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EU FOOD SAFETY SYSTEMS . JON RATCLIFF Food and Agriculture Consultancy Services Ltd, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK jon@facs.uk.com. Food Quality v Food Safety . Food Safety – a global problem. Globalisation of Trade “The World on your Plate”. Consumer drivers shaping demand.
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EU FOOD SAFETY SYSTEMS JON RATCLIFF Food and Agriculture Consultancy Services Ltd, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK jon@facs.uk.com
WHY CREATION OF EFSA? • Succession of food scares, e.g. BSE, Dioxins • Loss of consumer confidence in safety of food chain and public authorities • Creation of agencies to handle food issues at national levels • Need to strengthen EU food safety system and policy
EFSA Risk Assessment Tasks • Providing scientific opinions • Developing risk assessment methodologies • Identifying and characterising emerging risks • Providing support in food safety crises • Collection, collation and analysis of scientific data
EFSA Independent of Political Process • EFSA not part of European Commission or answerable to it
EC Regulation 183/2005 This measure intended to strengthen the controls on • Feed and food safety • Feed and food traceability • operating standards of feed and food businesses throughout the feed chain, including importers, traders, storage and transport • from primary production to the placing of feed on the market and the feeding of food-producing animals.
EC Regulation 183/2005 All SUPPLIERS have to comply with specified standards in respect of their facilities, storage, personnel and record-keeping Minimum requirement for HACCP and GMP Farmers feeding animals producing food for human consumption have to follow a code of good practice - GAP
In Reality EU Food Safety is driven by Retail and Global food companies
RETAIL TRENDS – Private Label • 50% of supermarket sales comprise private label products
Customer Expectations.. • Food Safety • Microbiological • free from harmful pathogens and viruses • Chemical • free from chemical residues such as pesticides, antibiotics, heavy metals • Physical • free from “foreign bodies” such as hair, stone, pieces of polythene, etc. THESE ARE MINIMUM EXPECTATIONS – NOT “NICE TO HAVES”!!
The Need for Risk Assessment • How can we control Food Safety if we do not know what or where are the risks? • Lack of a systematic Risk Assessment process led to development of HACCP throughout the food chain
Food safety management system Food safety system Basis FOOD SAFETY PYRAMID Management System elements TQM, ISO 22000 HACCP principles (Codex Alimentarius) Pre-requisite programme GMP / GAP
Retail Brand Protection • Global Audit Standards • Retail Codes of Practice AND AUDITS • National Assurance Schemes • Product testing and surveillance • Supplier Group Benchmarking
Global Audit Standards • British Retail Consortium BRC • International Food Standard IFS • ISO. 22000
Retail/Private Codes of Practice • Detailed documents covering: • Health Plans • Medication programmes • Feed & Water • Biosecurity and Waste Management • Welfare • Sick / injured animals • Stocking density • Housing • Lighting programmes / ventilation / Temperature • Stockman training and competence • Catching / Transport / Lairage / Markets (Pigs) • Slaughter
National Assurance Schemes National schemes introduced to brand/identify product(s) to an audited standard Provide confidence from Farm to fork Examples in all meat and produce sectors…
British Lion Code Thank You
Supplier Approval and Traceability Approval process needs to consider : the product the production process Requires risk assessment based upon HACCP and GMP audit and inspection or recognised certification Approved supplier lists based on risk assessment
Concept Tracking: The ability to trace the destination of a product in a food chain Tracing: The ability to recreate the history of a product in the food chain
Traceability • The ability to identify the source and destination of a product is a critical component of good agricultural and management practices.
Traceability • It is intended to minimize liability and prevent the occurrence of food safety problems • Traceability does not make the food safe
Conclusion Food safety cannot be achieved through legislation alone – EU experience Food safety is a function of risk assessment and risk management and communication
Conclusion Auditing is an integral part of the assurance process One of the biggest risks to human health is posed by the animal feed supply chain Supplier approval process must be robust
Conclusion Once satisfactory food safety controls are in place, traceability is the other pre-requisite Traceability one step back and one step forward for complete chain