR service. There are 11 regions where senior food inspectors work. On the central level, there are 154 inspectors, 615 employees, out of which 250 are responsible for food control, 87 are official veterinarians for PM control, and 112 are responsible for diseases and 90 border veterinary and phyto-sanitary inspectors.There are 150 other staff members (drivers, secretaries, IT experts...).
The system is based on risk analysis, in accordance with the Regulation 882/2004, according to two categories: activity and type of production.
4 groups of risk are established: high, medium, low and very lowrisk. In accordance with that, the establishments are scored and the frequency of official controls is determined according to the final score.
Quality control system
The whole service is accredited according to the ISO 17020 standard and there are three types of quality control. External audit is performed by the Latvian Accreditation Body, FVO and Drugs Agency. Internal audit is performed with the aim to check documentation on central and regional level, while technical persons check the work of inspectors on the spot.
ABP management
Twenty years ago, Latvia had and Category 1 material processing plant, which was the biggest one in the Baltic.In the meantime, it was purchased by a Latvian investor, who changed it to Category 3 processing plant, so that now Category 1 and 2 materials are exported to Lithuania for further processing.
Since 2014, private operators started the construction of establishment for processing Category 2 materials, with the support of EU funds. This plant is now processing ABP originating from pigs and poultry, which is used for the production of biogas.
There are 4 Category 3 processing plants producing fish meal, and several smaller ones, located on vessels.
Lack of rendering plant is a problem, because after the occurrence of African swine fever in Latvia, Lithuania banned the circulation of ABP, which resulted in piling up dead animals. The only solution was to burn the dead animals, which resulted in environmental problems.
There are collection points for ABP, but it turned out that from the financial point of view, it is more feasible to collect ABP with small trucks (8) from the whole country and transport it to Lithuania.
Also, it is allowed to burry ABP on cattle grave yards registered for this activity.
Incentives: The state gives financial resources for Cat 1 and 2 intended primarily for small farmers, which are paid to rendering plants and which cover the costs of collection and destruction.
MANCP
The plan for official controls for three years period was presented. The plan contains the description of tasks, obligations and responsibilities of all employees of FVS, legislation regulating control of food and feed, animal health protection, ABP, veterinary medical products, priorities, frequency of official control and monitoring.
The document has over 200 pages, it is submitted to the Commission for approval and it is published in Latvian.
15.12.2015 – visit to the establishments for processing meat, milk and biogas plant
Traditional family owned establishment for meat production named “Dimzas“, started operating in 1995, as a farm where the slaughterhouse was constructed, while the processing is conducted on the same holding, but on in a separate building. The owners are a father and a son. There are 20 employees. 280 pigs per month are slaughtered, three times per week. The capacity for meat processing is 50 tons. They are performing the following activities: meat cutting, production of cooked and smoked products which are sold in a retail store on the holding and 10%is sold to a third party.
The establishment is approved for slaughter, while processing is registered, in accordance with the national regulation regulating flexibility for small producers. All premises have open access, with meat drying ovens which are fed inside, and at the same time meat cutting and processing is performed in rooms which are connected. The temperature in the cutting room was not in compliance with the requirements, and the competent authority explained that that was allowed by applying the flexibility.
Chicken is bought from approved establishments, it is cut and processed in the establishment, although there is no separate approval for that.Having in mind that there is a closed system from farm to finished product, it was possible to visit only the processing plant, and not the slaughterhouse, with the explanation that the slaughterhouse is under construction. MSM is not used in the production and the price of 1kg of meat and cooked products is 4. The amount of ABP is very low and what is generated is sent to the biogas plant.
Milk processing establishment“Limbažu piens“
The establishment was founded in 1922. In the period of USSRit was so-called satellite establishment. In the meantime, it was close to being closed down, but in 1997 the financial resources were secured and it was decided to deal with the production of parmesan cheese, with the period of duration of 6 month.
Real capacity of reception of milk is 100t. The market was mostly CU, and now because of embargo they are oriented to Chinese market.
Milk is collected from approved collection point which receives milk from 200 farms, with average capacity of 15 cows, while the smallest holding has 2 animals (about 10 farms). However, milk is also taken from individual farms, with special trucks.Total amount of collected milk can be up to 50 tons, every second day in winter time, and every day in the summer.
The owner of the collection point has 8 drivers employed, but also hires 5 other companies.All milk transporters are entered into a register of food transporters.
Driver takes samples, performs organoleptic check, measures the temperature, and if needed, determines the pH. This collection centre provides 60% of their milk to the dairy, and is free to sell the rest on the market.
The milk is again sampled at the reception point of the dairy, and besides the quality parameters, the presence of inhibitors is checked. 2 times per month a sample is taken from each farm to perform the check on the protein content, total number of micro-organisms, freezing point and inhibitors. The establishment was upgraded, the cheese matures on fir tree boards for longer period, the weight of package is 25 kg and antimycotics are applied before vacuuming and packaging.
Plant for processing Category 2 and 3 ABP material and for the production of biogas and energy “Green Energy“
The plant processes 300 tons of ABP per month, but the installed capacity is 600 to 700 tons.
Processing method 1 is applied, in accordance with the EU regulations. There is a biofilter for air processing. Instead of steam, the temperature is raised by using thermal oils which are heated with temperature produced in a biogas production process.
A line for processing Category 1 material is constructed within the same plant, but it has not started operating yet. For the time being, Cat 1 is sent to the rendering plant in Lithuania.
After the processing, the generated mass is transferred to the biogas plant with a tank truck. Besides raw materials of animal origin, the biogas plant also uses raw materials of plant origin.
The operators stated that the raw materials of animal origin are adequate because they are generated in the slaughter industry. The corn that is needed for the production of biogas they need to grow on their own.
The produced biogas is used for the production of electric energy and the surplus of the material will be used as bedding for the cattle, which is not in accordance with the EU regulations for TSE and with the ban for feeding animals.
16.12.2015– visit to Territorial structural unit of FVS and visit to the establishments for slaughtering and processing meat and establishment for processing milk
Territorial structural unit (TSU) of FVS TSU covers 11 municipalities with 9 veterinary inspectors and 6 veterinarians who perform check on the slaughter line and 6 phytosanitary inspectors.
Support staff- 7 (5 assistants, 1 driver, 1cleaning lady)
The number of establishments (covered by veterinary inspection) in TSU:
15 slaughterhouses, 8 meat producing establishments, 3 dairies, 1 establishment for packaging eggs, 3 egg producing establishments, 1 ABP establishment, 18 ABP transporters, 407canteens.
Veterinary inspectors can control only the areas which they are trained for, which are stated in their file.
The frequency of official controls is determined on the basis of multiannual and annual plans.It is also determined on monthly and weekly basis, and all performed controls are entered into a data base which automatically assigns the date of the following official control.
Penalty system is under the competence of regional inspection. FBO can file an appeal to the central level, while court process occurs only in case the FBO does not accept the decision of the central level. The penalties determined on the regional level vary from 20 to 2000 EUR, while the central level can determine the penalty up to 7000 EUR.
Veterinary and phyto-sanitary inspectors are fully equipped with all necessary protective equipment, equipment for sampling (fridges, sampling probes, etc.) and auxiliary equipment (torches, scales, laser meters, etc.) and they also have equipment for self-defence such as pepper spray.
TSU has 11 cars and 2 vans. The drivers are responsible for technical validity of the cars.
Fee for performed controls is covered by the FBO and it is based on the number of spent hours.
Establishment for slaughtering cattle and pigs and for meat processing “Nakontne”
Establishment for slaughtering cattle and pigs and for meat processing “Nakontne” is one of the largest companies in Latvia. In 2000, it was founded through a Swiss-Latvian capital.
In the beginning, it was family trade establishment, processing 200 to 300kg of meat per day.In 2004, large amounts were invested and scope of production was increased, so that now the slaughtering capacity varies from 220 to 250 pigs per day and 10 to 15 cattle per week.
Meat processing amounts for 30 tons per day, out of which 30 % is fresh meat products and the remaining 70% is processed meat products.
Most of the products are placed to Latvian market, while small amounts are exported to Great Britain and Ireland.
From 2010 to 2012, they started using EU funds, and only yearly maintenance costs amount to half a million EUR. Greatest investments were made into IT system and cold stores.
Slaughter is performed 6 days per week, with 70% of used capacity.Slaughter lines are separated, but are located in the same room.
The carcasses are sampled every two weeks. National laboratory BIOR and central level of FVS approve sampling for trichinella.
Water is supplied from own well and it is controlled 4 times per year. Ice is controlled 2 times per year. Water supply points are not marked and water is not chlorinated.
Main products are from the group of so-called “dark smoked products“. Before the accession to the EU, they had undergone the upgrading process with the action plan and deadlines controlled by the competent authority. At the time of the accession, all establishments were approved in accordance with the EU regulations, except the small scale establishments which were approved the transitional period, but could not place their products to the EU market and they had different identification mark.
In thatperiod, a large number of establishments closed their production and only 30% continued with the operation.3 official veterinarians from FVS are working in the establishments. They perform AM andPM checks and control of transport, and they are not authorized to apply administrative measures. They are supervised by the inspector from regional level, and they are paid by the hour.
Slaughter is announced to the regional level one month in advance, so that tasks could be organized in due time. Regional inspector controls the slaughter once in 3 monthsand meat processing once in 4 months, with the use of specific check lists.
17.12.2015 – visit to a small establishment for cheese production“Malevss”and to Latvian reference laboratoryforfood safety, animal health and environment"BIOR" and to the Ministry of Agriculture
“Malevss” cheese production establishment
Institute for food safety, animal health and environment "BIOR"
Institute is an authorized laboratory for official testing of samples and it has competences in the following areas: food safety, quality and technology, animal health, epidemiology of infectious diseases, public health and environmental protection, fishery and fish funds, as well as aquaculture.
Process ofreorganization of this institute started in 1996, in accordance with the process of harmonization with the EU, and with the aim to enable national laboratories to operate in accordance with the international standards and referent international laboratory methods.
There are in total 400 employees, about 12.000 users of the services, about 1.000.000 laboratory analysis are performed per year, there are 300 accredited methods, 6.000 hours per year are spent on collecting significant data on Baltic Sea, lakes and rivers.
BIORconducts researches in the area of food, environmental protection, veterinary medicine, fishery and other related natural sciences.The institute provides scientific and expert help and performs risk assessment in the relevant areas for the competent authority. They conduct laboratory and diagnostic tests within national monitoring and programme for controlling food, feed and animal health protection. They perform collection, analysis and research and give scientific conclusions for the area of fishery and aquaculture.