State General Laboratory Annual Report 2019

31 State General laboratory Annual Report 2019 5. Further strengthening of the following:  Coordination and collaboration between competent Authorities for more efficient and effective official controls  Food Safety Council’s (FSC) activities, especially with the continuous improvement of its "Improrisk" deterministic model for the food risk assessment of the population at individual level, as well as with the required risk assessment studies and better exploitation of the results of official controls  Cyprus National Addictions Authority activities  Applied research mostly through utilisation of EU funds (since 2004 the SGL has already absorbed over of nine million euros) 6. Carrying out food risk assessment for the Cypriot population by processing and utilising the data extracted from the first official national Pan-Cyprian dietary survey in the framework of the "EU MENU" project of EFSA (2013-2018): its data are used in risk assessment studies for the Cypriot population exposure to various chemicals through food. 7. Strengthening the close cooperation with relevant competent Authorities to initiate the construction of the SGL’s new building, decided in 2017. A new building will reflect its high scientific level as a center of expertise and excellence at national, regional and European level. 8. Supply and installation of the new Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) 9. Continuous improvement of its credibility, transparency and responsiveness to crises with the aim of preserving the confidence that every Cypriot and European citizen has in the SGL MAIN AREAS OF ACTIVITY The wide range of the SGL's responsibilities and competences is covered by the following four wide areas: Foodstuffs , the Environment , Consumer Products and Forensic Chemistry & Toxicology . FOODSTUFFS Ensuring safe, healthy and quality food is a very important com- ponent of protecting public health. The SGL carries out regu- lar official controls and surveillance on foodstuffs, covering all parts of the food production chain, "from the field or farm to the consumer’s table". For this purpose, it carries out vari- ous national control programmes with the cooperation of the competent Authorities. Controls are of a preventive nature and focus mainly on basic foods that are consumed frequently or may raise a specific problem, and on foodstuffs expected to be