New requirements introduced for hazelnut exporters

The National Food Agency on Monday said particular changes had been made to the technical regulations on hazelnuts based on the recommendations of an audit carried out by the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission in 2023.

The Agency noted the changes involved the requirements for business operators to prevent and reduce aflatoxin - a harmful substance produced by certain moulds found on crops - in hazelnuts under the technical regulations.

The new requirements concern the primary production of hazelnuts and related procedures, nut processing in an enterprise, transportation of processed products to a storage location, and their storing, the Agency pointed out.

The body added the new regulations involved unshelled hazelnuts and kernels, which could not be salted, sugared, roasted or processed otherwise, as well as processed hazelnut kernels intended for direct consumption or mixing with other foods and also used without any further processing.