The bill covers foods and materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.

Draft Food Act

The new Act stipulates the general and specific requirements for food placed on the market and the requirements for business operators in the food sector. It lays down:

- the terms and conditions for carrying out activities involving food banks and food donations;

- requirements for the registration of vehicles transporting foods of animal origin, flour, bread, bakery and confectionery products;

- registration/approval procedures for food production and marketing sites;

- the terms and conditions for placing food for special purposes and food additives on the market in the Republic of Bulgaria for the first time;

- requirements for long-distance food trade.

The draft provides for the creation of a National Food Council as a permanent advisory body coordinating government policy in the food sector, including representatives of all interested parties.

The draft designates the competent authorities at national level and the conditions for conducting official inspections of foodstuffs – the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency and the Regional Health Inspectorate of the Ministry of Health (only regarding mineral and spring water). This will ensure the application of uniform procedures when conducting official inspections of foodstuffs and will help to achieve coordinated control in order to comply with the requirements of European and Bulgarian legislation in the field.

The draft provides for the introduction of registration and approval procedures for food production, processing and distribution sites.

It provides for an increase in the penalties imposed for violation of the provisions of food safety legislation in order to increase the disciplining effect in their enforcement.