Food Recall and Traceability Usa Bamrungbhuet National Bureau of - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Food Recall and Traceability Usa Bamrungbhuet National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards Inception workshop “Principles and further activities for Codex implementation of International Food Safety Standards in ASEAN Countries” 17 – 19 September 2012, Royal Princess Hotel, Bangkok

Food Recall and Traceability • Consumer concerns about food safety have increased. • This is a result of various events relating to food safety. • An outbreak of food poisoning caused by the E. coli 0157:H7 in 1996 • Outbreaks of disease in animals that could be transmitted to human • The presence of chemicals above acceptable limits in food and feed , can threaten both the quality and safety of the product.

Food Recall and Traceability • A number of crisis concerning food safety and quality and their effect on consumer health have dented confidence in foodstuff. • In some cases food trade has also been severely disrupted and the export of food products has been prohibited. • These problems have had wide-ranging impacts throughout the food chain, and have brought about substantial reform in food production, regulation.

Food Recall and Traceability • Food Recall “ The action to remove food from the market at any stage of the food chain, including that possessed by consumers” • Traceability/product tracing (T/PT) “ The ability to follow the movement of a food through specified stage (s) of production processing and distribution”

Codex Standards Related to Food Recall • General Principle of Food Hygiene (CAC/RCP 1- 1969) • 5.8 Recall Procedures : • Managers should ensure effective procedures are in place to deal with any food safety hazards and to enable to complete, rapid recall of any lot of the finished food from the market. Where a product has been withdrawn because of an immediate health hazards, other products which are produced under similar conditions, and which may present a similar hazard to public health, should evaluated for safety and may need to be withdrawn. The need for public warnings should be considered.

Codex Standards Related to Food Recall • CAC/RCP 1- 1969(continued) • Recalled products should be held under supervision until they are destroyed, used for purposes other than human consumption, determined to be safe for human consumption, or reprocessed in a manner to ensure their safety.

Codex Standards Related to Food Recall • Other Code of Hygienic Practices  Code of Hygienic Practice for Eggs and Egg Products (CAC/RCP15 – 1976)  Refer to the General Principles of Food Hygiene  Code of Hygienic Practice for the Transport of Food in Bulk and Semi – Packed Food  Refer to the General Principles of Food Hygiene and, as appropriate, other Codex Codes of Hygienic Practice shall be applied.

Codex Standards Related to Food Recall Proposed Draft Principles and Guidelines for National Food Control System  In order to respond to food safety emergencies, consideration should be given to the establishment of a national food safety emergency plan with establishment of a coordination arrangement with links to public health authorities, law enforcement and intelligence agencies, food recall systems, risk assessment specialists, the food industry, and others.  The national food control system should have procedures covering the prompt removal of unsafe food. These procedures should ensure that products that are deemed to be unsafe should be recalled, appropriately dealt with to ensure consumer protection. Where distribution has occurred, appropriate consumer notification should be given.

Codex Standards Related to Food Recall Proposed Draft Principles and Guidelines for National Food Control System  Recall systems and other market withdrawal systems should be a coordinated effort between the national government and food business operators. If the competent authority requests a recall, operators should have an affirmative duty to recover recalled products and to destroy or dispose of them properly. National laws should include penalties for companies that fail to comply with recall requests.  In order to promote consumer confidence in food safety and ensure fair practices in the food.

Codex Standards related to T/PT General Principle of Food Hygiene (CAC/RCP 1- 1969) 9.1 Lot Identification Lot Identification is essential in Product recall and also helps effective stock rotation. Each container of food should be permanently marked to identify the producer and the lot. Codex General Standard for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods 9.2 Product Information All food products should be accompanied by or bear adequate information to enable the next person in the food chain to handle, display, store and prepare and use the product safely and correctly.

Codex Standards related to T/PT • An Issue in CCFFP, TFAF, TFFBT, CCFH, CCFL, CCFICS, CCGP, Regional Codex Coordinating Committee

Codex Standards related to T/PT CCGP  Codex Definition CCFICS  Codex Principle

Codex Standards related to T/PT • Discussion in CCGP  The place of traceability in risk management  The use of traceability for product integrity, authenticity and identification  The use of equivalent measures  Practicability of its application in developing countries  Consumer confidence and information concerning the nature and origin of products

Codex Standards related to T/PT • High costs reason for applying • Extent in consumer health protection • Ensuring fair trade practices

Codex Standards related to T/PT The extent in consumer health protection • To consider as part of food safety risk management • To achieve ALOP from that risk • Other appropriate measures achieve the same ALOP and less costly • To apply to some part or throughout the food chain • As a case-by-case basis depending on the nature of the risk and ability to manage

Codex Standards related to T/PT Ensuring fair trade practices • Country of origin • Organic farming • Religious concerns such as kosher or halal • Animal welfare • Environment

Codex Standards related to T/PT Question of how to achieve ALOP or legitamate objective • What are the modalities? • What information needs to be transmitted? • When and how to integrate into international regulatory? • Practicability in developing countries?

Codex Standards related to T/PT Question of how to achieve ALOP or legitimate objective • Need justifications for food safety and their economical practicability in developing countries. • Take into account other measures for food safety risk management process achieve same ALOP and may less costly or more appropriate in a given situation. • To consider the tracing of the products as an additional tool only for the cases when a risk to human health has been identified

Codex Standards related to T/PT • The 27 th CAC (2004) has adopted T/PT Definition Traceability/product tracing (T/PT) “ The ability to follow the movement of a food through specified stage(s) of production processing and distribution”

Codex Standards related to T/PT • CCFICS Set of Principles of T/PT  concerns that members have raised with respect to T/PT  the scope of the principles with respect to both food safety and fair practices in the food trade;  mandatory versus voluntary application of traceability/product tracing; and  the rationale for when and how to apply traceability/product tracing.

Codex Standards related to T/PT • The 29 th CAC (2006) adopted “ Principles for Traceability/Product tracing as a tool within a Food Inspection and Certification System (CAC/GL 60-2006)

PRINCIPLES FOR TRACEABILITY / PRODUCT TRACING • A set of principles to assist competent authorities in utilizing traceability/product tracing as a tool within their food inspection and certification system. • May be applied, in order to contribute to the protection of consumers against food-borne hazards and deceptive marketing practices and the facilitation of trade on the basis of accurate product • Is one of a number of tools that may be utilized by a competent authority within its food inspection and certification system

PRINCIPLES FOR TRACEABILITY / PRODUCT TRACING • may apply to all or specified stages of the food chain (from production to distribution), as appropriate to the objectives of the food inspection and certification system. • should be able to identify at any specified stage of the food chain (from production to distribution) from where the food came (one step back) and to where the food went (one step forward), as appropriate to the objectives of the food inspection and certification system.

PRINCIPLES FOR TRACEABILITY / PRODUCT TRACING • does not of itself improve food safety outcomes or promote fair practices in food trade, i.e. it must be applied in combination with a measure or requirement • ensuring the implications of implementation are fully considered (i.e. especially for developing countries • the exporting countries should not have to replicate the traceability/product tracing tool of the importing country, it need only meet the objectives of the importing country’s food inspection and certification system