Food Safety and Consumer Protection

Dick Groothuis Senior Veterinary Public Health Officer

2

Contents

– History– Food safety and HAZARDS– European Legislation– General Food Law

– General Food Law– EFSA– RAS

– Food hygiene

3

History

Survival is a natural attitude of living creatures

Protection from HAZARDS is sought for survival

4

Consumer Protection

Safety– Absence of Hazards– Guarantee of absence or Hazards– No Hazards

5

HAZARDS

Individuals

Drives to protect from Hazards:For individual survivalProtection from perceived hazardsEconomic gainsCommunity survival and thereby individual survival

6

Hazards

Community interestProtection of a group of people after they formed a community and organized themselves from:–Starvation–Wild animals–Neighbours

7

Hazards

Community interest–Cities organized food quality–Baker street, butcher street, butter street, corn market–Gold coins (intrinsic value)–Standardisation of measurements (weight, length)–And close control over most vulnerable food: ….

MEAT

8

History 1300

Development of enforcement In ancient times sale of meat was

controlled by the local government or religious rules.

In The Netherlands around 1300 it was allowed to slaughter animals in the cities by everyone everywhere.

By the end of that century slaughtering was left to the butchers

Increasing economy demanded market control and as a result quality standards.

The local governments felt responsible

for safe meat.

9

Safe

Safe

No Hazard

10

Safe

Safe

Low Risk

11

DALY

Disability Adjusted Life Years–Years lived with the disability.–Disability is weighed according to severeness–Death is included

12

Hazard ranking

Figures from The NetherlandsHazard number of death DALY

Smoking 20.000 440.000Overweight 8.000 170.000Alcohol 2.200 195.000Cars/Transport 1.200 85.000Lightning 1 40Legionella 80 560 +Campylobacter 1400Residues in food -(residues: vet. medicines, pesticides, preservatives, colour agents)

13

Cons Protection: Food

From community (city) to EuropeExtension from history to a larger scaleHowever, same objectives:– Availability– Safe– Fair (value for money)– Market regulation

14

Europe

Europe

General Food Law

Basis for the assurance of a high level of protection

15

Cons Protection: Food

Considerations. (selection from GFL)

High level of health protection– Free movement of safe and wholesome food– Same safety requirements in Europe for free movement– Water is excluded from these regulations as it is already in other

ones– Feed will be included – Food production chain; from feed up to the sale and supply to the

consumer

16

Cons Protection: Food Ctnd

Considerations. (selection from GFL)

Laboratories and Risk– Laboratory network– Measures based on risk analysis (EFSA)– Risk analysis; independent, objective and transparent

17

Cons Protection: Food Ctnd

Considerations. (selection from GFL)

Imports from third countries– Same standards to be applied– EU entered in international trade (WTO)– international standards (CODEX)– General principles for trade

18

Cons Protection: Food Ctnd

Considerations. (selection from GFL)

Traceability

– In all stages

19

Cons Protection: Food Ctnd

Considerations. (selection from GFL)

Information between Member States and the Commission

– Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed– To allow appropriate action to be taken

20

Legislation

21

Legislation

Animal Feed

183/2005

Food and Feed Control

General Food Law

Hygiene of

Foodstuffs

852/2004

853/2004

854/2004

Animal

by products

1774/2004

GMO

1829/2004

1830/2004

22

Legislation

Hygiene of

Foodstuffs

All production,,

Processing,

distribution

Hygiene rules

for food of

Animal origin

Separated by

product

Official controls

On products of

Animal origin

Hygiene package

23

Official controls

Overview of legislation

(Just for information of numbers) Gen Food Law (178/2002) Hygiene of foodstuffs (852/2004) (H1) Specific rules animal origin (853/2004) (H2) Official controls (OC) animal origin (854/2004) (H3) Food and feed control (882/2004)

24

Overview

To whom are the regulations addressed?Gen Food Law (GFL): Everybody General principles of food safety

(H1): food business operators(H2): food business operators handling products of animal

origin.(H3): organisation of official controls to the CA What the CA has to do (obligatory)

Off controls (OC): Competent authority. How the controls should be executed; performance of OC

25

General Food Law

26

General Food Law (GFL)

Chapter I Scope and definitions

Chapter II General Food Law

Chapter III European Food Safety Authority

Chapter IV Rapid Alert System, Crisis

27

GFL scope

Scope– High level of protection– Common principles and responsibilities– It applies in all stages of production processing and

distribution

28

GFL scope definitions

Definitions– Food: any product intended or reasonably expected to

be ingested by humans– Excluded:

– Primary production (animal & plant)– Medicinal products– Cosmetics– tobacco

29

GFL scope definitions

Definitions continued (selection)– Food business: any undertaking carrying out activities

related to food

30

General Food Law

General principles– High level of protection, free movement, international

standards– Risk based (analysis, assessment, management)– Precautionary principle– Transparency

31

General Food Law

General requirementsSafety– Unsafe: a) injurious to health; b) unfitInjurious

immediate – long term – offspringcumulativeparticular group of consumers

Unfit

Contamination, putrefaction, deterioration or decay

32

General Food Law

General requirements– Presentation of food - not misleading– Responsibilities - food business operators– Traceability - in all stages

33

EFSA

European Food safety authority– Scientific advice– Technical support– Independent information– Communicate on risks

34

Rapid Alert System

Information system to inform Member States, Commission and EFSA

– ConfidentialReporting (direct or indirect risk):– Any measure by the CA– Voluntary– Rejection at import at the border of the EU

35

36

37

Food Hygiene

The food business operator shall ensure that,

all processes under their control

satisfy the relevant hygiene requirements

as laid down in this regulation

38

39

Food Hygiene

Scope

All stages of production, processing and distribution

NOT

Private domestic useDomestic preparationDirect supply producer to consumer/local retail

40

Food Hygiene

General:Ensure hygiene requirements

Specific:– Primary production; Annex I– Processing etc; Annex II

– Microbiological criteria (Regulation 2073/2005)– Procedures– Temperature control– Maintenance of the cold chain– Sampling and analysis

41

Food Hygiene

HACCP

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control PointsApplicable after primary production.

Guides to Good Practice– National guides– Community guides

42

Food Hygiene Annex I

Primary production– Primary production and associated transport– Avoid contamination– Proper use of medicines and plant protection products– Clean and tidy– Record keeping– Use guides of good hygiene practice

43

Food Hygiene Annex II

Construction and lay out of the establishment

Adequate equipment

Transport (internal - external)

Waste removal

Water supply

Staff hygiene

Incoming materials/products

Packaging and wrapping

Heat treatment

Training of staff

44

Hygiene Animal origin

Scope– Food of animal origin processed and unprocessed:

supplement to H1NOT: – plant origin and processed animal origin– Primary production– Domestic preparation– Direct local supply consumer/retail– Hunters– RetailActivities to be regulated in national law.

45

Hygiene Animal Origin

Registration and approval– Registration for all– Approval animal origin only, but not:

– Primary production– Transport– Storage not temperature controlled– Retail

46

Hygiene Animal Origin

Food business operators – shall comply with the relevant provisions– Has applied a health mark on the products– Shall ensure certificates or accompanying documents of

products or animals

47

Hygiene Animal AnnexesI. DefinitionsII. Requirements products Animal OriginIII. Meat domesticIV. Wild game meatV. Minced meat, meat preparations, MRMVI. Meat productsVII. Live bivalve molluscsVIII. Fishery productsIX. Raw milk and dairy productsX. Eggs and egg productsXI. Frog legs and snailsXII. Rendered animal fats and greavesXIII. Treated stomach, bladders and intestinesXIV. GelatineXV. collagen

48

Hygiene Official controls

Directed to the Competent

authority (CA)– Keep in mind in for actions

of the CA– And duties of the

establishments– What the CA has to do– Professional qualifications

49