Opening the second national conference on assessment of food-related risks, Tolusic said that the national food safety inspection system was much better today, partly thanks to tighter and more comprehensive field inspections.
He said that the Croatian Food Agency, which is based in Osijek, and other relevant institutions enabled good risk assessments and prevention of problems that could be caused by poor-quality and unsafe food.
Tolusic said that the government's rural development programme and EU funds were some of the solutions for rural areas of Croatia so that they would not become deserted in the future because of economic migrations.
The two-day conference, which has drawn over 180 participants, will discuss risks from genetically modified food, international cooperation, and the use of food science in risk assessment.
In cooperation with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, the conference will also mark World Food Day 2017, which is observed on October 16. Its main theme this year is "Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development."