Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Foodstuff, Legislation, Markets and Companies

European Commission officials audited in the framework of the pan-European audit programme the functioning of the Estonian food supervision system regarding tracking the origin of meat and meat products and their movement.

The European Commission's Food and Veterinary Office auditors stated in the summary of the audit that the traceability and self-control systems in food business operators they visited and the Estonian national surveillance system meets the requirements of the European Union.

"Food traceability and self-control systems of food handlers must enable the supervisory authorities to identify with the use of documents the raw materials used to make a specific food and their exact amounts. The auditors got confirmation that the systems of the visited companies enable that," said the Food and Veterinary Office Food Department Head Heneli Lamp, adding that attention to this is especially paid after the 2013 so-called horsemeat scandal.

The auditors chose from three retail establishments randomly different types of products containing meat and Veterinary Office officials checked the product's supply chain to the slaughterhouse, where the meat came from originally. The auditors visited a total of 12 food businesses, including retail and wholesale companies and companies handling meat and meat products.