The National Food Agency is responsible at the national level for enforcing the Food Act and regulations issued under the provisions there-of. The County Administrations have responsibility for co-ordinating food control at the regional level and the municipal Environment and Health Protection Committees have responsibility for food control at the local level.
National level
The National Food Agency inspects slaughterhouses, cutting establishments, dairies, egg product establishments, export-controlled establishments and other very large food-producing establishments (in all about 700 establishments). In addition, the National Food Agency provides advice to the regional and local supervisory authorities and to the food industry and trade. It also initiates food control projects which are carried out by the local authorities and follows up the results of food control carried out at the regional and municipal level.
The National Food Agency organises the control of pesticide residues in fruit, vegetables and cereals. Samples are collected at ports of entry or wholesale markets. They are analysed at laboratories working under contract to the National Food Agency. The results of the control of pesticide residues are published annually and are available on the Agency's web site.
The National Food Agency also organises the control of veterinary drug residues in foods of animal origin, mainly meat. Samples are collected at farms, slaughter-houses or ports of entry and are analysed at the National Food Agency or at laboratories working under contract to the National Food Agency.
The National Food Agency has overall responsibility for export control. For food from countries outside the EU, inspection and sampling for microbiological (salmonella etc) examination as part of import control is carried out by the NFA at Border Inspection Posts.
Regional level
The 21 County Administrative Boards in Sweden are responsible for co-ordinating food control at the regional level. Controls of food in primary production are also performed by the County Administrative Boards.
Municipal level
The municipal Environment and Health Protection Committees carry out food control at all food handling establishments except those under the supervision of the National Food Agency and the County Administrative Boards, including food production establishments, wholesalers, retailers, catering establishments and waterworks, altogether about 70 000 establishments.
Approximately 1000 inspectors are involved in food control at the municipal level. However, some of these only work part-time with food control and the personnel involved in food control correspond to about 600 full-time inspectors.
Food samples collected by the municipal food control authorities are usually analysed by private laboratories accredited by the Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment (SWEDAC). At present there are about 45 such laboratories in Sweden, 26 of which work mainly with analysis of drinking water.
Financing of control
The work of the National Food Agency is financed partly by an annual appropriation from the Government (190 million Swedish crowns for 2010), partly by fees paid by the food industry and trade (203 million SEK in 2010) and partly contributions from other organizations (prox. 47 million SEK in 2010) - in all ca 440 million SEK. The food control carried out by the National Food Agency is financed entirely by fees collected from the slaughterhouses and other establishments. Municipal food control is financed entirely by fees collected from the food industry and trade. Food control in primary production carried out by the County Administrative Boards is financed by annual appropriation from the Government.