The state policy in the field of food safety in Bulgaria is implemented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food, the Minister of Health, and the Minister of Economy and Industry, in accordance with the powers granted to them by law. The central legal foundations of food legislation in Bulgaria are the Food Act and the Agri-Food Chain Management Act.
The Food Act regulates the requirements related to food safety, the obligations of food business operators and individuals working in facilities for the production, processing, and/or distribution of food, the requirements for packaging, labeling, presentation, and advertising of food, the conditions for wholesale and retail trade of materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, the requirements for food transportation and distance selling, the standards for natural mineral, spring, and table waters, the provisions for foods intended for infants and young children, foods for special medical purposes, and foods enriched with vitamins, minerals, and other substances, the regulations on additives, enzymes, flavorings, and food supplements, the requirements for foods intended for consumption during intense muscular effort, the rules governing genetically modified foods and foods treated with ionizing radiation, the standards for smoke flavorings used in or on food, the provisions for novel foods, the conditions and procedures for food banking, the authorities responsible for official control during food production, processing, and/or distribution, and the conditions and procedures for food export. The provisions of the Food Act do not apply to the primary production of food for personal household consumption, the domestic preparation and storage of food intended for personal household use, and the production, processing, labeling, and trade of wine, wine products, grape-derived products, fruit wines, vinegar, ethyl alcohol and agricultural distillates, and spirits. The Food Act aims to ensure a high level of protection of consumer health and interests regarding food and to facilitate the implementation of European Union law and national measures in the food sector.
The Agri-Food Chain Management Act covers the authorities responsible for implementing state policy, official controls, and other official activities across the agri-food chain, the bodies conducting risk assessment and risk communication, the general requirements for conducting official controls and other official activities within the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, the specific requirements for conducting official controls and other official activities related to food within the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, the coordination and interaction of official control authorities with other institutions, the provision of administrative assistance and cooperation in the agri-food chain between the competent authorities of the Republic of Bulgaria, other Member States, the European Commission, and other EU institutions, the use of the Information Management System for Official Controls (IMSOC) within Bulgaria, the measures for crisis and emergency management in the agri-food chain, and the financing of activities related to official controls and other official functions. The Agri-Food Chain Management Act also sets out the conditions and procedures for the development and implementation of the Multiannual National Control Plan (MANCP), the sampling procedures, and the designation of laboratories for official control purposes and national reference laboratories.
Institutional separation of risk assessment and risk management has been in place in Bulgaria, since 2016.
In January 2011, the Bulgarian Parliament, following a political decision, established a new public authority by adopting the Law on the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA). BFSA, within the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (MAF), is responsible for the official control on safety of food and feed throughout the food chain. Together with the agency, a Risk Assessment Center was created.
Initially the Risk Assessment Center (RAC) was established in 2011 and functioned within BFSA structure until 2016. Since 01 October 2016, the Law on Risk Assessment Center on Food Chain (RACFCH) was adopted and the Center was separated from the BFSA as an independent legal entity under MAF. RACFCH is the main authority in Bulgaria engaged in risk assessment and risk communication related to the food chain. Its risk assessments and scientific opinions are publicly available on the RACFCH website unless there are statutory provisions that prohibit it, and serve as a scientific ground for decision making process by the risk managers and policy makers.
