of the Republic of Lithuania (2000); the Law on Product Safety of the Republic of Lithuania (1999); the Law on National Heritage Products of the Republic of Lithuania (2007); the Law on Consumer Protection of the Republic of Lithuania (1994); the Law on Veterinary Activities of the Republic of Lithuania (1991); the Law on Drinking Water of the Republic of Lithuania (2001); and the Law on Advertising of the Republic of Lithuania (2000). In addition to these primary legal acts, attention should also be given to legislation adopted by individual state institutions, such as rules, procedures, hygiene standards, and requirements, which will be discussed later in this paper. Food safety in the European Union encompasses aspects of primary production safety, food processing hygiene conditions, packaging, labelling, and official controls on compliance with food safety requirements. The European Union’s food safety policy is primarily regulated by Articles 168 (Public Health) and 169 (Consumer Protection) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The aim of the food safety policy in EU Member States is to protect consumers while ensuring the smooth functioning of the internal market. EU legislation covers the entire food chain - “from farm to fork” - in an integrated manner, applying the “One Health” approach (Maisto sauga, 2025). One of the main legal instruments in both the European Union and Lithuania is Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which lays down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishes the European Food Safety Authority, and sets out procedures in matters of food safety. This Regulation provides key definitions, such as “food”, “laws relating to food products”, “food business”, “food business operator”, among others. Based on the provisions of this Regulation, corresponding amendments were made to the Law on Food of the Republic of Lithuania (2000). This Lithuanian law establishes the requirements for food placed on the market and for food handling, defines the competences of state institutions and public consumer protection organisations in ensuring food safety, and regulates the duties and responsibilities of food business operators and of manufacturers and suppliers of materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. The provisions of the Law apply to legal and natural persons handling and/ or placing on the market food, food-contact materials and articles, as well as to state institutions responsible for supervising and controlling the safety, quality, and handling of such food, materials, and articles. The provisions of the Law may not restrict the placing on the market of food, food-contact materials, and articles that are lawfully produced and placed on the market in any European 660 JOLANTA VILKEVIČIŪTĖ
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