Päring

Dokumendiregister	Terviseamet
Viit	5-7/25/626-1
Registreeritud	05.09.2025
Sünkroonitud	08.09.2025
Liik	Sissetulev dokument
Funktsioon	5 Teabe- ja arhiivihaldus
Sari	5-7 Teabenõuded, selgitustaotlused, märgukirjad (sh avaldused, kaebused, taotlused jm pöördumised)
Toimik	5-7/2025
Juurdepääsupiirang	Avalik
Juurdepääsupiirang
Adressaat	Smartwashsolutions
Saabumis/saatmisviis	Smartwashsolutions
Vastutaja	Mari-Anne Härma (TA, Peadirektori asetäitja (1) vastutusvaldkond)
Originaal	Ava uues aknas

Failid

E-kiri.eml

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E-kiri.eml

Tähelepanu! Tegemist on väljastpoolt asutust saabunud kirjaga. Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.

Dear Estonian Health Board,

As you can see in the email chain here below, Joanna-Maria Usar (Chief Specialist - Food Safety Department - Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture) directed me to you.

We would like to request some information to better understand the regulatory framework in Estonia regarding fruit and vegetable processing. This will help us assess whether we can do business in your country directly, or if our customers may deliver treated produce to Estonia.

Brief introduction:

SmartWash Solutions offers a highly effective washing methodology for the fruit and vegetable market. With our concept, processors continuously monitor and control the chemistry of their wash water to improve food safety. With our wash methodology a chlorinated disinfectant (we as SmartWash Solutions do not deliver the disinfectant (biocide) - our customer is responsible to purchase this at their chemical supplier, locally) is used to mitigate cross-contamination of pathogens during the wash step in the processing plant, and to help prevent product recalls or outbreaks.

Can you please answer the following questions:

Chlorinated wash methodology

Could you please confirm whether the use of a well-controlled, chlorine-based wash systems is permitted for fruit and vegetable processing in Estonia?
Is it permitted for our customers to use our washing methodology in another EU country and then distribute the washed produce into Estonia?
At the EU level, Regulation (EU) 2020/749 defines strict MRLs for chlorates (a disinfectant by-product - DBP).

a. Does Estonia apply these harmonized EU MRL values, as most other member states do, or are there national deviations?

Thanks for your positive reply.

Met vriendelijke groet / Kind regards / Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Ewoud Buter

Cell: +31.6.1544.1290

Van: Joanna-Maria Usar <[email protected]>
Verzonden: donderdag 4 september 2025 13:54
Aan: Ewoud Buter <[email protected]>
CC: Katrin Lõhmus <[email protected]>
Onderwerp: RE: Inquiry Regarding Use of Processing Aids and Chlorine-Based Wash Systems in Estonia

Caution: External Email

Dear Mr. Buter

Unfortunately, we are not able to address these questions, as issues concerning the chemical safety of water—including wash water used for foodstuffs—fall outside the expertise of our department. The competent authority for water-related matters is the Estonian Health Board, which will be best placed to advise you on the matter of chlorinated water. To ensure the quickest and most accurate guidance as well as to remove the need for intermediary correspondence, we kindly suggest contacting the Estonian Health Board directly at [email protected]

Kind regards,

Joanna-Maria Usar

Chief Specialist
Food Safety Department

Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture

______________________________

[email protected]

+ 372 5688 4193

Suur-Ameerika tn 1 / 10122 Tallinn / Estonia

www.agri.ee

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ATTENTION *** This e-mail and its attachments may contain official information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately, delete this e-mail and destroy any copies. Any dissemination or use of this information by a person other than the intended recipient is unauthorized and may be unlawful.

From: Ewoud Buter <[email protected]>
Sent: kolmapäev, 3. september 2025 17:02
To: Joanna-Maria Usar <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Inquiry Regarding Use of Processing Aids and Chlorine-Based Wash Systems in Estonia

Dear Joanna-maria,

Thanks for your reply, sometimes important questions need some extra time, we know 😉

Good to read that contamination must be prevented during the processing steps of fruit and vegetables, so a biocide is required. Most used disinfection in this market is sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl (l) 12 or 12,5 % Food Grade). Our customers will buy this disinfection themselves with their local chemical supplier(s). Chlorine is in general an EU accepted biocide for fruit and vegetable washing, but my question was only theoretically, if chlorinated wash water is allowed at Estonian processors with washing fruit and vegetables. And if for example processors from another EU country (let’s say Latvia) uses our chlorine based wash system, can they export this to Estonia?

Can you please reply on these situations?

Thanks in advance.

Met vriendelijke groet / Kind regards / Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Ewoud Buter

Cell: +31.6.1544.1290