The Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry on the frequency of physical checks on consignments of organic and in-conversion products was published in the Official Gazette of 27 March .
It is a Decree that the Masaf will have to publish every year, on the basis of the periodic indications that the EU Commission provides to the Member States on the products, and the relative origins, considered to be at greater risk of fraud.
On the basis of the indications arriving from Brussels, therefore, the customs authority will have to define the frequency of physical checks on organic and in-conversion consignments destined to be imported into the EU .
These controls are to be considered additional to the annual control plan already defined by the agency on the basis of the risk analysis.
By physical control we mean a laboratory control aimed at searching for non-admitted substances , using the most appropriate analytical methods for the detection of each substance.
Sample analysis must be conducted in a laboratory accredited for the particular analytical methods used.
The products on which to carry out these physical checks are:
- ginger, pumpkin (seeds), soybeans (seeds, cakes, flours, extrusions, etc.), tea (various types) from China;
- soy (seeds, cakes, flours, extrusions, etc.) and turmeric from India;
- chia seeds from Paraguay;
- quinoa from Peru;
- cocoa from Sierra Leone.
In the event that the result of the test and the physical check are satisfactory , the Adm decides on the batch by registering it as released for free circulation as an organic product or as a product in conversion.
If, on the other hand, the outcome of the laboratory check shows the presence of a non-admitted substance , thus determining an unsatisfactory result, the ADM will record that the consignment can be released for free circulation as a non-organic product or that it cannot be released for free circulation. (Source: https://www.ilpuntocoldiretti.it/ )
MASEF has also sent updated operating instructions for the integrated management of CHEDs and COIs in the event of official controls on organic products intended to be imported into Italy.