GF3 E-forum

Global Forum 3 - Proposed Themes

The themes are presented in a non-prioritized sequence.

1. Reaping the benefit of new national food safety systems - reducing the risk from food
2. Food safety - doing more with less
3. Dealing with emerging and forgotten risks in food
4. Food safety systems - a renewed focus on small scale (rural) production
5. The food chain approach to promote food safety
6. Science as the basis for food safety measures
7. Application of risk analysis in food safety (revised from GF-1 proposal)

1. Reaping the benefit of new national food safety systems - reducing the risk from food

Given the variety of potential contamination sources in the food production chain, it is unrealistic to imagine for the foreseeable future a situation where food will not cause disease. Although many advances in the twentieth century have contributed to continuous improvements in the safety of many foods, foodborne disease remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality both in the developed but most certainly also in the developing world. In some areas existing data even seem to suggest that the burden of emerging and re-emerging diseases could be increasing, while the burden of diseases relating to e.g. chemical contaminants is still in essence un-known.

The new framework for food safety systems promoted by FAO and WHO, and now implemented in many countries, is specifically focused on an analysis of human health risk related to food and the best ways to prevent such risks. The framework also pre-supposes improved collaboration between the governmental sectors dealing with health, food production and primary production. The sharing of experience related to food safety risk management strategies aimed at controlling or lowering disease risk would therefore seem pertinent at this stage, most notably with a focus on how to apply such experience in developing countries.

2. Food safety - doing more with less

In most countries there is still a need to build more efficient food safety control programmes, in many cases with decreases in available funds for this purpose. In doing so national systems can benefit from important international activities in this area. Examples include:

• introducing priorities based on risk-based assessments,
• using efficiently international scientific advice, e.g. from JECFA and JEMRA,
• integrating Codex standards and guidelines into national legislations,
• developing more targeted compliance programmes,
• maximizing effectiveness of expensive laboratory resources,
• using new electronic reporting and management systems,
• applying standardized methodology, etc.

The sharing of experience between countries in these areas would constitute a truly international cost-sharing exercise with direct health benefits for national food safety, but also for food safety related to international trade.

3. Dealing with emerging and forgotten risks in food

Foodborne disease is one of the widespread public health problems in the world affecting all countries through a wide range of foodborne hazards. Over recent years new hazards have emerged related to foods - notably some important (new) microorganisms, such as E. coli O157 or multi-resistant Salmonella typhimurium DT104, but also new chemical hazards, such as acrylamide, now known to be formed in certain foods at high temperatures. At the same time a number of well-known, but sparsely investigated problems in food remain major problems in many parts of the world. The importance of viruses and parasites, but also the real burden of cancerogenic chemical hazards in food is generally overlooked. The need for food safety systems to strengthen activities in these emerging areas warrants a concerted effort based upon a mapping of existing efforts and initiatives.

4. Food safety systems - a renewed focus on small scale (rural) production

While many traditional regulatory systems, including systems exported to developing countries take outset in a certain food production structure, new problems in certain parts of the world have exposed the inability of such traditional systems to deal efficiently with such problems when part of a small-scale food production structure. The systems of production where the farm to fork chain is few meters or where live animal markets represents the most important distribution chain are not well covered by standards food safety regulatory systems. Experience from countries having initiated new efforts to ensure food safety also in small-scale rural production systems should be shared with a view of strengthening this sector of growing food safety importance.

5. The food chain approach to promote food safety

In recent years, food safety incidents have highlighted the need to address food safety issues along the food chain, in a systematic and comprehensive manner. Many countries have recognised the importance of applying the food chain approach and have introduced programmes to promote this approach in their food systems.

For the purpose of food safety, it is now generally accepted that food chains cover all inputs into the production of the food, including feed for animals, chemical treatments at the production and post-harvest stages, and even the land or water from which the food is harvested. Nutrient values also may vary within species and different growing conditions, with implications for level of nutrition that may be expected from foods from different sources. The food chain approach must also address urban and peri-urban production and marketing systems which provide special problems due in part to the close confinement of production, the close proximity to human dwellings, the lack of adequate sanitary conditions, the use of unsafe water, and the absence of normal agricultural technical support systems.

6. Science as the basis for food safety measures

The WTO Agreement on SPS has emphasized the need for food safety measure to be based on science. The Codex Alimentarius Commission has also emphasized the need for Codex standards and related texts to be based on science and to have regard, where appropriate, to other legitimate factors relevant for the health protection of consumers and for the promotion of fair practices in food trade.

At the national level, many countries have established scientific committees and panels to provide risk managers with the necessary advice to make science-based decisions. Other countries rely on the advice provided by FAO and WHO through the work of expert bodies such as JECFA, JMPR, JEMRA and the FAO/WHO ad hoc expert consultations. The FAO/WHO consultative process on the provision of scientific advice to Member countries and to Codex had identified a number of issues which need to be addressed to improve the process and ensure the integrity of the scientific advice. Increasing the participation of developing countries (experts and data) has been highlighted as important objective that requires the support of all concerned. Case studies on how other legitimate factors have been considered in decision-making concerning food safety could be shared among food safety regulators.

7. Application of risk analysis in food safety (revised from GF-1 proposal)

Several countries have, in recent years, adopted a risk-based approach to food safety management. Experience in this field is increasing and lessons learned by some countries are valuable to share with other countries.

Countries that have not yet adopted a risk-based food safety system will undoubtedly be affected by actions taken by other countries that have adopted such a system and could share their experience with others. Because of the novelty of the approach, many countries will be interested in information and experiences from which they can learn and eventually apply to their food safety systems.