FOOD

Please verify compliance with the following selection criteria before applying:

• Competent Authority staff responsible for the control of contaminants in feed and food
• basic knowledge of the area is sufficient to take part in the course
• have preferably not attended CTM Phase 1 (2017-2018) training for the same course
• have relevant educational background and professional experience
• commit to disseminate the obtained knowledge among stakeholders in their home country
• have a good working level of English

The  topics covered in the training programme are:

• What is new on novel foods and on traditional foods from third countries
• The EU legal framework applicable to Novel Foods and Traditional Food from third countries
• The EU/National regulatory bodies involved in assessment and authorization of novel and Traditional foods
  
• Article 4 requests
• The major novel foods and traditional foods and their classification
• Categorisation of novel and traditional foods
• The Regulation 2015/2283
  
• How to prepare a novel foods application
• How to prepare a traditional foods notification and application
• The outcome of a successful application
• The differences between risk assessment (what EFSA actually does) and risk management (how the Member States and the Commission in the Novel Foods WG respond)
• How to submit a dossier through the e-submission system
• Labelling of Novel Foods

This training programme has been designed for the profiles and positions described below. Please verify compliance with the criteria before applying.

Officials from Competent Authorities in the beneficiary non-EU countries involved, preferably at central level, verifying compliance with rules applicable to placing novel foods and traditional foods on the EU market and from one of the following categories:

• Decision/policy makers / senior officers from Food safety competent authorities 
• Decision/policy makers / senior officers from Food export competent authorities 
• Decision/policy makers / senior officers from Public Health competent authorities 
• Senior officers from already existing national and/or regional networks on topics links to Novel Food

The course addresses the following topics:

• Module A.1 Common aspects applicable to food additives, flavourings and enzymes
• Module A.2 EU provisions on food additives
• Module A.3 EU provisions on food flavourings
• Module A.4 EU provisions on food enzymes

This Training Programme has been designed for the profiles and positions described below. Please verify compliance with the selection criteria before submitting or validating applications.

• Relevant technical background: participants should preferably have the necessary knowledge in the relevant legislation and controls of food improvement agents
• Relevancy to daily work: participants should, in priority, be staff of the competent authorities and be involved in the control of food products as field inspector or regulatory officer.
• Sufficient level of English language: in order to ensure the transfer of knowledge and opportunities to exchange views, participants should master the language of the training session for which they applied;
• Ability to share their experience: priority will be given to participants whose position will allow them to share with colleagues the outputs of the training sessions

Additional text target audience.

The course addresses the following topics:

• To give tools and techniques to design, implement and manage food fraud units.
• To promote risk based investigations.
• To spread the knowledge on methods and investigation techniques for the prevention of food fraud.

This Training Programme has been designed for the profiles and positions described below. Please verify compliance with the selection criteria before submitting or validating applications.

• Officials from inspection bodies: ideally involved in planning and organizing control activities (preferably at central level) and Police investigators/ Customs.

The BTSF Training Programme on New food investigation techniques: E-commerce Advanced level is aimed to improve knowledge and skills of control staff on specific investigation techniques used to identify food fraud (FF) or to perform official control duties on e-commerce of food and food related products, disseminating best practices and enabling the exchange of practical experience.

• To provide tools and techniques to identify internet food business operating and detect those not following the legal requirements; facilitate practical training on internet trading investigation; and spread knowledge on methods to investigate in different internet platforms, and learn practical and legal requirements to undertake official controls on internet food business; and ensure that the participants have a solid understanding of channels of communication, cooperation with different administrations and market stakeholders.

Topics EC1 Legal framework for internet control, hands on IT training, EU legislation, legal aspects and control purchase, setting up an IT system for internet investigations, International cooperation and cross border cooperation, future of on-line investigations. Lectures and practical exercises with laptops.

These are the same objectives as in the course "E-commerce standard level", however the level to reach will be higher as long as the practical exercises requested. Demonstrated experience in investigating food frauds in the internet is compulsory to attend.

EU legislation and law infringements, advanced level investigation tools, setting up contacts, cross border cooperation, future of on-line investigations. Practical approach and active contributions from participants is expected.

Enforcement staff currently working in internet search or control unit; same requirements as for Course B1, and indicate having at least 3 years’ experience working in competent authorities related to Internet investigations of food frauds. To attend, participants will have to provide information of one case study in which they have participated. This ensures previous knowledge of basic IT investigation techniques in order to be able to put hands on training knowing the basic tools and experience to make basic investigations.

For the three courses, participants should be able to work and make interventions in English, and compromise to disseminate the learnings gained. Guidance on how to disseminate the knowledge will be provided during the sessions, and a follow up questionnaire will be performed to participants attending.

• Inspections of small processing establishments of food of animal and non-animal origin.
• Approval of food-producing/processing establishments and risk-based controls.
• Notification procedure.
• HACCP and sampling plans.
• Microbiological criteria.

This Training Programme has been designed for the profiles and positions described below. Please verify compliance with the selection criteria before submitting or validating applications.

• Staff of Competent Authorities involved in official control activities.
• It should be clear from their background and professional position that the participation in the training activity is a key element for the improvement of their skills and competence for their job.
• The trainees should have the required technical skills related to the fields mentioned under.
• The course will be held in English. In order to be able to understand and actively participate in the sessions, exercises and case studies, we invite you to give priority to only register the participants who can read and speak English.
• The participants will be requested to commit themselves to use the knowledge gained from the courses and also disseminate it via different dissemination methods i.e. informing colleagues about the information received at the training, distributing (photocopying or sending via electronic way) the training material among their colleagues, preparing informative articles in the professional national or, if possible, in international journals, preparing presentations based on the training material for the National Competent Authorities’ professional trainings or other dissemination methods which could be appropriate to share the information received via the BTSF trainings.

This Training Programme has been designed for the profiles and positions described below. Please verify compliance with the selection criteria before submitting or validating applications.

• Staff of Competent Authorities involved in official control activities.

Selection Criteria

• It should be clear from their background and professional position that the participation in the training activity is a key element for the improvement of their skills and competence for their job.
• The trainees should have the required technical skills related to the fields mentioned under.
• The course will be held in English. In order to be able to understand and actively participate in the sessions, exercises and case studies, we invite you to give priority to only register the participants who can read and speak English.
• The participants will be requested to commit themselves to use the knowledge gained from the courses and also disseminate it via different dissemination methods i.e. informing colleagues about the information received at the training, distributing (photocopying or sending via electronic way) the training material among their colleagues, preparing informative articles in the professional national or, if possible, in international journals, preparing presentations based on the training material for the National Competent Authorities’ professional trainings or other dissemination methods which could be appropriate to share the information received via the BTSF trainings.

The BTSF Training Programme on Food information and composition overall objectives are:

Food Information and Legislation:

• In the course, the participants will experience active learning involvements which the team have developed from the experience of the tutors over the previous BTSF programme on FCI. The FCI is detailed in some areas and these details can help in explaining the requirements of the regulations in other areas. The tutors will develop scenarios using their experience in the field and help the participants address the issues and expand their knowledge. The participants can also develop this approach to learning as they will also be able to come with their own ideas and labelling issues and use the expertise of those on the course to develop a more consistent approach to address these local issues thrown up by the FCI.

Nutrition and Health Claims:

• The objective of the training is to improve the knowledge of participants in the field of nutrition and health claims and to exchange information and experiences between officials of the different Member States, in particular concerning the proper enforcement of the Regulation. The aim of the sessions is to explain the variety of claims defined in Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 and under which conditions these claims are allowed to be used. Furthermore, the different procedures for the authorization of health claims, the rules for trademarks and brand names which can be regarded as nutrition or health claims and the labelling requirements will be discussed

Food fortification and Food Supplement:

• The objective of this training course is to harmonise as much as possible the interpretations of relevant European FCI regulations on food supplements and fortified foods and to share good practices on their implementation among EU Member States, giving consideration to the specificities of these particular food products

Food for Specific Groups:

• The objective of the section on Foods for Specific Groups (FSG) is to ensure a common understanding, interpretation and enforcement of the rules covering these products.
• The rules applicable to these products are in a transition period. They are also interconnected with rules applicable to other categories of foods such as food supplements and ordinary foods. The change from the wider concept of foods for particular nutritional uses (PARNUTS) or dietetic foods with the abolition of the category as such is a very important change. The rationale of this change will be explained with reference to abuses that had been identified in the past, in particular those relating to abusive labelling practices that resulted in and may continue to create confusion about the legal identity or categorisation of products that could be FSGs, particularly Foods for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs), food supplements or ordinary foods with claims.

The course addresses the following topics:

• Food Information and Legislation
• Regulation on the Provision of Food Information to Consumers (1169/2011)
• Lectures with all the slides used
• Delegating and Implementing acts made under 1169/2011
• List of EU legislation with further labelling provisions
• Guidance produced by the Commission on food labelling provisions, including the infographic on food information and the tolerances for nutrition labelling.
• Commission’s Q&A on 1169/2011
• Nutrition and Health Claims
• Nutrition and health claims and how to apply official controls on this matter
• Objectives of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006
• Role of the European Commission and EFSA
• Examples of some exercises with solutions
• Food fortification and Food Supplement
• Consumer information legislation and practice on food supplements and fortified foods
• Definitions of food supplements and fortified foods and their market importance
• Relevant EU regulations
• Examples of some exercises with solutions
• Food for Specific Groups
• Legislation on Food for Specific Groups
• Labelling requirements for Total Diet Replacement Food and Food for Specific Medical Purpose
• Labelling requirements regarding for Baby Food products

The selection criteria for participants are:

• Relevancy to daily work: participants should in priority be staff of Competent Authorities, with a position related to Official Controls;
• Sufficient level of language: in order to ensure the transfer of knowledge and opportunities to exchange views, participants should master the language of the training session for which they applied, if not specified otherwise the official language of the workshops will be English.
• Ability to share their experience: priority will be given to participants whose position will allow them to share with colleagues the outputs of the training sessions.
• Preferably officers working at food control authorities in a central administration level or local administration level and who are responsible for the development, coordination or implementation of the official monitoring and controls plans.
• IT requirements: the participants will need a laptop with up-to-date software, with camera and microphone (built in or external) and reliable WIFI connection.

The objective of the MCZ course, (contract n°2017 96 04 / 2017 / CHAFEA / BTSF 04) is to harmonise the approaches and to spread knowledge and best practice concerning:

• Module 3 – Implementation of microbiological criteria (Course 3: Mc B) with the main focus on ready to eat food shelf-life assessment specific to Listeria M.

The training targets participants from the competents authorities of EU member states (75%), Candidate Countries (15%), EFTA/EEA Countries (3%), ENP and Potential Candidates.

This Training Programme has been designed for the profiles and positions described below. Please verify compliance with the selection criteria before submitting or validating applications.

• DG SANTE, HaDEA, Contractor, NCPs, officials, others.
• Invited countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Israel. Republic of North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Montenegro, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.