Global aspects of regulations & controls: Food safety objective & related concepts

What are the three branches of WTO (world trade organisation) that are involved in advising on food safety legislation?

• Food safety - CODEX

• Animal health and zoonoses - WOAH

• Plant health - IPPC

What is ALOP? (Introduced by WTO SPS Agreement)

• Appropriate level of health protection

  • Government decides what the appropriate level is so you can quantify what the appropriate risk is because the risk can never be zero

What metrics can be used to develop risk based targets in food safety management?

• Food safety objective (FSO)

• Performance objective (PO)

• Performance criterion (for these targets^)

• Product criterion (PdC)

• Process criterion (PcC)

• Microbiological criterion (MC)

Define Food Safety Objective (FSO)

The max frequency and/or concentration of a hazard in a food at time of consumption that provides / contributes to the ALOP

• Related to point in food chain where hazard level can no longer change

• Quantified

Define performance objective

the max frequency and/or concentration of a hazard in a food at a specified step in the food chain before the time of consumption that provides, or contributes to, an FSO or ALOP

What is the relationship between PO and FSO?

• If hazard could increase between PO & consumption then the PO will have to be more stringent than the FSO

• If level of hazard decreases then FSO>PO

• If it won’t change then PO = FSO

Who sets POs?

Competent authority / individual FBO (food business operator)

Define performance criterion (PC)

the effect in frequency and/or concentration of a hazard in a food that must be achieved by the application of one or more control measures to provide or contribute to a PO or an FSO

• E.g. quantified reduction of Salmonella when cooking meat

What can PC be translated into?

PcC or a PdC and then modelling Product criterias can translate into ALOPs

What is process criterion (PcC)?

The physical process control parameter (e.g. time, temperature) @ a specified step that can be applied to achieve a performance objective or performance criterion

• E.g. temp & time for milk pasteurisation which → quantified reduction in bacteria

What does PcC equivilate to on the HACCP (hazard analysis & critical control point) plan?

Critical limits on CCPs (critical control points)

Define product criterion (PdC)

A chemical or physical characteristic of a food (e.g. pH, water activity) that, if met, contributes to food safety

• If met then the PC will be met

Define microbiological criterion (MC)

Acceptability of a product or food lot, based on absence or presence or no. of microorganisms incl. parasites, and/or quantity of their toxins / metabolites per unit(s) of mass, vol, area, or lot

Summary of the metrics used for risk based targets

Recall the risk based targets metrics that are determined by the FBO and which are more commonly determined by the government?

• PO, PC, MC, PrC can be developed by gov but mostly by FBOs

• FSO = more commonly by gov

What is a tariff vs a non tariff?

Tariff —> taxes/ duties on imported products imposed by gov

Non- tariff —> not directly money-related

• E.g. quality standards or paying subsidies to producers

What are sanitary certificates?

• Document confirming that the environment in which a product has been prepared meets minimum hygiene requirements

• Specific to product e.g. seafood, honey, dairy etc.

• EU requires statements assuring minimum animal welfare standards

Which beef growth hormones are banned in the UK and why?

• Oestradiol

• Progesterone

• Testosterone

• B agonists e.g. ractopamine —> promotes lean growth

Banned because hormones remain in m. tissue —> potential health risk to humans on consumption e.g. oestrogen tox

How are pathogen presence on carcasses reduced in the EU?

Why is it not generally encouraged?

EU states can only use cold air & water to “rinse” carcasses

What are the potential contaminants of carcasses?

• Salmonella

• E.coli

• Campylobacter

Why are pathogen reduction treatments banned in the EU?

• Even though minimal risk to public health on consumption, encourages poor hygiene practices further up food chain

• Causes aerosol spread of pathogens

Why must pork be frozen by EU law?

To prevent trichinellosis

What should the transport time of cattle for meat be?

<8hrs

What diseases need to be considered for importation of cattle for meat?

BSE, bluetongue, bovine leucosis

Cannot consume animal products from cloned animals in EU (can in US)