Kultura bezpieczeństwa żywności w prawie Unii Europejskiej. Czy polski system kontroli żywności sprosta wyzwaniu?
Food safety culture in European Union law. Will the Polish food control system meet the challenge?

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this polemical article is to answer two research questions: (i) What is the place of food safety culture in EU law? (ii) Is the Polish food control system prepared to verify its implementation in food businesses? To achieve this goal, the authors conducted a review and critical analysis of literature sources, EU law, in particular concerning food safety, including national law, private standards for food safety management systems, and official reports, and they applied the method of synthesis and logical concluding. The article refers to important changes in EU law initiated by amendments to the Codex Alimentarius regarding food safety culture. The establishment and maintenance of a positive food safety culture is fundamental to the successful functioning of any food safety management system, because of its important impact on human behaviour in providing safe and adequate food. The article indicates the role of private food law in this regard, the implementation of which, although optional, is often essential to meet the market requirements. The authors doubt whether Polish food control institutions are ready to expand the scope of their activities by verifying the implementation of food safety culture in food businesses. A serious obstacle to making such significant changes is the major weakness of the food control system, which has been observed for years, and serious problems related to food safety hazards and threats in Poland. The authors constructively critique – for the first time – the organizational and legal circumstances for implementing and verifying food safety culture in the Polish food industry and its environment.

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