Good practice:

Regular annual training seminars for Bulgarian SMEs - "Ensuring the quality and safety of food"

The purpose of the trainings seminars is to provide theoretical and practical knowledge of current analytical methods for the rapid identification and quantification of chemical and microbiological hazards in food, beverages and feed, as well as methods for conducting organoleptic analysis. The seminars also provide lectures about current EU regulations on quality control and food safety. The training seminars are annual, the themes discussed cover information such as food safety, fraud prevention and consumer care in the production industry. The practice reaches its objective through provision of important theoretical knowledge of the most common types of pathogenic microorganisms in food and hygiene indicators, modern fast methods for microbiological control and approaches for their validation, as well as the requirements of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency for the food chain essentials. Lectures related to food labeling and prevention of food frauds are also being regularly held. The lectures are mainly focused on different approaches related to the food fraud prevention in Bulgaria and building up the consumer confidence in food and beverages produced in the country.

Human resources, availability of premises and technical equipment.

The trainings are held constantly and each year more interest is provoked through these trainings. The number of participants is increasing. A lot of interest arises from these trainings, each year the events are adapted and modified based on the needs of the trainees and different food fraud prevention measures are reviewed.

There is a potential both “for learning” and for “transfer” because the SMEs involved are sharing with other groups of companies, which consequently learn and transfer the knowledge obtained to other potentially interested parties.