On October 1st, the State-Regions Conference ratified an agreement establishing guidelines for the professional role of the food technologist within the scope of official controls and other official activities as defined by Regulation (EU) 2017/625.
Competent authorities may therefore utilize this professional role in carrying out various activities, including—as cited by way of example in Article 3 of the agreement:
- assessment of processes regarding food production, processing, preservation, distribution, and serving;
- verification of requirements concerning safety, quality, traceability, and compliance for food and for materials and articles intended to come into contact with food;
- verification of the implementation of self-control systems based on HACCP principles and risk management procedures adopted by food business operators;
- inspection activities, audits, official sampling, and document reviews as required by current regulations;
- technical assessments regarding labeling, composition, nutrition and health claims, novel foods, foods intended for specific population groups, food supplements, additives, flavorings, food enzymes, and processing aids;
- technical support for administrative procedures resulting from official controls;
- risk analysis, data collection and processing, surveillance, and monitoring activities;
- participation in training, professional development, and technical assistance programs for personnel involved in official controls.
The use of the food technologist role, in line with the “One Health” approach, fosters a multidisciplinary and multiprofessional environment for the execution of official controls and other official activities.
