Dr. Adnan I. Al-Samarrie,
Assoc. Prof., Toxicology,
Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority
1
Two Main Issues will be discussed
• Briefing ADFCA strategy in the field of food safety.
• ADFCA recent policy concerning field auditing in order to
adopt GAP in Abu Dhabi agricultural fields.
Food safety
It is a wide spectrum field; it needs several bodies to
organize their acts to achieve the goal.
Producers
Control
Authorities
Food
Safety
Handlers
&
Consumers
Manufacturers
• Food safety is not necessarily related to toxic-free materials.
• People and scientists are more concerned about toxicants.
Environmental Contaminants
Pesticides
Hormones
Chemical
Physical
Biological
Contaminants
GMOs
Microbes
Radiation
Metals
Stones
ADFCA strategy to assure food safety
To reach this goal, ADFCA is performing in stepwise
the following:
• Initiate the required legislations.
• Improve manpower capabilities. Develop sampling methods and
inspection systems.
• Encourage the producers to adopt GMP, GAP
• Transparency with the stockholders
• Update the Laboratories instrumentation and analytical
• methods.
5
Food Safety pathway....
Foods need to be safe during entire whole food
handling chain
Farm
To
Table
Farm
To
Fork
Foods can be contaminated in
Farm
Both
Outside the farm
6
Critical Points in Food Contamination
• Environmental: Contaminants: drifting.
• Insects: Physical and Biological Damages.
• Animals: Sources of microbial contaminants, physical damage
• Soil: Contaminants uptake or transmitted.
• Water: During Irrigation and post harvest washing process the
food process.
• Equipment: field & crop growing, harvesting, storage and
transport.
• Handling: Pre harvesting; misuse of pesticides and fertilizers
pre-, during and post harvesting.
• Storage, distribution under bad conditions and poor hygiene
• Retailers and Consumers : Poor Hygiene
7
Foodborne illness
It is the major threat to the produce & health



In USA (1990-1998) the number of outbreaks associated
with fresh produce steadily increased.
Three-quarters (75.3%) of the outbreaks in USA were
related to domestically grown produce.
Most of the outbreaks were caused by bacteria, especially
Salmonella species and E. coli O157:H7.
* Hilborn, E.D. et.al., 1999, Arch. Intern. Med.
8
300
Pathogens
250
Pesticide residues
200
150
Genetically modified
organisms
100
Other contamints
50
0
1999
2003
2004
2009
U.S. Market for Food Safety Testing by Type of Contaminant, 1999-2009, ($millions). Source BCC, Inc.
After Strasburger & Siegal INC.
How To Improve Food Safety in the Farm:
It needs the following:
• Management
• Documentation
• Good field practices
How to evaluate the farm good practices???
Auditing is the tool ….
10
ADFCA GAP PROGRAM (FARM AUDIT FORM)
Pesticides usage and storage
Good
Pesticide Application
a.i./area
Spilling Treatment &
Wash Disposal
Procedural Plan for
Pesticide Spill
Spraying Devices
Maintenance
Weather and Drifting
Application
Documentation
Minor
Changes
Significant
Changes
Radical
Change
Corrective
Action
Cost
Completion
Date
ADFCA GAP PROGRAM (FARM AUDIT FORM)
Pesticides usage and storage
Good
Water Source
Farm Pest Records
Licensed Pesticides
Applicators
Safety Requirement
Protection of
pesticide stores
The Design of
Pesticides Stores
Minor Significan
Changes t Changes
Radical
Change
Corrective
Action
Cost
Completio
n Date
What is the auditor looking for?
• Management: Handling the input and output.
• Documentation: The reports and logbooks
• Good field practices: Follow the SOPs & specialist advices
Farm Practices
Crop
Growing
Handling &
packing
Harvesting
Post Farm
Retailers
Consumers
Storage
in field
Transportation
Guidelines & Regulations
Water:
•Source
•Chemical
Contaminants
•Salinity
•Microbial loading
Agrochemicals:
•Fertilizers
•Pesticides
•Growth regulators
•Application
Manure & Biosolid
•Source
•Composting methods
•Microbial loading
•Chemical contaminants
•Application
Hygiene
Farm workers
Water Parameters
The auditor checks:
• Water sources: treated municipal waste water, desalinate
water.
• Water chemical contaminants: heavy metal, pesticides, nitrate,
Phosphates, etc.
• Biological contamination: bacteria, fungus, Parasites.
• Water salinity: Total dissolved solids, pH, E.C.
• Water contact: Minimize contacts between irrigation water and the
edible plant parts.
16
Agrochemicals & Hygiene
The auditor checks:
• Fertilizers: types, soil parameters, rain, leach ability.
• Pesticides: registration, pests, applicators, pre harvesting period,
reentry time, waste management.
• Application practices and records.
• Growth Regulators: IGRs and PGRs: comply with local regulations
Hygiene:
workers, sanitation standards, medical records.
17
Manure is a source of contamination:
The auditor inspects:
• Manure source: cattle species, age of animals
• Composting method: heating temperature, period of heating, aeration.
• Chemical contaminants: heavy metals, pH, pesticides, etc.
• Microbial loading: pathogenic microbes, intensity.
• Time of application: harvesting time, irrigation method,
incorporate with the soil.
• Bio Solids: Composting, plantation. Local regulations.
18
General Concerns
• Once food contaminated, it is very difficult to decontaminate.
• Minimize the sources of food contamination.
• Fallow the specialist advices.
• Enroll the farm in auditing system.
• Training the farm workers at all levels of good agricultural
practices.
• Documentation should cover all farm activities.
• The corrective actions should be implemented at appropriate
time.
19
Asma Abdi Mohammed
Head of Pesticides Residues Unit
Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority
20
Introduction:

In general pesticides are used to control pests such as
insects, fungi, weeds & rodents but in the same time these
chemicals harm the environment & human being .

The Government of UAE Regulates the usage of Pesticides

Because of awareness, common public have a great concern
about the pesticides residues in vegetables and fruits.
ADFCA pesticides residues monitoring program try to
ensure that human dietary intake of these pesticides are at
acceptable levels which are not harmful to human health .

ADFCA Monitoring Program
•
ADFCA Started pesticides residues monitoring program in
2006 .
• Focused on imported & Local product (vegetables & fruits).
• ADFCA are using state-of- the- art instruments.
• The laboratories Department of ADFCA are UKAS
accredited
Legislation of MRLs

Maximum Residues Level (MRL) is the highest level of
pesticides residues that is legally tolerated in consumed
food.

ADFCA relies on the UAE & Gulf standards, Codex
Alimentarius and EU standards for pesticides’ MRLs.
Sampling

Trained inspectors of ADFCA collect the samples
according to ADFCA sampling methods.

Domestic samples are collected from AD Municipality
Agricultural Products Collection Center.

Imported samples are collected from Abu Dhabi
markets.
Analytical Methods
The pesticides residues unit in ADFCA adapted a multi residues
method which cover broad spectrum of pesticides and different
commodities of vegetables and fruits
 Analyses are performed by highly skilled & competent staff.
 The procedure is based on qualitative & quantitative analysis.
 Used equipment are (GC/ECD),(GC/NPD) and all the
conformations are curried out using (GC/MS).

Quality Assurance:

Participation in External Proficiency Test Programs.

To meet the highest standard of accuracy the calibration
of standard is always prepare in matrix .

Used method is accredited by UKAS.
(2006-2007-2008)
Origin
Year
No Residues
No. of
samples
containing
Domestic
2006
79.70%
2007
Import
2008
2007
2008
86.60%
82.19% 64.30%
Residues < MRLs 19.70% 22.33% 32.40% 12.80%
13.69% 32.30%
Residues> MRLs
4.10%
0.57%
73.30% 67.60%
2006
4.36%
0.00%
0.58%
3.50%
2006
Domestic
Import
86.60%
79.70%
19.70%
12.80%
0.57% 0.58%
No Residues
Residues ≤ MRLs
Residues> MRLs
2007
Domestic
Import
82.19%
73.30%
22.33%
13.69%
No Residues
Residues ≤ MRLs
4.36%
4.10%
Residues> MRLs
2008
Domestic
Import
67.60%
64.30%
32.40% 32.30%
0.00%
No Residues
Residues ≤ MRLs
3.50%
Residues> MRLs
2006-2007-2008
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
No Residues
Residued <MRLs
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2006
2007
2008
The results of 2006-2008 indicated that the numbers of
the samples free of pesticide residues decreased,
whereas the samples within MRLs did rise and that
can be revealing to:
1- Sampling scheme during 2007 concentrated on the
most suspected commodities based on 2006 results,
and the sampling of 2008 based on same manner.
2- Extend the pesticides during 2008 and the number of
samples
Recommendation:
1- Educate the farmers to follow Good Agricultural
Practice.
2- Sampling scheme needs to be based on regional
productions.
3-Extend the analysis to cover more commodities.
4-Risk analysis of the residues data.