Abstract:

Assuring the safety and quality of food is binding on each and every participant in the chain of food supply as part of the ‘farm to fork’ concept. This duty is verified by institutions supervising the commercial and health quality of food products as part of a legally regulated system. This paper will present the dispersed model and selected forms of institutional supervision of food quality operated in Poland and summarise published information about products which pose threats to consumers’ health safety with regard to a selected group of food products, i.e., fats and oils.

The analysis of notifications on potentially hazardous food products is based on the data and information from the portals of the State Inspectorate of Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection, Main Sanitary Inspector, RASFF, and Probase360 service. Additional information and opinions regarding the questions discussed are based on a review of literature by other authors. The instance of major components of everyday diet, i.e., fats and oils, serves to present the types and extent of information about the institutional supervision which is made available to Polish consumers, inter alia. The diversity of published data is covered on notifications of and warnings against products harmful to health and life depending on the sources of information. Attention is drawn to the real risk to consumer health arising from the diversification of sources and the scope of data supplied by the institutions of food safety supervision.

The analysis contained in our study shows that work should continue to standardise the food products inspection system with regard to the health and safety of consumers. Such actions will help to disseminate risk notifications published on the portals of competent institutions.