Food safety standards and risk management – Issues

in the regionat

International Symposium on Food Safety Standards and Risk Management

(27-28 March 2014, Beijing, China)

Ms. Shashi SareenSenior Food Safety & Nutrition Officer

FAO Regional Office for the Asia & the PacificE-mail: shashi.sareen@fao.org

Introduction

Challenges/ Issues in the Region

Some FAO Activities/ initiatives towards food safety and risk analysis in the Region

Some future priorities/ focus areas for food safety in the region

Outline/Coverage

Introduction• Globalization - increasing demand by consumers for

variety of foods• Creation of global market - transboundary movement

and trade of food across countries – imports/exports• Potential for spread of contamination across countries

high• Leading to increasingly new challenges & risks to the

health & safety of consumers• Quality, health, safety, labelling, food fraud (melamine,

horsemeat) incidents acquiring global focus• Food safety standards play an important role – role of

government, FBOs, international/ other organizations

Food Safety Challenges in Asia 1/2• Low importance to food safety by government/other

stakeholders - food safety incidents often unreported so impact of food safety not well recognized - measurement of FS status poor

• Food safety is a cross cutting area across sectors –multiple agencies & coordination important

• Legislation/National food control system outdated

• Lack of data – foodborne diseases surveillance, food monitoring (risk-based standards and monitoring)

• Linking b/w PP & processing – Traceability– food chain

• Lack of clear role of regulatory/ voluntary/ private standards

Food Safety Challenges 2/2• Lack of suitable infrastructure and resources in terms of

financial/ personnel

• Globalisation leading to increasingly new hazards & risks – addressing these is a challenge

• Regional trade important – but levels of food safety differs

• Lack of clarity in application of a preventative risk-based approach across entire food chain

• Awareness at different levels and their roles – FBOs (producers; processors; handlers; retailers...), government, consumers

FAO Vision

• Achieving food security for all is at the heart of FAO's efforts – to make sure people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.

Food security: all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. [World Food Summit, 1996]

Food Safety Approaches

Food chain approach – hazards may arise at different stages of the food supplyPreventative risk-based approach is followed rather than a reactive one based on sampling & testing (GAP, GMP, HACCP)Sound national food control & regulatory systems essential – standards & implementation (risk management)Roles and responsibilities for food safety - all actors in the food chain namely- farmer or producer, processor, handlers, government, consumer

• Around 15 - 20 projects/ programmes on food safety &

quality (national/ regional) & tools & GL developed• Broadly cover:

Food safety policies, legislation, governance (including coordination mechanisms)

SPS/standards & norms/ Codex related activitiesEnforcement/surveillance-inspection, testing, FBDSFood safety in various agro food supply chains (commodity

issues) - including street foods/ retail food safety –GAP/GVP/FSMS linkage to primary production

Food safety emergency management/ recall systemsCertifications and accreditationTrainings/ awareness/ education

FAO’s Regional Food safety CB Activities

Some Current Projects in the Region

Regional projects: • ASEAN - Support to CB & Implementation of

International Food Safety Standards in ASEAN Countries”(WS, training course, case studies, guidance documents)

• GMS - Promotion of rural development through development of Geographical indications at regional level in Asia

• SAARC - Good Agriculture Practice (GAP) Certification Scheme in countries of SAARC

• Country Projects: Improving food safety in BangladeshEnhancing SPS Capacity of Ginger Exports through PPP (Nepal)Policy assistance for bio-secure agro-food supply chain(Nepal)Developing food law in Laos Strengthening of Food Safety and Standards in Bhutan Strengthening of National Codex Capacity in MongoliaCB to improve market access for fish & fishery products (Myn) Strengthening Vietnamese SPS capacity for trade – improving

safety & Q of fresh vegetables through value chain approach Institutional Strengthening on Food Safety & QC in Supply Chain

Management of Livestock Products & INFOSAN (Thailand) Strengthening the food safety information, education,

communication capacity to assist implementing Food Safety Law and National Strategy on food safety (Vietnam)

Some Recent & Ongoing Projects in Asia …2

Workshops/ Consultations/ Trainings• Regional Consultation on Food Safety Policy development in

Asia• Regional Consultation on Equivalence/MRAs to Facilitate Trade

of Safe & Q Food (SAARC)• Regional Workshop for Asian Countries on hygiene and safety in

food retail• Risk analysis - Chemical risk analysis in the food chain; RA for

SAARC• Food Safety Emergency ResponseSER – pilots, WS and trainings• GAPs - Implementing GAP in F&V, its Certification &

Accreditation• Study of the food safety scenario in countries for strengthening

coordination b/w departments

Information Exchange Mechanisms• FAO Food Safety and quality home page

http://www.fao.org/food/food-safety-quality/home-page/en/

• Web page on Vet & Public Health, Feed & Food Safety; www.fao.org/ag/AGAinfo/programmes/en/A6.html

• Emergency prevention & early warning in area of food safety (EMPRES Food Safety): EMPRES-FS@fao.org

• *FAO Regional office for Asia and the Pacific http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/rap/home/en/

• *Capacity Building and implementation of international food safety standards in ASEAN countries http://foodsafetyasiapacific.net/

Some regional publications on food safety

Priorities for food safety and RM in the Region

Strengthening food safety coordination mechanismFood safety indicators – strategy for regionRisk analysis – detailed activities/trainings eg risk

profiling, exposure assessment, risk communication (enhance capacity)

Harmonization of standards & technical regulations on food – clear role of regulatory & voluntary standards

Risk-based monitoring and inspection procedures – import control systems, risk categorization, sampling guidelines, curriculla

Food Recall & Traceability –support countries for application in National FS Control- RASFF

Surveillance (food-borne illness surveillance), RMP, labs

Food retail - Regional network & guidance documents, checklists, training modules

Primary production aspects - Strengthening GAP in different sectors sector (developing schemes & certification systems)

Education & training programmes for all stakeholdersRecognition arrangement for acceptance of products

within region & with countries outside regionRegional mechanism for accreditation (inspection, testing,

certification)Increased collaboration for use of regional expertise &

knowledge – information exchange, awareness and trainings, RA, test facilities

Priorities of food safety and RM in the Region

THANK YOU

Any Questions?Shashi.sareen@fao.org