When you eat something, how do you know that the food is safe?

On the occasion of World Food Safety Day, celebrated on June 7th by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), TRANSAVIA, the leader in the Romanian poultry market, offers consumers a series of practical tips for choosing safe and healthy chicken meat. This "mini-guide" created for those who appreciate "white meat," tender, flavorful, and low in fat, is particularly useful as chicken meat is one of the staple foods on the Romanian table, providing a significant contribution to the daily protein intake (approximately 50g). Specifically, a lunch consisting of vegetables and 200g of grilled chicken breast provides 44g of protein, while two boneless chicken thighs (approximately 250g) with vegetables provide a protein intake of 47g.

"At TRANSAVIA, we are strongly committed to ensuring food safety and the superior quality of our products," says Marian Sabău, Director of Quality and Food Safety at TRANSAVIA, adding that: "As a market leader, we have taken on the responsibility and mission to ensure that food safety is not limited to our products alone but that the entire supply chain, from producers to consumers, acts responsibly. Therefore, on the occasion of World Food Safety Day, we want to meet the needs of consumers and offer them some practical guidelines for choosing safe and high-quality chicken meat:

1. Opt for purchasing chicken meat from trusted producers who rigorously adhere to food safety standards and can provide detailed information about the origin and complete production process of chicken meat.
2. Check the origin of the chicken meat. It is important to know the country of origin and the producer to ensure that the animals have been raised under appropriate conditions, that the agricultural practices used for feeding the chicks are responsible and sustainable, and that the slaughterhouses and factories adhere to the highest food safety standards.
3. Pay attention to the product label you choose. Make sure the label provides the mandatory legal information (product name, list of ingredients for processed products, net quantity of the basic products, product validity or expiration date, name or commercial designation of the producer, country of origin or place of provenance, etc. - for more details, consult the Good Practices Guide for labeling and advertising poultry meat on the ANPC website). Read the information regarding the expiration date, storage conditions, and preparation instructions. It is important to follow these instructions to ensure the safety and quality of the chicken meat you consume.
4. Pay attention to the characteristics of the products you choose.

• The appearance should be clean, with a moist but non-sticky surface. In the case of frozen products, the carcass should not have deformations.
• The color of the muscle should be pinkish-red, characteristic, with a firm and elastic texture.
• The smell should be characteristic and normal.
• In the case of frozen carcasses, the ice glaze should be clean, transparent, without a reddish tint.
• Organs (liver, heart, gizzard) should be well cleaned, have normal color and consistency, remain unchanged, and have a characteristic smell.
• Analyze marketing messages carefully. Any claim that aims to highlight product differences should be supported by verifiable arguments and information. It is recommended to choose products from trusted producers who transparently communicate about the entire production process.
• Make sure you handle the purchased products properly. It is crucial to treat chicken meat under hygienic conditions and to use clean utensils and surfaces when cutting and preparing it. It is important to cook chicken meat and chicken products adequately, ensuring that they reach the recommended internal temperature indicated on the label.
• Get informed about food safety aspects. Consult reliable websites such as the National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC), the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to find the latest information and recommendations in the field. The better informed you are, the safer and more responsible choices you will be able to make."

TRANSAVIA puts consumers at the center of its concerns by offering safe, healthy, and high-quality products. With a constant focus on food safety, this reputable family business with 100% Romanian capital conducts internal and external audits to certify food safety. These measures guarantee that the products of the market leader in chicken meat meet the most demanding standards of quality and food safety.

"Our poultry farming activities follow very rigorous protocols, with the main objective being animal welfare. In each production unit, we prioritize quality and safety in all aspects. The excellent results we have achieved in the past 15 years during the 79 external audits for food safety certification demonstrate that we do things exactly as they should be done in all our production units, with full responsibility, based on scientific foundations, and with the knowledge that allows us to be a benchmark in the food industry," says Cristina Lupșan, Quality Director of the Industrialization Sector at TRANSAVIA.

As the largest chicken meat producer in Romania, TRANSAVIA emphasizes responsible and sustainable agricultural practices, transparently ensuring through the publication of annual Sustainability Reports prepared according to GRI standards that animals are raised in appropriate conditions and the highest food safety standards are adhered to.

"Our expertise in food safety is based on best practices and the strictest protocols. We are concerned not only with complying with legal regulations but also with exceeding them by setting higher standards of quality and food safety to inspire other producers in the market. We are proud to be the only producer in the sector that has obtained the GolbalG.A.P. certification for our broiler farms for 4 consecutive years, demonstrating the use of good agricultural practices in our farms. Our entire production is BRCGS Food Safety certified, which demonstrates our competence in risk management and control of critical control points (HACCP), hygiene, food safety, and quality systems. We are the only producer in Romania that has received the highest rating of AA+ following the audits. We also hold certifications such as FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, and McDonald's Certifications, known for their rigor and high requirements. These certifications ensure that our products come from safe and reliable sources, providing consumers with certainty and satisfaction in choosing healthy and safe products," states Adina Popa, Quality and Food Safety Manager at TRANSAVIA.

The quality and safety of TRANSAVIA products are a calling card beyond borders, as the 100% Romanian-owned company exports approximately 30% of its production to 27 countries on multiple continents. As a family-owned integrated business, TRANSAVIA stands out as the only producer in Romania that manages the entire production, breeding, and processing process of all chickens in its own facilities, thus guaranteeing consistency for the high quality and maximum safety of all products offered. Based on the best practices and strictest protocols throughout the production and distribution chain, from seed to fork, the company currently has a slaughter capacity of 30,000 heads per hour.

TRANSAVIA is the only Romanian company that has committed to the standards of being a co-signatory of the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Business and Marketing Practices in the Food Sector. In March of this year, TRANSAVIA was the only company in the sector selected by the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) of the European Commission to conduct an audit of the control system for slaughterhouse hygiene and compliance with meat inspection requirements in Romania, obtaining a very good result.

For more information about TRANSAVIA and its commitment to food safety, you can refer to the company's latest Sustainability Report.