Food Safety Agency to support food producers

The Food Safety Agency of Azerbaijan appealed to the producers of food products.

“Sustainable development of entrepreneurial activity in the country is one of the important components of the economic policy of the Azerbaijani state. In this direction, comprehensive measures are taken to develop relations between the state and entrepreneurs, improve legislation and administrative procedures, eliminate the facts of illegal interference, education and various types of services,” the Agency reported.

The Agency noted that highly appreciates the participation of each business entity in the processes aimed at ensuring food safety. And, in this regard, the Agency will provide all-round assistance to entrepreneurs to organize their activities in accordance with modern requirements at all stages of food production.

"The Agency, which will start exercising its powers from July 1 of this year, will register all business entities involved in food production in the country, and, in accordance with the legislation, monitoring, control and auditing activities will be carried out, issue appropriate certificates to ensure regulation export-import processes in accordance with legislation and international standards," the Agency said.

The Agency’s goal is to support Azerbaijani entrepreneurs in the long and intensive withdrawal of their products to the world market, increase of the world market demand for food products made in Azerbaijan, as well as to further increase Made in Azerbaijan brand’s reputation.

The Food Safety Agency was established by the decree of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on additional measures to improve the food security in the country in February 2017.

Under the decree, the Food Safety Agency will help ensure the regulatory framework of food safety (development and approval of sanitary norms and rules, as well as hygienic standards), and will carry out risk analysis, hygiene certification, as well as provide a quality certificate for food products exported to foreign countries, ensure state control over the protection of the rights of consumers of food products and at all stages of food production on the basis of the “from field to table” principle.