Food of non-animal origin

Food of non-animal origin (plant origin) is any substance or product whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed intended to be, or reasonably expected to be ingested by humans (food of plant origin).

The competent authority for food of non-animal origin is the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary and Plant Protection (hereinafter referred to as the AFSVSPP), with the exception of food supplements and food for special groups, which are under the competence of the Health Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia.

As the food business operator, the importer must be registered with AFSVSPP and must ensure that all the prescribed requirements are met regarding safety, hygiene, quality and identification of food imports in order to market it in Slovenia and in the EU.

Food of non-animal origin which is not on the list for increased official controls or emergency measures for entry into the Union, may be declared for release for free circulation without inspection by AFSVSPP inspectors. In this case, the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia (hereinafter referred to as the FARS) carries out general customs controls on food of non-animal origin. FARS is responsible for documentary and physical checks, which are carried out randomly or on the basis of a risk assessment. FARS must inform an AFSVSPP regional office in the case of the implementation of the annual sampling programme for food of non-animal origin by the AFSVSPP or if discrepancies were found during the inspection. 

For food of non-animal origin on the list for increased official controls or emergency measures for entry into the Union, it is mandatory to declare them to the competent inspector of the AFSVSPP on the Common Health Entry Document D (hereafter referred to as the CHED D) at the first point of entry into the Union at a border control post in Slovenia (BCP Luka Koper and BCP Brnik letališče) or at the competent authority in other Member States of the Union. The FARS shall act on all such consignments in accordance with the findings indicated by the competent inspector AFSVSPP on the CHED D.

Certain foodstuffs of non-animal origin are subject to a temporary import prohibition.

For all information on the documents required for inspection by the competent AFSVSPP inspectors and also for the types of food of non-animal origin that need to be presented at the first point of entry into the Union due to increased official controls or emergency measures, please contact the AFSVSPP (gp.uvhvvr(at)gov.si). You can also get there information on the registration of the food business operator and on the conditions for the sale of food of non-animal origin in Slovenia and in the Union.