The sanitary measures’ procedure at import includes -inspection of documentation, packaging, and markings regarding food safety, field organoleptic analysis or sampling and testing by competent laboratories.
Professional and administrative matters concerning food safety, as well as safety of products and materials in contact with food are under the competence of the Agency for Food and Veterinary pursuant to the Law on Food Safety (Official Gazette No. 157/10 and 84/07).
Food, products and materials in contact with imported food are subject to border control at points designated for that purpose. It is prohibited to import food, products and materials that come into contact with food imported in the territory of the Republic of Macedonia until the completion of the control of the consignment entered into import procedure and until import approval is issued by the inspector. The inspector may approve the consignment to enter the territory of the Republic of Macedonia even prior the completion of the control in cases when a sample is taken for laboratory examination of its safety and it is stored in a warehouse that meets the prescribed legal conditions. In case of import of animal origin food, the importer must have a certificate for importing animal origin food. To export food from the Republic of Macedonia, the exporter is obliged to have a Food Safety Certificate issued by the Agency for Food and Veterinary, as proof of food safety.
In case of temporary import or transit of food, the importer or transit operator should submit a request for temporary import or transit.
Trade in unsafe food (import, export, re-export, transport, warehousing, distribution and sale) is prohibited. Types of unsafe food are:
- Food unsafe for human use with expired date and damaged packaging that may have a detrimental effect on the food quality;
- Food produced or sold by making concessions with the food hygiene requirement and is not in conformity with the rules of good production, hygiene and agricultural practice;
- Food misleading the consumers;
Professional and administrative matters concerning food safety, as well as safety of products and materials in contact with food are under the competence of the Agency for Food and Veterinary pursuant to the Law on Food Safety (Official Gazette No. 157/10 and 84/07).
Food, products and materials in contact with imported food are subject to border control at points designated for that purpose. It is prohibited to import food, products and materials that come into contact with food imported in the territory of the Republic of Macedonia until the completion of the control of the consignment entered into import procedure and until import approval is issued by the inspector. The inspector may approve the consignment to enter the territory of the Republic of Macedonia even prior the completion of the control in cases when a sample is taken for laboratory examination of its safety and it is stored in a warehouse that meets the prescribed legal conditions. In case of import of animal origin food, the importer must have a certificate for importing animal origin food. To export food from the Republic of Macedonia, the exporter is obliged to have a Food Safety Certificate issued by the Agency for Food and Veterinary, as proof of food safety.
In case of temporary import or transit of food, the importer or transit operator should submit a request for temporary import or transit.
Trade in unsafe food (import, export, re-export, transport, warehousing, distribution and sale) is prohibited. Types of unsafe food are:
- Food unsafe for human use with expired date and damaged packaging that may have a detrimental effect on the food quality;
- Food produced or sold by making concessions with the food hygiene requirement and is not in conformity with the rules of good production, hygiene and agricultural practice;
- Food misleading the consumers;
- Food containing pathogenic microorganisms or pathogenic parasites i.e. development forms and secretion thereof, or pests that may have harmful effects on people;
- Food containing residues of pesticides and medicaments from veterinary practice that are not allowed or in quantities beyond the maximum allowed levels;
- Food containing toxic metals, non-metals, other chemical environment pollutants, as well as poisons and other substances in concentrations that may have a harmful effect on people’s health;
- Food that has been mechanically contaminated with admixtures that may have harmful effects people’s health or cause nausea;
- Food containing additives that are not allowed for production or contain prohibited quantities of additives, or if the additives are used in a technologically inadequate manner;
- Food with modified composition or organoleptic features due to physical, chemical, microbiological or other processes;
- Food with radionuclide levels beyond the determined limit or food that has been radiated beyond the limits determined by regulations;
- Food that has not been marked or if the expiration date on the marking is illegible;
- Food without information on the declaration of the package from which the food is sold in cases when the food is not in its original package, i.e. it is sold in bulk;
- Food of animal origin that has not been marked with safety markings in compliance with the regulations on veterinary healthcare;
- Food that is in any way a risk to people’s health; and
- Food of plant origin and products of food of plant origin with genetically modified seed material.
Any food produced and released in circulation must be in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Macedonian Food Code. The Macedonian Food Code includes all regulations regarding any food produced and released in circulation in the Republic of Macedonia.
Food producers and traders are obliged to provide the following information on the food intended for trade:
1. Product’s commercial name;
2. Product’s geographic indication;
3. Name of producer or trader enabling easy recognition;
4. Net weight or volume of the food;
5. Raw materials and additives utilized in the preparation of food listed by quantity in declining order;
6. Expiration date (date of expiry to…) or the date until which the food safe to be used (best before…) for microbiologically perishable products;
7. The specific conditions for storing, necessary for maintaining food safety, recommendations for the conditions for use if they have a significant influence on the food expiration date i.e. the date that the food would be best to use;
- Food containing residues of pesticides and medicaments from veterinary practice that are not allowed or in quantities beyond the maximum allowed levels;
- Food containing toxic metals, non-metals, other chemical environment pollutants, as well as poisons and other substances in concentrations that may have a harmful effect on people’s health;
- Food that has been mechanically contaminated with admixtures that may have harmful effects people’s health or cause nausea;
- Food containing additives that are not allowed for production or contain prohibited quantities of additives, or if the additives are used in a technologically inadequate manner;
- Food with modified composition or organoleptic features due to physical, chemical, microbiological or other processes;
- Food with radionuclide levels beyond the determined limit or food that has been radiated beyond the limits determined by regulations;
- Food that has not been marked or if the expiration date on the marking is illegible;
- Food without information on the declaration of the package from which the food is sold in cases when the food is not in its original package, i.e. it is sold in bulk;
- Food of animal origin that has not been marked with safety markings in compliance with the regulations on veterinary healthcare;
- Food that is in any way a risk to people’s health; and
- Food of plant origin and products of food of plant origin with genetically modified seed material.
Any food produced and released in circulation must be in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Macedonian Food Code. The Macedonian Food Code includes all regulations regarding any food produced and released in circulation in the Republic of Macedonia.
Food producers and traders are obliged to provide the following information on the food intended for trade:
1. Product’s commercial name;
2. Product’s geographic indication;
3. Name of producer or trader enabling easy recognition;
4. Net weight or volume of the food;
5. Raw materials and additives utilized in the preparation of food listed by quantity in declining order;
6. Expiration date (date of expiry to…) or the date until which the food safe to be used (best before…) for microbiologically perishable products;
7. The specific conditions for storing, necessary for maintaining food safety, recommendations for the conditions for use if they have a significant influence on the food expiration date i.e. the date that the food would be best to use;
8. Nutritional content of food with special nutritional utilization; and
9. Permit number for food produced with innovative technologies and food with a special nutritional utilization.
The competence to inform about any direct or indirect risk for people’s health arising from the food has the Agency for Food and Veterinary through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). In the case of a RASFF report being sent to the Agency for Food and Veterinary by the European Union, the Agency for Food and Veterinary undertakes prompt measures for restriction on the release into circulation, withdrawal from circulation and import ban for the unsafe food.
9. Permit number for food produced with innovative technologies and food with a special nutritional utilization.
The competence to inform about any direct or indirect risk for people’s health arising from the food has the Agency for Food and Veterinary through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). In the case of a RASFF report being sent to the Agency for Food and Veterinary by the European Union, the Agency for Food and Veterinary undertakes prompt measures for restriction on the release into circulation, withdrawal from circulation and import ban for the unsafe food.