UNNExT Workshop on Promoting Cross-border Agricultural Trade for Sustainable Development

28-30 November 2016 Bangkok, Thailand

Key food safety considerations for export of fresh fruits from the Asia-

Pacific region at

Workshop on Promoting Cross-border Agricultural Trade for Sustainable Development

(28-30 November 2016, Bangkok, Thailand)

Ms. Shashi Sareen Senior Advisor, Food Safety & Quality

FAO Regional Office for the Asia & the Pacific E-mail: shashi.sareen@fao.org

Outline • Major emerging food safety issues related to

export of fresh fruits and produce from Asia Pacific region

• Some suggested strategies & initiatives to strengthen food safety systems in the region for trade facilitation

• Designing effective food safety control systems

Global scenario

Codex OIE IPPC

• Globalization - increasing demand by consumers for variety of foods

• Trans-boundary movement and trade across countries –$1.1 trillion (imports and exports of the top 15 countries- WTO,2014)

• Increasingly new challenges & risks to the health & safety of consumers - 1 in 10 affected (WHO, 2015)

• Quality, health, safety, labelling, food fraud incidents (melamine, horsemeat) acquiring global focus

• WTO Agreements govern trade

Major emerging food safety issues • Residues & contaminants – pesticides residues,

heavy metals, toxins, food additives, adulterants

• Pathogens & spoilage micro-organisms

• Plant pests and diseases – banana Fusarium wilt disease

• GMO issues

• Production practices - quality of water, test facilities

• Infrastructure - testing, Cold chain, packhouses

• Certification issues

A farmer destroys iceberg lettuce in Germany, E. coli cases

Pesticide residues in Thailand

Hepatitis A in semi-dried tomatoes

INFOSAN alerts 2015

Country Food Contaminants/ hazards

Bangladesh Apples and caramel apples

Listeria monocytogenesis

China Canned mushroom Glass

China Mixed frozen berries Hepatitis A virus

Serbia Frozen raspberries Norvirus Russian Federation

Canned tomatoes Clostridium botulinum

Mexico Cucumber Salmonella enterica serotype Poona

Guatemala Snap peas Cyclospora cayetanensis China Frozen berries Hepatitis A virus

Some suggested strategies & initiatives to strengthen food safety

systems in the region for trade facilitation

The food chain approach – value chains

Food safety hazards may arise at different stages of food supply and may need to be prevented from entering, reduced or eliminated

Standards Preventive approaches Market links & trade Finance aspects Cooperatives

Trade & SPS/Standards/ Codex

CAC - overview • Intergovernmental body • Established 1962 – joint

FAO/WHO • Mandate protect health of consumers ensure fair practices in

international food trade

• Membership - 186 countries + 1 member org (EC)

• Observers: 220 international organizations: scientific, industry, trade, consumers

Harmonization of standards with Codex and compliance

Standards relate to: • End product criteria • CoP for packaging &

Transport of Fresh F&V • Code of Hygienic Practice for

Fresh F&V • MRLs for pesticides • Food additives • Contaminant limits • Packaging & labelling • Inspection, sampling, testing

procedures/methods,

General Principles (France)

Food Additives (China)

Contaminants in Foods

(Netherlands)

Food Hygiene (USA)

Food Labelling (Canada)

Methods of Analysis and Sampling (Hungary)

Pesticide Residues (China)

Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods

(USA)

General Subject Committees Commodity Committees

Milk and Milk Products (NZ)

Processed Fruits and Vegetables (USA)

Fish and Fishery Products (Norway)

Fresh Fruit and Vegetables (Mexico)

Fats and Oils (Malaysia)

Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses

(Germany)

Meat Hygiene (New Zealand)

Vegetable Proteins (Canada)

Natural Mineral Waters

(Switzerland)

Cocoa Products and Chocolate (Switzerland)

Regional Coordinating Committees

Africa (Kenya)

Asia (India)

Europe (Netherlands)

Latin America and the Caribbean

(Chile)

Near East (Iran)

North America and the Southwest Pacific

(Vanuatu)

Executive Committee Secretariat

CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION

Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification

Systems (Australia)

active

adjourned

Codex Standards Structure

Cereals, Pulses and Legumes (USA)

Sugars (Colombia)

Spices and Culinary Herbs (India)

ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Forces

dissolved Animal Feeding

(Switzerland) Antimicrobial Resistance

(Republic of Korea)

Biotechnology (Japan)

Fruit and Vegetable Juices(Brazil)

Processing and Handling of Quick Frozen Foods (Thailand)

Strengthen standards/ Codex activities

Issues:

• NSB/ regulators - duplication

• Harmonization with Codex

• Low participation/ contribution to Codex, NCC not well functioning

• Standards for domestic & export differing

• Labels – language understood

• Recognition of controls/ standards of private sector

Harmonization of standards with Codex and compliance for better trade

• Focus Regional/ country projects

– review country situation, support better participation in Codex, national standards infrastructure, data collection

Trainings

Preventative Approach

HACCP An internationally accepted system to reduce & manage risk – by identifying, evaluating & controling hazards (C/P/B) significant for food safety

Good Practices GAP – practices that address environmental, eco, social sustainability for on-farm processes & result in safe & Q food GMP/GHP - All practices regarding conditions & measures necessary to ensure safety & suitability of food at all stages of the food chain FSMS - A holistic system of

controls that manage food safety in food business. (GHPs; HACCP; management systems elements & policies; & traceability/ recall system)

Focus: • Government sector programmes - Good

Practices, GAP/GMP/FSMS, streetfood/ retail, inspection & certification systems

• Market driven private sector certifications • Geographical Indications – infrastructure,

marketing • Other value chain programmes – ginger (Nepal),

FFV (Vietnam)

Preventive approaches and value chains Preventive approaches based on risk more effective

than reactive approach focussing on end product testing

Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)

• Training manual on “Implementing ASEANGAP in the F&V sector, its Certification & Accreditation”

• SAARC – A Scheme & Training Manual on Good Agriculture Practice (GAP) for fruits and vegetables Volume 1 The Scheme – 3 parts - Piloting

in 6 countries Volume 2 Training manual (5 modules, 18

sessions)

http://www.fao.org/docrep/019/i3576e/i3576e00.htm

Module III Establishment of National Implementation

Systems

Module I Introduction to GAP

Module V Preparing a Farmer/Producer or Producer

Group for GAP

Module IV GAP Certification and Accreditation

Training Manual on Implementation of GAP in the fruit and vegetable Sector in SAARC countries

Module II The GAP standards/requirements

Session 1 Background to food safety & intro to GAP Session 2 Different GAP standards – GlobalG.A.P./ other GAPs Session 3 An overview of GAP standard - Structure, requirements and conformity criteria Session 4 Food safety module Session 5 Environmental management Session 6 Workers health, safety and welfare Session 7 Produce quality Session 8 General requirements (incl. group controls) Session 9 GAP verification criteria, control points & checklists Session 10 Options & Structure for impl GAP Session 11 Scheme & Scheme Owner Session 12 Importance of GAP certification/accreditn Session 13 Criteria for selection of an AB for GAP Session 14 Establishment of a CB for GAP Session 15 GAP Certification Process Session 16 Auditing and auditing techniques

Session 17 Preparing the farmer/ farmer groups for implementing GAP Session 18 The application and approval process

• Improving food safety, quality, hygiene & food control in Bangladesh

• Strengthening Vietnamese SPS capacity for trade – improving safety & quality of fresh vegetables through value chain approach

• Strengthening capacity of food safety management along the value chain for better quality of agricultural and fishery products (Vietnam) – risk assessment studies for fruits, vegetables, etc

• Enhancing SPS Capacity of Ginger Exports through Public Private Partnerships (Nepal)

Examples of FAO Value chain activities for trade facilitation

Strong Partnerships

National Level

Private sector – Producer, processor, handlers, certifiers

Government - Enabling environment (scientific, technical, financial, infrastructure, regulatory); enforcement

The Consumer/ Civil Society

Regional & Global

Agreements

Research and data - ARAC

Test facilities

Universities

Food control – responsibility for food safety all actors in the chain

Traceability and use of IT

• To facilitate traceability Information needed and managed Structured across food chain (producer – consumer) Move across food chain – adding to it/ building up as it moves Information to be accessible to consumers

Long and complicated food chain requires IT based computerized systems

Traceability required for targeted & accurate withdraw or recall and validation of claims such as “organic”, GIs, halal, free from allergens…

Codex Principles for traceability/ product tracing as a tool within a food inspection & certification system (CAC/GL 60 – 2006)

Transparency and Communication Standards, procedures and protocols need to have clarity/

predictability so that can be met - exporters, importers and exporting government/ consumers to be aware of these

• Many agencies each with own set of requirements, generally no comprehensive guidance available (decision making criteria, etc) – leads to non-compliance with mostly procedural aspects. Verbal information by government authorities.

• WTO requires notifications – many countries still not notifying fully

• Risk communication poorly understood and addressed

• Consumer confidence important – effective communication including to media

Trade Facilitation

One Health

Human Health and Well being

Biosecurity, food safety single certificates(FS, animal/ plant health), AMR (reduce medicine use), pesticide use

WTO Agreements

One-Health and Trade Facilitation Multi-disciplinary approach to address various issues

Food safety Animal health Plant health & zoonoses Codex OIE IPPC

Economic impacts Any measures need to be based on an understanding of the

economic impacts

A poorly understood area – more studies needed

Excessive/ multiple government controls

IT based computerized systems

Standards

Certifications

Quality requirements

infrastructure costs

Focus on testing – not preventive measures

Poor compliance – destruction & recalls

National reputation

Implementing effective food control systems

FOOD CONTROL SYSTEMS

FOOD STANDARDS/ MEASURES SPS, CODEX

ENFORCEMENT & SURVEILLANCE

LABORATORY TESTING &

VERIFICATION

IEC & TRAINING

POLICY & FOOD CONTROL

MANAGEMENT

LEGISLATION Routine inspection, Imports/ exports, Emergency preparedness and response, FBDS

Effective food control systems facilitate trade

Codex Guidelines for design of effective food control programs - CCFICS

Designing effective food control systems

Effective food safety control systems – Objectives/Why?

Protection of public health – acute food borne illnesses; long term health impacts

Protection consumers from fraud and thereby promoting consumer confidence - mislabeled, adulterated, unwholesome food

Facilitating market access - meeting requirements for regional/ international trade

Reduction of food losses & wastes (contamination; spoilage; destructions)

Contributing to economic development by maintaining confidence in food systems and strengthening national reputation

Providing a base for Mutual Recognition & equivalence agreements

Government or Food Safety policy makers are guardians of food safety

Framework for the Development of a National Food Control System

Inspection, testing, FSER,

import/export, preventive approaches

Conclusion • Challenges many – food safety issues, standards,

certification, etc

• Government and private players both have a role

• Require focused targeted interventions

THANK YOU