Food Safety: Lebanon Status and perspective, preventing animal and human infections

1. سلامة الغذاء: الوضع في لبنان والتطلعات المستقبلية Food Safety: Lebanon Status and perspective, preventing animal and human infections Dr. MohamadSoukarie, Dr. Ali El Romeh, Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Lebanon • Regional Seminar for OIE National Focal Points on Animal Production Food Safety, 14-16 January, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

2. Plan of presentation • Basic facts • Organorgram - Competencies of the Animal Resources Directorate • Legal and Institutional Framework • Country perspective (animal & human infections ) • Conclusion

3. Introduction Lebanon is located in the Near East region at the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea • Total land area: 10452 Km2 • Population: 4 million • Services sector: >75% of the GDP • Industrial sector: 12% • Agriculture sector: 12%

4. Livestock Population & Milk Production

5. Import/ Export of Dairy Products

6. Brucellosis Status in Lebanon Statistical Bulletin 2011.pdf

7. Brucellosis Status in Lebanon http://www.oie.int/wahis_2/public/wahid.php/Countryinformation/Animalsituation

8. Organogram

9. Competencies of the Animal Resources Directorate (VS/ MOA) • Elaboration of regulations • Control at farm level • Control of Animal feed industry • Surveillance and control of animal diseases • Registration and control of veterinary drugs • Control of establishments • Control of slaughterhouses • Control of zoonosis in collaboration with the MoPH

10. Competencies of the Animal Resources Directorate (continue) • Contributing to the establishment of food norms and standards • Inspection of food industry and food of animal origin in the market • Laying down the conditions for sanitary approval of establishments • Control at borders check points: • Animals and products of animal origin • Physical and documentary inspection • Sample analysis

11. Legal and Institutional Frameworks (1) • Based on OIE, Codex and EU recommendations, standards and requirements, several ministerial decisions were issued/updated since 2010. • Main objectives: Organization at all levels of the food chain (primary production, processing, transportation, storage) and the assurance that safe food is put on the market or exported. • Main requirements: sanitary and health conditions, organization, registration and approval, records keeping, traceability and labeling (where applicable).

12. Legal and Institutional Frameworks(2)Main Ministerial Decisions (1) • At farm level: • Decision N. 529/1 of June 4, 2011: Registration and requirements for dairy farms. • Veterinary drugs: • Decision N. 121/1 of January 27, 2011: Organization of registering, importing, manufacturing and dealing with medicinal and veterinary products and veterinary antiseptics, disinfectants and raw materials and feed additives. • Transportation: • Decision N. 821/1 of December 3, 2010: Health conditions of transportation vehicles of raw milk and milk products. • Decision N. 951/1 of October 26,2011: Health conditions of transportation vehicles of fresh carcasses, chilled and frozen meat.

13. Legal and Institutional Frameworks(3)Main Ministerial Decisions (2) • Slaughterhouses: • Decision N. 949 / 1 of October 26, 2011: Technical and health requirements for registration of slaughterhouses. • Processing: • Decision N. 897/1 of September 2012: Sanitary and approval requirements of food of animal origin industries. • Decision N. 822 / 1 of December 3, 2010: Sanitary and approval requirements of dairy industries. • Warehouses: • Decision N. 540 / 1of June 15, 2012: Requirements and registration of warehouses of food products of animal origin.

14. Legal and Institutional Frameworks(4)Main Ministerial Decisions (3) • Labeling: • Decision N. 1034 of November 21, 2011 and N. 539 of June 15, 2012: Organizing packaging and placing on the market of dairy products (labeling requirements).

15. Legal and Institutional Frameworks(5)Main Ministerial Decisions (4) • Import/Export • Decision N. 828 of December 8, 2010: Import conditions for meat products. • Decision N. 829 of December 8, 2010: Import conditions for live animals. • Decisions N. 498 of September 21, 2010 and N. 202 of February 19, 2011: Import conditions for powdered, concentrated and liquid UHT milk. • Decision N. 720 of August 8, 2011: Import conditions for prepared and processed food products of animal origin. • Decision N. 964 of October 26, 2011: Import conditions for chilled and frozen fishery products.

16. Legal and Institutional Frameworks (6) Inspection Procedures • Written inspection procedures issued for official inspection. • Updated manuals (inspection checklists, guidelines…). • Technical staff recruited ( veterinarians, agricultural engineers, agricultural technicians). • Several trainings conducted for official inspectors on PRPs, HACCP and inspection techniques. • Necessary inspection tools procured.

17. Country perspective (animal & human infections) Animal Diseases Control • Establishing yearly Control Program for animal disease (general surveillance). • Free services from the MOA: • Vaccination against brucellosis and other diseases • Treatment of ecto. and endo. parasites.

18. IRAL Institut De Recherche Agronomique Libanais

19. Annual plan of vaccination for 2013 in Lebanonبرنامج توزيع اللقاحات في لبنان خلال العام 2013

20. Control & Measures at Farm Level • Registration of farms at the MOA/ARD • Laying down conditions for registration • Identification of cattle, sheep and goat • Extension programmes for dairy farmers (Farm management, animal nutrition, hygiene, prevention of diseases…)

21. Slaughterhouses • Not allowed for animalsinfectedby brucellosis • Extension programmes for hygiene

22. Milk Production / Transportation • Extension for small farmers on milking and hygienic handling of milk • Establishing a system for the collecting and cooling of milk in collaboration with the private sector • Surveillance programme on quality of raw milk • New regulation on the transportation of milk and dairy products • Sanitary conditions • Approval and Registration of transport vehicles

23. Processing/ Dairy Products • New regulation laying down the sanitary conditions for dairy processing plans. • Establishment and implementation of inspection and control programme. • Sanitary registration of dairy processing plans. • Approval number AA BBB 999 LB.

24. Processing/ Dairy Products • Most of locally produced milk is processed: • Pasteurized milk • Laban & labneh • White soft & semi- hard cheeses • Ayran • Chanklich • Imported powdered milk: • Some white cheeses • Ayran • Ice cream

25. Dairy Import Ministerial decisions (MOA): • Health requirements and standards for the import of milk powder, UHT milk and concentrated milk. • Veterinary / Health Certificate required for dairy products- based on OIE standards and codex standards and guidelines. • Control at arrival • Physical and documentary inspection • Sample analysis

26. Perspectives • Develop and implement a stronger control system at farm level and dairy processing plans. • Develop and implement a Traceability system. • Strengthen the National Surveillance Programmes for disease, contaminants and residues in meat and dairy products. • تقوية الألية المعتمدة للرقابة على مستوى المزارع ومراكز التصنيع • وضع وتنفيذ آلية رصد واضحة • تنفيذ برنامج تتبع للمرض ومخلفاته في اللحوم ومنتجات الحليب • Regional Seminar for OIE National Focal Points on Animal Production Food Safety, 14-16 January, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

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