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Explore the need, availability, and limitations of food safety data, along with recommendations for improvement at national and international levels. Discusses risk-based systems, GMO data needs, and harmonization efforts.
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Statistics Related to Food Safety and Quality Food and Nutrition Division. FAO. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Content • Need of data and information at national and international levels • Type of data needed • Current availability of data • Existing problems and limitations • Recommendations
Data / information use at national level • Risk based systems for food control along the food chain • Food-borne disease and diet-related chronic diseases surveillance and control programs • Interrelationship between food safety, food quality and adequate and nutritious food • Formulation of health, agriculture and trade policies
Data / information use at international level • FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA): food additives, contaminants, natural ocurring toxicants and residues of veterinary drug residues • FAO/WHO Experts Meetings on microbiological hazards in food (JEMRA) • Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) • Ad hoc expert consultations
Type of data needed • Different in accordance with the specific purpose of a particular activity or measure. • Different at different steps of the food chain • Could include technical and economic data for cost-benefit analysis
Data needs: Food production, consumption and trade • Food production, import/exports: identification of priority products requiring major attention for both nutrition and food control purposes • Food consumption: evaluation/prediction of potential hazards for particular target population. • Food trade: detention/rejection of foodstuffs – facilitate international trade and consumer protection from imported/exported products.
Data needs: Risk assessment • Prevalence and/or concentration of the hazard in food • Data on effect of various steps and processes of the food chain in the fate of the microorganism or chemical hazard in food • Information on the human health impact of exposure to the hazard in different populations • Possible source of contaminants and mechanisms of contamination • Epidemiological and toxicological studies • Dietary exposure: national dietary intake and national monitoring basket surveys.
Data needs: GMO’s • Consumption of genetically modified foods • Allergenicity associated • Volume and value of GM food products traded • Results of certification programs • Traceability/product tracing of GM products and post market monitoring
Some international data sources • FAOSTAT: agricultural production statistics, food balance sheets, trade flow, Codex Alimentarius MRL’s for pesticide and veterinary drug residues • Global Environment Monitoring System. Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment Program: GEMS/Food • FAO/UNU International Network of Food Data Systems (INFOODS)-LATINFOODS.
Sources of data at regional and national levels Food contamination monitoring programs Food consumption surveys Good agricultural and manufacturing practices programs Surveillance programs
Problems to be addressed • Data from certain countries is sparse or lacking all together • Existing data is sometime not available due difficulties to identify proper source or due confidentiality issues • Data in scientific literature is incomplete • Disaggregate data is not available or information on sampling/analytical methods of analysis are lacking
Harmonization needs New data needs to be generated using standard methodology: • Sampling protocols • Validated analytical techniques • Appropriate data analysis methods and approaches • Development of statistical models which has the potential to allow greater use of limited data and prevent data incompatibility problems.
Actions to be promoted • Strengthen and integrate statistical data for food safety purposes. • Promote integration of data from food-borne surveillance programs, food monitoring contamination programs and national food consumption pattern data. • Better communicate benefits of integrated use of data
Recommendations • Develop/enhance networks to facilitate the collection of data for use in food safety related work • Enhance capacity building programs to assist developing countries in their efforts • Promote public/private partnership to enhance these capacity building efforts
Recommendation Countries from the region to make concrete steps towards identification/integration of data needed for food safety and quality purposes and the harmonization of the methodologies with international efforts in this area.
Additional information FAO Food and Nutrition Division http://www.fao.org/es/ESN/index_en.stm#