Grethe Bynes

Head of Section for Import and Export,

Norwegian Food Safety Authority

Food safety and the role of HACCP

in Norway and Europe Norway-Japan Marine Seminar 2014

Agenda

Norwegian Food Safety Aurhority

HACCP – a history

Inspections, audits and controls

Import and Export

Market Acess

Bilateral trust building

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority

Facts

Director General: Harald Gjein

Yearly FTE: 1299

Established: 1.1.2004

Head office (6 office sites)

8 regional offices

54 district offices (70 office sites)

Answers to three ministries:

Ministry of Agriculture and Food (administrative responsibility)

Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries

Ministry of Health and Care Services

The mission of the NFSA is to promote:

• Safe, healthy food

• Safe drinking water

• Healthy plants, fish and animals

• Excellence in animal welfare and respect

for fish and animals

• Environmentally friendly production

• Health, quality and consumer interests

throughout the food production chain

In addition:

• A far-sighted and efficient organisation

• Within the framework of these goals, to contribute to

value creation in the food sector

The core tasks of the NFSA

• Procuring information

and analysing current conditions

• Regulatory and legislative work

• Supervision, control and inspections

• Communicating and advising

Procuring information and analysing

current conditions

Information about current conditions, analysis of macro-economic benefit and costs, and expert opinions inform the NFSA’s public relations and priorities.

• As a national body, the NFSA works to place issues of concern in a wider national context and to establish coherent policies.

• Strategic analyses, evaluations, analyses of societal impacts, cost assessments, assessment of opportunities for profit-taking are key elements in the organisation's prioritisation discussions.

Legislation administered by the NFSA

The Food Safety Act:

is designed to guarantee healthy, safe food and safe

drinking water for consumers, promote health, regulate

environmentally friendly production and prevent the

spread of animal and plant diseases

Act concerning the welfare of animals:

is designed to ensure ethical keeping of animals and

fish

Act relating to cosmetic products and other body care

products, etc.:

is designed to ensure that cosmetics and body care

products safeguard human and animal health

The NFSA also administers:

• Act relating to veterinarians and other animal health

personnel

• Act relating to the plant breeder's right

• Act relating to livestock breeding

Regulations appurtenant to these acts lay down more detailed provisions.

The majority of the Norwegian acts and regulations are included in the

EEA Agreement and constitute common European rules.

Regulatory framework - Norway and the EU

EU

28 memberstates

EFTA

Norway, Iceland,

Liechtenstein

EEA

Since 1994

Internal market

EU

legislations

Food Law Regulation

178/2002

Control Regulation

882/2004

Feed Hygiene

Regulation

183/2005

Animal By-Product

Regulation

1774/2002

Hygiene Package

Hygiene legislations in Norway

The NFSA’s supervision, control and inspections

The NFSA is required to supervise compliance with national

regulations and international directives. Inspections are planned

so as to have the greatest possible general preventive effect.

The district offices are to deploy resources where they believe the

probability and consequences of any non-compliance is greatest. This

is referred to as risk-based control.

The NFSA conducts scheduled inspections, inspections following

unwanted incidents and in response to notices of concern.

Who do we supervise and inspect?

• Primary producers

• Food industry and small-scale producers

• Importers

• Food retailers

• Catering establishments

We also supervise:

• Vets and other animal health personnel

• People who keep animals (farmers and private individuals)

• Cosmetics and body care products

• Sales of medicinal products outside pharmacies

Inspections, audits, HACCP – focusing on seafood

Approved establishments

The establishment is responsible for safe food

HACCP

Hygenic production of food

Approved seafood establishments: 1080

Freezer- and factory vessels: 263

Active Aquaculture farms: 651

Fishing Vessels 6128

http://www.mattilsynet.no/language/english/fish_and_aqaculture/approved_products_and_establishments/ http://www.fiskeridir.no/statistikk/fiskeri/noekkeltall

Production chain for fish farming

Hatchery/nursery

in fresh water

On-growing farm

food fish in

sea water

Broodstock

in fresh water Slaughtering

Transport/

wellboats

Feed

production

HACCP – Hazard Analysis and Critical Control

Points

- Developed in the 1970’s

- Prevention

- Implemented for fishery establishments in 1991 i

Europe.

- In Norway in 1996

The 7 HACCP- principles

1 - identifying any hazards

2 - identifying the critical control points

3 - establishing critical limits at critical control points

4 - establishing and implementing effective monitoring

procedures at critical control points;

5 - establishing corrective actions

6 - establishing procedures, which shall be carried out

regularly, to verify measures in steps 1-5

7 - establishing documents and records - demonstrate

the effective application

Prerequisites for HACCP, examples

HACCP

Raw Material Control

Production Control

Sanitation and

Maintenance

Pest Control

How do we succeed?

Continuous Improvement

HACCP

Prerequisite programs

Training Education

Management commitment

Benefits

Enhancing food safety

Aid in inspection from

regulatory authorities

Increases confidence

– and may promote trade

Audits

Inspections with

spot checks

Verification

Monitoring

programmes

What does NFSA do to ensure compliance?

Experiences

2012 – NFSA National control campaign on HACPP

1034 inspections, 92 seafood producers

Results for seafood

50% - not sufficient process identifying hazards

35% - not sufficient prerequisite programs

Corrective measures are taken

Large vs small establishments

Agenda

Norwegian Food Safety Aurhority

HACCP – a history

Inspections, audits and controls

Import and Export

Market Acess

Bilateral trust building

Market Access and Bilateral Trust Building

Market Access - various definitions, different views

Market entrance:

Market access:

Result

Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s work influates

the possibility for market entrance for the

industry

But

We do not advertise Norwegian feed or food,

Facilitating trade within NFSA administrative area is

based on international agreed principles.

International Agreements and Organizations

Constitutes the framework for market access activities

Meetings: EU-commission and Member States

Committees: EU, WTO (SPS Committee), Codex

Alimentarius, (OIE and IPPC)

Bilateral agreements: Free Trade Agreements together

with other EFTA-countries

International Activities

Visits

- See the seafood production in action

- Exchange of information on food safety

systems and controls

- Share knowledge and competence

An open dialogue between importing and exporting

countries contribute to transparency and trust in

each others systems and routines.

Negotiations - sanitary and veterinary certificates

Certificate database at:

www.mattilsynet.no

Notifications, follow-up

China

- Notifications on microbiology

Russia

- Notifications on microbiology and labelling

Information on follow-up from NFSA to relevant competent

authority

RASFF – European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed.

International Assessments

EFTA Surveillance Authority

(ESA) audits

Foreign inspections (Russia, US)

External audit 2014 (ESA inspections)

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) monitors Norway’s compliance with EEA rules.

Focus on official controls

In 2014 ESA will investigate:

• Foreign substances and medicine

• Poultry meat

• Animal welfare during slaughter

• Animal by-products

International Assessments, cont

Guidance Document in Codex Alimentarius:

“Principles and Guidelines for the Conduct of

Assessments of Foreign Official Inspection and

Certification Systems”

Annex to the Codex Guidelines for the Design, Operation,

Assessment and Accreditation of Food Import and Export

Inspection and Certification Systems (CAC/GL 26-1997).

Market Access to the EU - Country approval

- Request from national authority to the

Commission

- PMQ is sent from the Commission.

- Proposed residues monitoring programs must be

approved by the Commission.

- On-the-spot inspections are organised by the

FVO.

http://ec.europa.eu/food/international/trade/docs/guide_thirdcountries2009_en.pdf (page 12)

http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biosafety/establishments/third_country/requested_guarantees_en.htm

Market Access to the EU - Country approval, cont.

If the country is approved, COM will set up an initial

list of approved establishments.

This list can be modified by the CCA.

Procedures to request a modification to the list of

establishments:

http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biosafety/establishments/third_country/proc_intro_request_en.htm

Summing up

NFSA has a whole food chain approach - contributes to safe food for both national and international

consumers.

- Norwegian legislation is harmonized with EU-legislation

HACCP and National food safety systems - HACCP is a necessity,

- also a valuable assett for the industry.

- dedication and improvment

Market Access - rely on trust in, and verification of, a sufficient food safety

system

Experience, Knowledge and Confidence

Thank you for your attention