The state seeks to introduce a risk-based system of official control over compliance with the requirements of food legislation. In this article, we will tell you what market operators need to prepare for and how to reduce inspections to a minimum.
The issue of implementation of planned measures of state control was approved by Resolution No. 896.
According to the resolution, each enterprises of the market operator will be assigned one of the risk categories:
- Insignificant degree of risk (< 20 points)
- Low risk (21-39 points)
- Medium risk (40-69 points)
- High degree of risk (70-89 points)
- Very high risk (> 90 points)
The degree of risk is assigned on the basis of the sum of points that are awarded according to the specified criteria. An exhaustive list of indicators can be found in the resolution, below we list the most significant ones:
- catering establishment, which is located in an educational institution, sanatorium, airport hospital, railway station (+20 points)
- agri-food market (+25 points)
- availability of an operating permit (+30-70 points)
- the presence of consumer complaints (up to 30 points)
- offense that caused the death of a person (+80 points)
- serious violation (+60 points)
- minor violation (+15 points)
Please note that some of the criteria for awarding points depend on your type of activity, and some depend on the results of previous checks. Even a minor violation, or the presence of complaints about your products from consumers, can add 15-45 points, which will lead to a change in the category of the degree of risk, for example, from low to medium, and this, in turn, will increase the number of inspections of your enterprise by the state. Now the planned number of inspections is as follows:
• insignificant degree of risk – 1 time in 2 years
• low risk – 1 time per year
• medium risk – 2 times a year
• high risk – 3 times a year
• very high risk – 4 times a year
Unlike audits, which are carried out according to the schedule no more than 1 time per year, inspections will be carried out by employees of the State Food and Consumer Service without warning. By the way, inspection plans for 2025 have already been formed, you have the opportunity to search for your company at the following link.
The lists of issues that the inspector has the right to inspect approved by the relevant inspection acts, in case of non-compliance, the state inspector is obliged to provide a detailed description with reference to the points of the legislation that were violated.
It is important to understand that the main criterion for verification is the compliance of existing business processes with the law, and not the availability of relevant documents. That is, buying ready-made “packages of documents” and certificates is a waste of money, you need to build an existing food safety system using modern tools. Register on our portal today to get access to new materials and services that will help you prepare for government audits and inspections.