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SFVS starts to implement another international project

2020 m. September 02 d.

From the beginning of September, the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) together with its partners have started implementing a new Twinning project in the Balkan region – Bosnia and Herzegovina. This project aims to share the practical experience gained by the professionals, ensuring the highest standards of food safety and quality control. "This is the ninth EU Twinning project implemented by the SFVS. We are pleased that the food and veterinary control system operating in our country, the preventive measures applied to ensure a high level of food quality and safety are considered as an example for the countries willing to join the EU or improve their control systems. At the same time, this project will also serve to strengthen the international relations, contribute to the promotion of the country’s name and the increase of trust and awareness of Lithuanian agricultural and food products”, – said Darius Remeika, the Director of the SFVS. The project will include a review of the food safety legislation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its consistent alignment with the common rights and obligations of the EU Member States (acquis), as well as the capacity increase of the competent authority for the official food control, the creation of a system for products with protected designations of origin and geographical indications or a reference to the traditional speciality guaranteed. The SFVS will implement the project together with the experts from the competent Italian and Hungarian services. It is planned to last for 3 years.

Researchers invite the hunters to the meetings to discuss relevant AFS control issues

2020 m. September 01 d.

African swine fever (ASF) has been already circulating in Lithuania for seven years and continues to cause significant losses and concern to pig keepers, hunters as well as state control authorities. Thus, in addressing the challenges of ASF and carrying out the effective disease surveillance and control, it is essential to exchange experiences – researchers need the support of hunters, which is important in finding the best scientific and practical ways to stop the spread of ASF and combat the disease. The ASF research experts in Lithuania, together with a team of scientists from other countries, will start organising the meetings with hunters in September, during which they will seek to find out the motivation and opportunities of hunters to fight this viral disease in pigs and boars more effectively. With the help of hunters, it is planned to conduct an interactive research covering all counties of Lithuania. This study will take about two months and will take place in working groups, involving 4–6 hunters to discuss ASF control measures. In order to meet with hunters, the scientists will travel to every region of the country. The researchers plan to meet with representatives of hunters from all Lithuanian counties. It is planned that during these meetings, the hunters will not only be able to discuss the control measures of ASF, but also learn other information relevant to them. According to the researchers of the African Swine Fever Competence Center of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, the problem of ASF remains a priority issue both for Lithuania and other EU countries. It is therefore expected that the active involvement and participation of hunters will lead to more effective control measures for this disease and will contribute to ensuring that the monitoring of ASF meets the needs and capabilities of all. The hunters willing to participate in the meetings with the scientists are invited to actively register by filling in the form available on the following link https://bit.ly/34SGLS6.

The second outbreak of African swine fever this year has been recorded in Lithuania

2020 m. July 29 d.

The State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) informs that, in the situation when new cases of African swine fever (ASF) in the wildlife are still recorded from time to time, Telšiai country faces the highest probability for the introduction of this virus into farm holdings this year, and residents of Plungė district who are rearing pigs have to be particularly alert. The second ASF outbreak this year has been recorded in Plungė district, in a small farm where 5 pigs were fattened for own purposes. Suspicions of the disease arose when one of the pigs died all of a sudden in the farm holding. Blood samples were taken from all the pigs, organ samples were taken from the dead pig, and the samples were sent to the National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute where ASF was diagnosed for all the pigs. Yesterday, two more pigs died. The outbreak eradication operations are carried at the farm holding today. A 3 km protection zone and a 10 km surveillance zone have been demarcated around the infected farm holding covering areas of Plungė and Skuodas districts. A census of pig keepers and pigs kept will be carried out in those areas to find out if the ASF has not spread outside the boundaries of the farm holding. SFVS specialists started an investigation to determine how the ASF virus could have been introduced into the farm holding. According to surveillance data of a few years, the major source of the introduction of the ASF virus into pig keeping places is contaminated environment and the circulation of the ASF virus in wild boar. The latest ASF cases in dead wild boar in Plungė district were recorded on 23 July. Before that, the virus was also confirmed for a hunted wild boar on 18 June. Specialists engaged in investigations observe quite intensive circulation of this virus in Samogitia, in particular in areas of Plungė district, and the numbers of dead wild boar can be substantially higher, however, the search for dead wild boar in those areas is not very active, moreover, the spotting of dead animals in the summer season becomes complicated because of high grass, etc. And still the highest risk in infected areas is posed by human activity, i. e. visiting forests located in infected areas, gathering mushrooms, berries, and, in particular, ignoring biosafety requirements in farm holdings. Therefore, it is very likely that with the intensive circulation of the virus in the wildlife and with pig keepers failing to duly observe biosafety requirements, the infection can be transmitted from the wildlife to non-commercial pig keeping holdings. In Plungė district alone, there are more than 170 pig rearing farm holdings with more than 500 pigs kept. The SFVS warns that persons keeping pigs have to avoid visiting forests infected with ASF. If a dead wild boar is found the carrion must not be touched to preclude the increase in the spread of the virus. In case of an ASF risk, animals must be protected against any potential contact with persons from outside, other animals; pigs must not be fed with heat untreated feed or kitchen swill. Footwear, working clothes have to be changed before going to an animal house, only items and supplies dedicated for feeding and attending pigs must be used. Personal hygiene must be observed and hands must be washed regularly. Each pig keeper has to apply maximum efforts to preclude the introduction of the virus into his farm holding as, in case of detection of ASF, due to different restrictions to be applied, substantial losses are incurred not only by him but also by other pig rearing farm holdings in the surrounding areas as well as slaughterhouses or meat processing plants. According to specialists’ opinion, in view of cases recorded in the wildlife, there is also a high risk of the occurrence of ASF in pig keeping holdings in Kaunas, Telšiai, Švenčionys, Utena, Molėtai and Vilnius districts. In the neighboring countries, the ASF situation is not favorable as well. In Latvia, there have been 3 outbreaks recorded this year with more than 11.5 thousand of pigs destroyed, while in Poland there were as many as 15 outbreaks with nearly 40 thousand pigs destroyed. In case any changes in the behavior of pigs kept are noticed or if they die, you must immediately contact veterinary specialists or report the SFVS on the 24-hour free phone line 8 800 40 403.

The export of Lithuanian food products of animal origin has increased by 14% this year

2020 m. May 28 d.

According to the data of the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS), despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, Lithuanian producers exported 14% more of animal-origin production during the four months of this year than in the same period in 2019. This year, Lithuania has already exported more than 76 thousand tonnes of meat, milk, fish, eggs and their products. The export of Lithuanian beef, highly valued in Europe and around the world, has increased by 3% compared to the same period last year. Most of the beef was exported to Norway (446 tonnes) and Ukraine (250 tonnes). By harmonising the requirements of the veterinary certificate for beef export to China, 6 consignments of beef products have already been successfully exported to this huge market this year, i.e. more than 150 tonnes. "We should be glad that Lithuanian business, even during the pandemic, was able to adapt to the exceptional situation, maintain and actually increase the export volumes. Each consignment of foodstuffs exported to another country must be inspected in accordance with the requirements of international, European Union and importing country legislation, also the samples must be taken for the laboratory testing. Therefore, we organised the activities of our Service and the work of inspectors in such a way that the services necessary for business would be provided as quickly and efficiently as possible, even during the quarantine period, and the issue of certificates for the exported products would not be disrupted”, – commented Darius Remeika, the Director of the SFVS. This year, the export growth of all meat products is observed – it has increased by 23% compared to January-April 2019. The growth of export was mostly due to the production of 98 tonnes exported to Kyrgyzstan as well as the doubled export of meat products to Japan (72.4 tonnes) and the United States of America (71.3 tonnes). During the first four months, Lithuanian producers exported more than 35 thousand tonnes of dairy products. It is even 27% more than during the same period in 2019. In this group of Lithuanian products, the export volumes of cream, butter, cheese, milk whey, milk powder, etc. increased the most. Mainly, dairy products were exported from Lithuania to Kazakhstan (almost 4 thousand tonnes), the USA (2 thousand tonnes), Algeria (2 thousand tonnes), Malaysia (almost 3 thousand tonnes), Saudi Arabia (3.6 thousand tonnes), Vietnam (1.6 thousand tonnes) and other countries. This year, the producers of fish products also actively exported their production – the export of fish and fish products has increased by 11%. In four months, there were exported more than 37 thousand tonnes of fish and fish products, while in 2019 – 33.7 thousand tonnes. Ukraine and Moldova remain the main export markets.

Specialists advise to be careful when considering advertising claims for food supplements to avoid misleading

2020 m. April 24 d.

Under the ongoing quarantine conditions, violations of advertising food supplements online have been recorded by the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS). In the past time, advertising of food supplements, different herbal teas or other products with the declaration of an impact of their ingredients on the human immune system, ability to cure infections caused by COVID-19 or its prevention has been observed. Specialists of the SFVS emphasise that food supplements are classified as food products, they cannot cure diseases or safeguard against them. Therefore, their labelling, presentation or advertising must not contain any mentioning of healing or preventive qualities of the product, they must not contain any hints that the food supplement has such qualities. To safeguard consumers, eight investigations into this kind of violations are being conducted at the moment by the SFVS, including two cases for which proceedings for the violation of the Law on Advertising have been initiated. Consumers are reminded to be particularly careful in assessing information and claims provided in advertising, such as, for example, in case of a product, which is distributed through social networking and which is called “Nutritional energiser with preventive and healing qualities, intended to be used against cough, pneumonia, flue, bronchitis, cold”. Another example refers to the following functions, which are assigned to a protein: “Protein characterised by multifunctional effects and safeguarding the entire body against aging”. Our recommendation is also that the claims, which have no concrete meaning, such as “balanced for better quality of life”, have to be carefully considered as well. As a result of assessment of food supplements and their ingredients, investigations have been also initiated concerning the following claims: “Can help extract hazardous substances, which are present in intestines, and, along with them, leave the body in a natural way”; “Improves natural antioxidant response of the body, and, in this way, safeguards the body against aging and damage done by the environment”; “The herbal tea has been recommended by a pharmacist for families and individuals for the prevention of the Coronavirus, in case of flue effects, runny nose or cold”, etc. Only notified food supplements with the labelling in compliance with all requirements of legislation can be placed on the market in Lithuania. As many as 371 food supplements have been newly notified this year, while the total number of notified food supplements available on the list is almost 15500. The list of notified food supplements authorised for marketing in Lithuania is available on the web site of the SFVS at www.vet.lt/maisto-papildai. If food supplements you would like to acquire are not included in the above list consumers are not recommended to buy such food supplements as their composition has not been evaluated by specialists.

Events

2015 y. March 06 d.

Events

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State food and veterinary service
State budgetary institution The Register of Legal Entities
code: 188601279

Address: Siesikų str. 19,
07170 Vilnius Lithuania
Tel. +370 5 240 4361
E-mail: info@vmvt.lt

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Published:
2015-04-24

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