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New guidance on how food products will be tracked from January 1, 2026

2025-04-21 07:18:00, Sociale CNA

From January 1, 2026, all food products circulating on the Albanian market must contain an identification code known as "lot", which will be placed on the label to guarantee full traceability in the food chain.

This measure comes as part of the new instruction "On indicators or signs that identify the lot to which a food product belongs" of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, published in the Official Gazette, which aims to increase food safety and compliance with European Union standards.

"This instruction aims to strengthen the traceability system of food products through the establishment of lot numbers at different stages of the food chain, formulated with letter or number identification indicators, enabling competent authorities and business operators to effectively monitor and manage food products," the Ministry of Agriculture's instruction states.

According to this instruction, each food product will have to be marked with a unique indicator, formatted with letters or numbers, indicating the time and place of production, processing or packaging. This indicator will be preceded by the letter “L”, except in cases where the identification is clear even without it.

The directive provides for some exemptions for products that are marketed without packaging, in very small packages or products intended for immediate processing. However, most pre-packaged food products will have to be provided with this code.

Products that were labeled before the directive entered into force will be allowed to remain on the market until stocks run out, while the National Food Authority is tasked with monitoring this transitional process.

Guideline

Article 1 1. This Directive aims to strengthen the traceability system for foodstuffs by establishing at different stages of the food chain lots, formulated with letter or number identification indicators, enabling competent authorities and business operators to monitor and manage foodstuffs effectively. 2. For the purposes of this Directive, “lot” means an identifiable quantity of a food product delivered at the same time and which has been produced, processed or packaged under practically the same conditions.

Article 2 1. Food products shall be marketed only if they bear the lot identification indicators referred to in Article 1, point 1, of this Directive. 2. Point 1 of this Article shall not apply: a) to agricultural products which, after leaving the farm, are: i. sold or delivered to temporary storage, preparation or packaging stations; ii. transported to producer organisations; or iii. collected for immediate inclusion in a preparation or processing process; b) at the point of sale to the final consumer, when the food products are not pre-packaged, are packaged at the buyer's request or are pre-packaged for immediate sale; c) for packaging or containers, the largest side of which has an area of ??less than 10 cm2; ç) in individual portions of ice cream, the indicator enabling the lot identification shall be indicated on the combined packaging.

Article 3 1. The lot shall be determined in any case by the manufacturer or packager of the food product, or the first seller in the Republic of Albania. 2. The indicators referred to in Article 1, point 1, of this instruction, shall be determined and placed under the responsibility of the operators carrying out specific processes in the food chain. The indicators shall be preceded by the letter “L”, except in cases where it is clearly distinguishable from other indicators on the label or packaging.

Article 4 1. In the case of pre-packaged food products, the indication referred to in Article 1, point 1, of this Directive, and, where appropriate, the letter “L”, shall appear on the packaging or on an attached label.

Where foodstuffs are not pre-packaged, the indication referred to in Article 1, point 1, of this Directive, and, where appropriate, the letter "L" shall be affixed to the packaging or container or, failing that, to the accompanying commercial documents. 3. The indications shall in all cases be affixed in such a way as to be easily visible, clearly legible and indelible.

Article 5 1. When the date of minimum durability or “use by…” is placed on the label, the indicators mentioned in Article 1, point 1, of this instruction, shall not be placed on the label of the food product, provided that the date consists at least of uncoded indicators of the date and month, maintaining the order of placement.

Article 6 1. Food products labeled before the date of entry into force of this instruction shall continue to be marketed until stocks run out. The National Food Authority is charged with recording the stock quantity of these products until their complete sale.

Article 7 1. The General Directorate for Development in the Field of Food Safety, Veterinary Medicine, Plant Protection and Fisheries and the National Food Authority are responsible for the implementation of this instruction. The instruction enters into force upon publication in the Official Gazette and takes effect from January 1, 2026./ Monitor.al