Ensuring Food Safety: Strengthening Analytical Capacity in Sri Lanka

1. Part I : How safe are the food we consume? Part II : Strengthening Analytical Capacity

2. Vital Statistics • Population annual Growth rate – 0.93% (2015) • Life Expectancy at Birth (2011-2013) CSU • Total –74.9yrs • Female -78.3 yrs • Male – 72.0 yrs • Adult Literacy Rate (2012) CSU • Total : 95.7 % • Male : 96.9 % • Female : 94.6 % • MMR: 33.8/ 100,000 LB (2016) FHB • IMR : 8.2/1000 LB (2013) RG • Low Birth weight – 16.0% (2015) MSU • Food Safety ??? Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

3. Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

4. Food Legislation and standards Food control activities Food Safety Food Safety Food analytical capacity Inter-sectorial coordination Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

5. Legislation and standards • The primary law is the Food Act No.26 of 1980 • Regulations published in terms of section 32 of the Food Act. • Present there are 32 food regulations • Food Advisory Committee (FAC) • Sub-committees • Food Standards - developed at two levels, regulatory under the Food Act and voluntary national standards by SLSI. • National Food Safety Policy • National CODEX Committee (NCC) Chairperson, Secretary • National CODEX Contact Point (NCCP). Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

6. Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

7. Food control activities • Food control activities are of 3 fold Import control Domestic food control Export certification Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

8. Import control • Imports and Exports (Control) Act, 1969 • Post-arrival, all imported foods on the market are subject to inspection. • Involvement of many ministries. departments and other Institutions. • (DoA), DAPH, DFAR, SLSI and Ministry of Health) • High quarantine risk imports of plant or animal origin –Prior notification • Sri Lanka is a signatory to the National Trade Facilitation Agreement • (NTFA) of World Trade Organization. Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

9. Domestic control • 1800 authorize officers country-wide to carry out domestic control • Food Act - food establishment be registered • Bottle water Export control • All exporters need to be registered - Imports and Exports Control Act • All the export certificates are signed or countersigned by FCAU • Testing of samples is done by the exporter from approved laboratories. • Export factory inspection Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

10. Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

11. Trends of Main Food & Waterborne Diseases in Sri Lanka 2009-2017 Source - Epidemiology Unit

12. Trend in Food Poisoning Source - Epidemiology Unit

13. Food Poisoning 2017

14. Source - Epidemiology Unit

15. Food Poisoning 2016

16. Food Poisoning 2016(Incidence per million)

17. Food Analytical Capacity

18. External assessment of the Food safety system 2016 FAO • External assessment of Food laboratories 2016 WHO

19. Food analytical capacity Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety seven official food control laboratories carrying out testing of foods under the Food Act. Government Analyst Department and addl approved analyst Samples are drawn by the PHI/FI and submitted to these laboratories . The reports are sent to the respective PHIs. Laboratories in the government sector Laboratories set up with financial assistance from the government Private sector laboratories

20. Problems identified in Food analytical capacity • Cadre vacancies of analytical staff - grave problem • All labs need to get accredited for credibility of results. • National laboratory management and networking system. • The networked labs will be reporting test data to FCAU on real-time basis in a computerized IT environment. • Facilities to test heavy metal or pesticide residue must be available • Special tests of food and food grade packaging material Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

21. Activities identified to improve analytical capacity • With UNIDO support has initiated accreditation process of all 6 food laboratories • Establish Food laboratory steering committee under the FAC • Identify specific additional testing capacity Eg. • i. Pesticide residues-GAD and NIHS • ii. Heavy metals in water and food-GAD and Anuradhapura lab • iii. Aflatoxins -GAD and NIHS • Sweeteners, flavour enhancers and Antioxidants –GAD and NIHS • v. City Analyst Colombo-Fatty acid pattern in oils and quantification of colours present in food • Identify additional analytical capacity from accredited government laboratories.

22. Registrar of Pesticides – Pesticides in water, fruits and vegetables and Heavy • Metals in Food • 02. Water Resource Board – chemical analysis in water (excluding heavy metal) • 03. National Water Supply and Drainage Board – water analysis including heavy • metal • 04. NARA – Fish and fish products for Histamine and heavy metals • 05. Tea Board – Black tea and green tea chemical and microbiological testing • 06. Veterinary Research Institute – antibiotic residues • 07. Coconut Development Authority – testing of Coconut products, coconut oil and other oils • 08. Palmyra Board – Palmyra Jiggery and treacle • 09. Food Safety and Quality Assurance Laboratory Department of Veterinary • Public Health and Pharmacology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal • Science University of Peradeniya - Antibiotic residues • 10. Sri Lanka Standard Institute – Sugar and sugar products, milk and milk • products, • 11. Industrial Technical Institute - antioxidants, flavors and flavor enhancers, • sweeteners, Aflatoxin and testing of food packaging material

23. Over all challenges • Food laboratories not attractive • No opportunities for career development or promotion pathway • No work satisfaction due to limited in country training and oversees exposure • No appreciation mechanism • Less priority compared medical laboratories • High turnover of support staff

24. Despite the above issues We are indebted to the staff working in the laboratories despite the above hardships in assisting to report on Food samples be it may formal samples or food surveillance samples We need to work together to make food safe for all of us

25. Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety