Lessons learnt from Lessons learnt from Previous problems chemical - PDF document

Lessons learnt from Lessons learnt from Previous problems chemical chemical contamination of food contamination of food Food Fraud to improve food safety to improve food safety Food adulteration Nick Tomlinson Counterfit products Food Standards Agency United Kingdom …and solutions Analyse products Publish results ….and brand names Advice gets overlooked 21st Century - What has changed? " If you please, Sir, Mother says, will you let her have a quarter of a pound of your best tea to kill the rats with, and a ounce of chocolate as would get rid of the black beetles?" ( Punch, 14 August 1855)

EU-wide limits What EU food law requires Aflatoxins Ochratoxin A Lead •cereals •coffee, wine •milk, formula •nuts & dried fruit •dried fruit, grape juice •meat, offal •baby foods •baby foods •cereals, fruit, veg. Food shall not be placed on the market if •milk (M1) •cereals •fats, oils, wine •spices it is unsafe (injurious to health or unfit) •fish, seafood Cadmium Dioxins + PCBs •meat, offal Nitrate •meat, offal •cereals, fruit, veg. •fresh lettuce Food businesses responsible for ensuring •fish, milk, eggs •fish, seafood •baby foods •oils and fats •spinach compliance with food law Mercury Tin Trichothecenes Fumonisins •fish •canned food •cereals •cereals 3-MCPD BaP Patulin Zearelenone •soy sauce •oils, fats, fish, •apple products •maize, wheat •HVP shellfish, meat, •baby foods babyfood Food law enforcement …But another law says Enforcement authorities Sampling and analysis Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong Advice, or ultimately prosecution Food industry “due diligence” BRC global standard Independent audit

So Concern about food safety issues Food poisoning 100 Animal feed Fat 95 Antibiotic residues Sugar Sudan I 90 85 80 % 75 70 65 60 55 50 Mar-01 Sep-01 Mar-02 Sep-02 Mar-03 Sep-03 Mar-04 Sep-04 Mar-05 Sep-05 Mar-06 Sep-06 Contaminants in food International trade in food 500 What we want to achieve: Export billion $ 400 • chemicals in food do not compromise 300 food safety 200 • appropriate controls, properly enforced 100 • open debate of issues amongst 0 1986 1988 stakeholders 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 Source:Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Globalisation of food trade Salted butter - UK, Ireland Herb Butter: Garlic puree - China, USA, Spain - China, USA, Spain Garlic salt - USA Lemon - France, UK Parsley - Indonesia Pepper - UK Water Chicken Chicken - Ireland, Belgium UK, France etc. Breast: Batter: Flour - Belgium, France Water - UK - Ireland, UK Bread Bread crumb Chicken Kiev Rape-seed oil - EU, Australia Crumb: Eastern Europe Looking Forward Our key aims include: Food incidents Food safety • to continue to reduce foodborne illness • to reduce the risks to consumers “Any event where, based on the information from contaminated food available, there are concerns about actual or suspected threats to the safety or quality of food that could require intervention to protect consumers’ interests.”

Incidents by category How can we prevent food incidents? •Raise awareness 3% 38% •Identify research needs 3% •Develop codes of practice 4% 5% •Encourage targeted action 11% 13% 6% •Develop robust horizon 1337 incidents Sept 05 – Aug 06 scanning mechanisms Environmental Contaminants Natural Chemical Contaminants Microbiological Processing/Post Processing •Share intelligence Vet Meds Physical - Accidental Mislabelling Microbiological - On-farm Illegal Additives Other Allergens Irradiated Foods Food Fraud •Intelligence led enforcement Process Contaminants - Chemical Unauthorised use of an Additive Food Contact Materials Pesticides Radiological Physical - Deliberate Biocides EU RASFF SYSTEM Informal information exchange INFOSAN Incident prevention – Working in partnership Retailers Caterers Manufacturers Farmers

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