National Food Safety Authority (INSSPA) Intensifies Control Program for New Year Celebrations
The National Food Safety Authority (INSSPA) has launched an intensive control program to coincide with the celebration of the new administrative year. This program aims to strengthen control over establishments and areas with high foot traffic, such as pastry and confectionery shops, dried fruit stores, poultry meat processing and storage units, and large retail stores, hotels, and tourist restaurants across the country.
Objective of the Program
The program is part of the prevention of health risks and the guarantee of the quality and safety of food products, through the verification of compliance with good food safety practices at all stages of the food chain, control of delivery conditions of raw materials, manufacturing, storage, display, and transportation, and to ensure the non-use of unauthorized additives or colorants and the seizure and destruction of hazardous products, taking necessary legal measures against offenders.
Implementation and Results
As part of the implementation of this program, the INSSPA highlighted that several offenses were recorded, including the seizure of 956 pieces of non-compliant pastry and non-compliance with cold chain conditions.
- In the governorate of Tunis, the authority's teams seized approximately 4 tons of varied expired food products (sauces, food pastes, canned goods, and dried red peppers), in addition to 780 kg of unfit red meat for consumption in a disorganized facility that does not meet security conditions for storage and refrigeration.
- In the governorate of Sfax, 3.2 tons of unfit meat and poultry for consumption were seized after noticing signs of deterioration such as color change.
- In the governorate of Ben Arous and in coordination with the National Guard units in Boumhel, 908 kg of meat and poultry products were seized, which were transported in an inappropriate truck, in addition to 128 kg more due to non-compliance with hygiene rules, as well as 1086 kg of poultry products preserved in non-sanitary conditions.
- The control teams seized 229 kg of cheese, 18 kg of processed meat (salami), 4 kg of white cheese, 910 boxes of pizza, and 200 plates stored amidst waste.
- In the governorate of Béja, 1645 kg of frozen beef liver were seized, transported by a means of transport without refrigeration equipment, without a health safety certificate for the means of transport, and without a veterinary health certificate for the product.
Future Actions
The INSSPA specified that the control campaigns will continue during this period, calling on all stakeholders in the food sector to respect health laws and standards. It also emphasized that it will take legal action against anyone who endangers consumer health.
