Food safety and consumer protection are the goal of the reform in the veterinary service sector. At a conference on reform in the field of veterinary service, Deputy PM Niko Peleshi said that this reform has a major purpose, which aims at implementing controls throughout the food chain from the farm to the consumer, and eliminating the fragmentation of control through a unified institution.

The launch of a unified institution at national level – Deputy Prime Minister said – would finally settle the issue of fragmentation and duplication of this service in many spots and institutions, and would create the possibility of performing control throughout the food chain from farm to table. Just one food agency would increase consumer confidence, in addition to using efficiently the money of taxpayers.

Food security, Deputy Prime Minister said, is a hot topic not only in Albania, but everywhere, and animal health is essential for food safety throughout the food chain cycle. According to Deputy Peleshi, food safety is a shared responsibility of producers, while accurate control, continuous monitoring and a well-structured legislation provide the necessary guarantee.

The reform envisages the establishment of a network of market surveillance structures and particularly the functioning of the Market Supervision Inspectorate, as mechanisms to guarantee the safety of products on the market and to support a freely competitive market.