Food Processing Industry

​FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY

BASIC DATA

The Slovak food processing industry is one of the most dynamically developing industries. The food processing industry in the Slovak Republic is at present entirely in the private sector after difficult transformation processes. A thorough restructuring of this industry took place in recent years, while its main objectives were as follows:

  • to decrease excess capacities which had no perspectives for withstanding a competitive or international market,
  • to modernise the production process, mainly in order to achieve higher productivity of labour and to improve hygiene of foodstuff production,
  • to increase the competitiveness of the food processing industry

FOOD QUALITY

The highest level of health and consumer protection with regard to food safety has been a priority for the Slovak Republic and the European Union. The competent inspection authorities of all EU member states monitor, inspect and verify whether operators comply with the relevant requirements of the food law and whether they meet the requirements for food safety at every level of production, processing, distribution and sale of food to the end consumer. Official food inspection is an instrument to enforce and implement the food legislation in the national as well as European legislation.

Activities of the resort are aimed not only at the production of safe foodstuffs, but also at the production of quality foodstuffs which will contribute to assortment enhancement and, due to their diversity, to maintenance of cultural heritage and traditional production. With the continuously increasing importance of foodstuff safety, in the SR is also constantly increasing the importance of application of legislation in the field of Quality Policy (indication of origin and geographical indication of agricultural products and foodstuffs) as an indicator representing quality of the product with certification of its origin, composition, features and observing of determined production methods.

Demand for quality products is an asset for producers, as well as for consumers. Products with protected indication of origin, with protected geographic indication or of a specific nature are a guarantee of the observance of the special conditions which provide the product with the specific features expected by the consumer. Typical Slovak products which comply with these criteria are e.g.: “Slovenská bryndza”, “Slovenský oštiepok” or “Skalický trdelník”.

Regarding food quality, the MARD SR uses two systems, i.e. “Quality Label” and “EU Quality Policy”.

QUALITY MARK

In August 2004 the Ministry put into practice the programme of a national quality mark for Slovak agricultural products and foodstuffs. Its objective is to focus the attention of the consumer public on the issue of safety and quality, as well as on the origin and tradition of agricultural products and foodstuffs. The “quality mark” on a product is a guarantee for the consumer that this product was produced in compliance with requirements of national legislation and legislation of the EU, while the determined technological process was followed during the production. Observance of the requirements regarding product marking is being controlled by foodstuff control bodies in all phases of its production, including the processing of raw materials, transportation and sale of the product. Quality agricultural products and foodstuffs are identified in this manner on the domestic market, with the specifics of the Slovak consumer taken into account.

The label logo and its graphic design were changed in 2019.

The system of assessment and granting of the Quality Label remain unchanged. The Quality Label was replaced by the Quality Label Level 1. The SK GOLD Quality Label was replaced by the Quality Label Level 2. According to the new Rules, products with superior quality properties, i.e. their quality parameters are significantly above similar products on the market, are, based on a professional assessment and on the recommendation of the committee, awarded the Quality Label Level 2, as well as the right to use the Quality Label Level 2, which will represent a product with superior quality parameters. In 2020, the MARD SR issued Guidelines for the Assessment and Awarding of the Quality Label (QL) for agricultural products and foodstuffs. The Logo manual can be found on http://znackakvality.sk.

EU QUALITY POLICY

The “EU Quality Policy” is a philosophy of the development of the quality of original, traditional agricultural products and foodstuffs and of the promotion of the cultural traditions and regions where these products are produced. The system was developed in response to the increasing counterfeiting of products and the misuse of traditional names that guaranteed the reputation of traditional regional products. The “EU Quality Policy” means the protection of agricultural products and foodstuffs and the promotion of their sale. These foodstuffs must meet certainqualitative parameters that distinguish them from other similar products based on their precisely defined requirements for raw products and for the technological procedure of production. As part of the EU Quality Policy, the EU accepts, protects, supports, registers and inspects products divided into these three categories:

  • Protected geographical indication – PGI
  • Protected designation of origin – PDO
  • Traditional speciality guaranteed – TSG

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At present, the Slovak Republic has 19 designations of food products of Slovak provenance in the Register of Protected Designations of the EC, namely PDO 2, PG 10 and TSG 7 products.

Source: Report on Agriculture and Food Sector in the Slovak Republic for 2020 - Green Report.


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