Federal unit for the food chain
| Federal Unit for the Food Chain (BLK) | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Headquarters |
Liebefeld Switzerland
|
| Chief | Yvan Lehmann |
| Website | www.blk.admin.ch |
The Federal Unit for the Food Chain (BLK), certified according to ISO 9001 , is a central body that the Federal Offices for Agriculture (BLW) and for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (FSVO) supervise the implementation of plant health, feed, animal disease and animal welfare - and food legislation in Switzerland supported.
Ensuring food safety at all stages of production is a complex task. In Switzerland, this is carried out by three federal offices and over 50 cantonal offices. National and international law, business and trading partners increasingly demand a standardization of enforcement and compliance with international standards. By using the BLK as a supervisory unit and coordination point, the competent authorities can be given significant support in performing these tasks.
The BLK is managed jointly by the directors of the federal offices of FOAG, FVO and BAG via a service mandate. It performs the following tasks:
It oversees cantonal enforcement in the areas of food safety, animal health and animal welfare. It checks federal enforcement of the control of feed and imports of animals and animal products. It develops the multi-year national control plan in close cooperation with the three federal offices.