FOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT 97 1. Introduction In the recent years, the preoccupation of consumers and authorities regarding the traceability of fish and fishery products has been increased. Nowadays, consumers become more discerningintermsofqualityandoriginoffisheryproductswhich they buy and wish to be better informed, mainly due to the numerous cases of contamination of fishery products or ambi- guous products description and fish fraud. It is recognized the beneficial role of the human health of fish meat and seafood (McNaughton et al., 2008; Pieniak et al., 2008; Turan, Kaya and Sonmez, 2006;), but there are also some problems associated with the consumption, such as microbiological problems, toxins, chemical contamination (Becker, Darnerud and Patterson- Grawe et al., 2010). A study published in 2004 highlights the toxic risks of eating farmed salmon (Hites et al., 2004) in com- parison with wild salmon. Also, recently, the fish escolar, which is also known as snake mackerel, was discovered to be sold as seabass(Birks,2004).Thatiswhy,itisessentialthattheconsu- mers to be informed, using easy to understand explanations, including information relating to geographical areas where the fish and the seafood was caught, so that they can make the purchasing choice in accordance with their preferences. The implementation of the traceability system becomes a necessity, which can minimize the production and distribution of unsafe or poor quality products and spread potential risks to the population. In addition, traceability can be seen as an effective tool to reduce the impact of food-borne illnesses by the rapid withdrawal of products (Mora and Menozzi, 2008). 2. Introducing the concept of traceability Several definitions for traceability are accepted at interna- tional level. International Organization for Standardization (ISO) provides a general definition according to whom, traceability is the ability to trace the history, applications, or location of that which is under consideration. When considering a product, tra- ceabilitycanrelatetotheoriginofmaterialandparts,processing history,anddistributionandlocationoftheproductafterdelivery; European Union Law Regulation no. 178/2002, Article 3, give a particular definition for food products. Traceability means theabilitytotraceandfollowafood,feed,food-producinganimal or substance intended to be, or expected to be incorporated into a food or feed, through all stages of production, processing, and distribution. Codex Alimentarius (CAC, 2006) stipulates that tra- ceability/product tracing’ is the ability to follow the movement of a food through specified stage of production, processing, and distribution.Regardingtheaquaculturefish,theestablishmentof traceability system and production must have information about feedproduction,breedingproduction,testinganalysis,transport/ wholesale, processing and pack, and sell and consum. All the traceable information can be provided through various ways and include labeling or packaging of the products and commercial documents accompanying products, including the invoice or sales note (Najran, 2008). In Romania, the definition of traceability is found in Law no. 150/2004 like indicating the possibility of identifying and tracing, through all stages of production, processing and distribution of food, feed, an animal intended for food production or a sub- stance which is, or that can be incorporated into food or feed for animals. 3. The legal framework of food safety and traceability in the European Union Traceability of fisheries products represents an essential element for the food security. Many countries have implemented international standards, industry guidelines, and legislations re- garding traceability, while others are still in exploratory tracea- bilityprotocolstopreventortominimizecontaminationandother chemical hazards, but, in the absence of a legislative framework to ensure appropriate labeling for all fish products and seafood, authorities have no way to guarantee consumers safety. Implementation of legislation on food traceability in the Euro- pean Union (EU) is a relatively new concept. On 28 January 2002, Regulation (EC) 178/2002 was adopted as the General Food Law of the EU. The low promoted the concept “from farm to fork” (farm to fork), or in other words the knowledge chain food from the primary producer (farmer) to the consumers. Arti- cles no. 8, 14, 16, 18, and 19 offer information about the con- sumer’s protection principles, food safety requirements, tracea- bility and responsibilities of food businesses. Moreover, article no. 18 refers to how traceability should be delimited, as it follows:  the traceability of food, feed, food-producing animals, and any other substance intended to be, or expected to be, incorporated into a food or feed shall be established at all stages of production, processing and distribution; QUALITY access to success Vol. 17, No. 154/October 2016 The Fish and Fish Products Traceability The Fish and Fish Products Traceability Legal Framework Analysis Legal Framework Analysis Liliana Mihaela MOGA * , Mirela CRETU ** Abstract In the European fishery sector, the traceability represents a relatively new concept and it is in the attention of the fish inspection services and fishery industries. Recently, it has been developed international standards, industry guidelines, and legislation, and beginning with January 2005 the fishery industry in the European Union, and other countries that export fish to European Union must have implemented traceability systems in order to comply with the requirements of the Regulation EU no. 178/2002 of the European Parliament and the Council. In this context, the aim of this paper is to present a brief review regarding the European Union fish traceability legal framework and of others countries which play an important role in the global fish trade. Keywords: traceability, fish, fishery products, food safety, quality assurance, legal framework. ——————— * Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, Romania; E-mail: liliana.moga@gmail.com. ** CorrespondingAuthor, Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, Romania, 47 Domneasca str., 800008, Galati, Romania; E-mail: Mirela.Cretu@ ugal.ro.