Block III: Biological and chemical risk control programmes

This block is designed to comply with strategic objective 2.3:

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2.3: To reduce as far as possible, and in all cases to acceptable levels, the exposure of consumers to biological and chemical risks present in foods.

Block III contains control and surveillance programmes for biological and chemical hazards affecting food products, which may compromise food safety. The programmes include sampling and analysis for the presence of microbial contamination, chemical contaminants, pesticides and veterinary medicine residues.

Food companies must not market foods containing quantities of biological or chemical contaminants that may represent unacceptable health risks. To that end, HACCP-based self-inspection systems are in place. The aim of these is for products to offer hygiene guarantees and comply with the legislation in force. The competent authorities have in place biological and chemical hazard control and monitoring programmes, with the aim of ensuring that products placed on the market do not represent any risk to consumers.

These control programmes are also designed to guarantee that measures are taken when operators are found not to be compliant, in order to prevent affected products from reaching the market and to prevent non-compliance being repeated.

The Block includes the following control programmes:

Block III: Biological and chemical risk control programmes

The results of the implementation of these programmes are reported annually in the annual report of the results of official controls.