Food control officials' views on coercive measures in ensuring food safety

This survey investigates the views of food control officials towards administrative coercive measures in food control, and the frequency of their use. There were three categories of respondents: provincial veterinary officers responsible for the supervision and direction of food control in their area, official meat inspection veterinarians responsible for meat inspection and supervision in slaughterhouses, and municipal food control inspectors. The use of coercive measures was found to be relatively infrequent: 50% of official meat inspection veterinarians and 20% of municipal inspectors stated that they had no experience in their use during the three-year period preceding the survey. Nevertheless, coercive measures were perceived by all groups of food control officials to be a useful tool. No statistical difference in attitudes according to work experience or education was found within the categories.