Food certification is a procedure that includes checking the quality of products and issuing documents: certificates of conformity. Certification is carried out at the state level. In 2010, mandatory certification was replaced by mandatory declaration of conformity.
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Before declaring, certain groups of goods must be subject to state registration. Food products intended for certain categories of the population or containing “controversial” substances are subject to registration. These are children's products, sports nutrition, special products for pregnant women, dietary supplements, nutritional supplements, organic products and food containing GMOs.
After registering these products, you can proceed to their voluntary declaration. Voluntary declaration, which replaced mandatory certification, transfers responsibility for product quality from the shoulders of the state to the shoulders of the manufacturer. Since the state no longer exercises control over production, the manufacturer takes over the task of controlling production capacities.
Declaration procedure
The declaration process begins with the application for certification. The competent authorities then decide on the declaration scheme and send experts to take samples. The samples are examined in laboratory conditions, and on the basis of the analyzes, a decision is made on the possibility of issuing a declaration of conformity or a quality certificate (with voluntary certification).
The main difference between compulsory certification and voluntary declaration is that during compulsory certification, production was checked. In case of voluntary declaration, production analysis is not performed, only products are checked.
The purpose of certification or declaration is to ensure the proper quality of products. For enterprises, declaring opens up wide opportunities for domestic trade, as well as for export. The declaration of conformity allows you to develop professional activities and enter new markets.
Obligations of the food manufacturer
A food manufacturer must have a complete set of well-written regulations that identify products. These documents should contain all data on the product, describe the methods of quality research and confirm the results of the analyzes performed. It is mandatory to have documents confirming the requirements for storage and transportation of products. This information is needed in order to relieve the manufacturer of responsibility for incorrect transportation.
Also, the manufacturer's responsibilities include filing an application for testing in one of the state-accredited laboratories. Upon receipt of the research results, the company analyzes the indicators of the expertise. Also, the manufacturer must check the quality of the packaging and make sure that the label contains complete information about the product.
