Food Safety and Consumer Protection
Dick Groothuis Senior Veterinary Public Health Officer
Contents
–
–
–
–
History
Food safety and HAZARDS
European Legislation
General Food Law
–
– General Food Law
– EFSA
– RAS
Food hygiene
2
History
Survival is a natural attitude of living creatures
Protection from HAZARDS is sought for survival
3
Consumer Protection
Safety
– Absence of Hazards
– Guarantee of absence or Hazards
– No Hazards
4
HAZARDS
Individuals
Drives to protect from Hazards:
For individual survival
Protection from perceived hazards
Economic gains
Community survival and thereby individual survival
5
Hazards
Community interest
Protection of a group of people after they formed a
community and organized themselves from:
–Starvation
–Wild animals
–Neighbours
6
Hazards
Community interest
–Cities organized food quality
–Baker street, butcher street, butter street, corn market
–Gold coins (intrinsic value)
–Standardisation of measurements (weight, length)
–And close control over most vulnerable food: ….
MEAT
7
History 1300
Development of enforcement
 In ancient times sale of meat was
controlled by the local government or
religious rules.
 In The Netherlands around 1300 it was
allowed to slaughter animals in the cities
by everyone everywhere.
 By the end of that century slaughtering
was left to the butchers
 Increasing economy demanded market
control and as a result quality
standards.
 The local governments felt responsible
for safe meat.
8
Safe
Safe
No Hazard
9
Safe
Safe
Low Risk
10
DALY
Disability Adjusted Life Years
–Years lived with the disability.
–Disability is weighed according to severeness
–Death is included
11
Hazard ranking
Figures from The Netherlands
Hazard
number of death
DALY
Smoking
20.000
440.000
Overweight
8.000
170.000
Alcohol
2.200
195.000
Cars/Transport
1.200
85.000
Lightning
1
40
Legionella
80
560 +
Campylobacter
1400
Residues in food
(residues: vet. medicines, pesticides, preservatives, colour agents)
12
Cons Protection: Food
From community (city) to Europe
Extension from history to a larger scale
However, same objectives:
–
Availability
–
Safe
–
Fair (value for money)
–
Market regulation
13
Europe
Europe
General Food Law
Basis for the assurance of a high level of protection
14
Cons Protection: Food
Considerations. (selection from GFL)
High level of health protection
– Free movement of safe and wholesome food
– Same safety requirements in Europe for free movement
– Water is excluded from these regulations as it is already in other
ones
– Feed will be included
– Food production chain; from feed up to the sale and supply to the
consumer
15
Cons Protection: Food Ctnd
Considerations. (selection from GFL)
Laboratories and Risk
– Laboratory network
– Measures based on risk analysis (EFSA)
– Risk analysis; independent, objective and transparent
16
Cons Protection: Food Ctnd
Considerations. (selection from GFL)
Imports from third countries
– Same standards to be applied
– EU entered in international trade (WTO)
– international standards (CODEX)
– General principles for trade
17
Cons Protection: Food Ctnd
Considerations. (selection from GFL)
Traceability
– In all stages
18
Cons Protection: Food Ctnd
Considerations. (selection from GFL)
Information between Member States and the Commission
– Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed
– To allow appropriate action to be taken
19
Legislation
20
Legislation
General Food Law
Animal Feed
183/2005
Hygiene of
Foodstuffs
852/2004
853/2004
Animal
by products
1774/2004
GMO
1829/2004
1830/2004
854/2004
Food and Feed Control
21
Legislation
Hygiene package
Hygiene of
Foodstuffs
Hygiene rules
for food of
Animal origin
All production,,
Processing,
distribution
Separated by
product
Official controls
On products of
Animal origin
22
Official controls
Overview of legislation
(Just for information of numbers)





Gen Food Law (178/2002)
Hygiene of foodstuffs (852/2004) (H1)
Specific rules animal origin (853/2004) (H2)
Official controls (OC) animal origin (854/2004) (H3)
Food and feed control (882/2004)
23
Overview
To whom are the regulations addressed?

Gen Food Law (GFL): Everybody



 General principles of food safety
(H1): food business operators
(H2): food business operators handling products of animal origin.
(H3): organisation of official controls to the CA

 What the CA has to do (obligatory)
Off controls (OC): Competent authority.
 How the controls should be executed; performance of OC
24
General Food Law
25
General Food Law (GFL)
Chapter I
Scope and definitions
Chapter II
General Food Law
Chapter III European Food Safety Authority
Chapter IV Rapid Alert System, Crisis
26
GFL scope
Scope
– High level of protection
– Common principles and responsibilities
– It applies in all stages of production processing and
distribution
27
GFL scope definitions
Definitions
– Food: any product intended or reasonably expected to
be ingested by humans
– Excluded:
–
–
–
–
Primary production (animal & plant)
Medicinal products
Cosmetics
tobacco
28
GFL scope definitions
Definitions continued (selection)
– Food business: any undertaking carrying out activities
related to food
29
General Food Law
General principles
– High level of protection, free movement, international
standards
– Risk based (analysis, assessment, management)
– Precautionary principle
– Transparency
30
General Food Law
General requirements
Safety
– Unsafe: a) injurious to health; b) unfit
Injurious
immediate – long term – offspring
cumulative
particular group of consumers
Unfit
Contamination, putrefaction, deterioration or decay
31
General Food Law
General requirements
– Presentation of food - not misleading
– Responsibilities - food business operators
– Traceability - in all stages
32
EFSA
European Food safety authority
–
–
–
–
Scientific advice
Technical support
Independent information
Communicate on risks
33
Rapid Alert System
Information system to inform Member States,
Commission and EFSA
– Confidential
Reporting (direct or indirect risk):
– Any measure by the CA
– Voluntary
– Rejection at import at the border of the EU
34
35
36
Food Hygiene
The food business operator shall ensure that,
all processes under their control
satisfy the relevant hygiene requirements
as laid down in this regulation
37
38
Food Hygiene
Scope
All stages of production, processing and distribution
NOT
Private domestic use
Domestic preparation
Direct supply producer to consumer/local retail
39
Food Hygiene
General:
Ensure hygiene requirements
Specific:
– Primary production; Annex I
– Processing etc; Annex II
– Microbiological criteria (Regulation 2073/2005)
– Procedures
– Temperature control
– Maintenance of the cold chain
– Sampling and analysis
40
Food Hygiene
HACCP
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
Applicable after primary production.
Guides to Good Practice
– National guides
– Community guides
41
Food Hygiene Annex I
Primary production
– Primary production and associated transport
– Avoid contamination
– Proper use of medicines and plant protection products
– Clean and tidy
– Record keeping
– Use guides of good hygiene practice
42
Food Hygiene Annex II
Construction and lay out of the establishment
Adequate equipment
Transport (internal - external)
Waste removal
Water supply
Staff hygiene
Incoming materials/products
Packaging and wrapping
Heat treatment
Training of staff
43
Hygiene Animal origin
Scope
– Food of animal origin processed and unprocessed:
supplement to H1
NOT:
– plant origin and processed animal origin
– Primary production
– Domestic preparation
– Direct local supply consumer/retail
– Hunters
– Retail
Activities to be regulated in national law.
44
Hygiene Animal Origin
Registration and approval
– Registration for all
– Approval animal origin only, but not:
–
–
–
–
Primary production
Transport
Storage not temperature controlled
Retail
45
Hygiene Animal Origin
Food business operators
– shall comply with the relevant provisions
– Has applied a health mark on the products
– Shall ensure certificates or accompanying documents of
products or animals
46
Hygiene Animal Annexes
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
XV.
Definitions
Requirements products Animal Origin
Meat domestic
Wild game meat
Minced meat, meat preparations, MRM
Meat products
Live bivalve molluscs
Fishery products
Raw milk and dairy products
Eggs and egg products
Frog legs and snails
Rendered animal fats and greaves
Treated stomach, bladders and intestines
Gelatine
collagen
47
Hygiene Official controls
Directed to the Competent
authority (CA)
– Keep in mind in for actions
of the CA
– And duties of the
establishments
– What the CA has to do
– Professional qualifications
48
49