WDATCP Priorities for Industry: Working together for “Safe Food, Honestly Sold” Steve Ingham Administrator, Div. of Food Safety WI Dept. of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection
Mutual understanding of: Scope of the food safety challenge Macro-factors that might affect future food safety Hazards and controls associated with ingredients Hazards and controls associated with processes Requirements and susceptibility of customers Strengths and limitations of the food safety regulatory system
Doing the numbers – foodborne illness of microbial origin in the USA Experienced > Reported > Confirmed > Attributed 31 major pathogens (identified cause): ◦ 9.4M episodes; ◦ 56,000 hospitalizations; ◦ 1,350 deaths ◦ Scallan et al., 2011a. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 17: 7 – 15 “unspecified agents”: ◦ 38.4 M episodes; ◦ 72,000 hospitalizations; ◦ 1,700 deaths ◦ Scallan et al., 2011b. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 17: 16 - 22
Costs of food-borne illness in USA Medical cost Productivity lost Illness-related mortality (estimated value of life) $51 to $78 billion $1,100 - $1,600 per case Many low-cost cases, few high-cost cases
Comparison with other causes of death in USA Radon – 21,000 lung cancer-related deaths Influenza – 3,000 to 49,000 (varies with year and study) Heart diseases – about 600,000 Homicide – about 17,000 Medical errors – 44,000
Macro-factors that might affect future food safety Climate Population growth Urbanization Aging populations Changes in health care delivery Trade globalization Travel globalization
Climate change
Population Growth
Food-borne illness episodes attributable to major pathogens Norovirus: 5.5M Salmonella spp: 1.0M Clostridium perfringens : 966K Campylobacter : 845K Staphylococcus aureus : 241K Shigella spp.: 131K Non-O157 Shiga-toxigenic E. coli (STEC): 113K Toxoplasma gondii : 87K Giardia : 77K O157 STEC: 63K
Major Sources of Food-borne Pathogens Norovirus: feces, vomitus from humans Salmonella spp: feces from animals, humans Clostridium perfringens : soil; feces of animals and humans Campylobacter : feces of birds and animals Staphylococcus aureus : skin of animals and humans Shigella spp.: feces of humans Non-O157 Shiga-toxigenic E. coli (STEC): feces of cattle and humans Toxoplasma gondii : feces of animals Giardia : feces of animals water O157 STEC: feces of cattle and humans
Where Chickens Are Raised 12
Where Hogs Are Raised 13
Where Cattle Are Raised 14
Global trade of grains and oilseeds
Concentration of Food Processing and Sales (Stats ca. 2011) 4 companies: over 80% of U.S. beef. 4 companies: 67% of U.S. pork. Plants that slaughter over a million hogs per year supply 95% of market (compared to 27% in 1976). 4 companies: 59% of U.S. chicken. 5 companies: 50% of U.S. supermarket sales 20
And yet… A tale of two systems
Even a small company is in a global market
Dairy Farms – Grade A Produce ca. 98% of total WI milk 2012 survey results: largest 21% of farms (> 2.6 M lbs per year) produce 71% of grade A milk These farms would pass EU SCC criterion 98% of the time Smallest farms (< 550,000 lbs per year): 20% of farms, 2.5% of milk, would pass EU SCC criterion 85% of time
Dairy Farms – Grade B 14% of farms producing 2% of the WI milk
Seems sim Seems simple, doesn’t it? It’s no le, doesn’t it? It’s not! t! Producers Processors Distributors Sellers Consumers
Ingredient issues start at the farm Chemical and biological inputs Water quality Wild and domestic animals Contamination via neighbors Feed for animals
Biological Soil Amendments 28 6/23/2014
Harvest Hygiene
Water Quality and Post-Harvest Handling
Global and Local Sourcing of Ingredients
Sanitary Transportation of Food
Transport: what are your specifications? Are they being met?
Safe Food Transport – problems at street level!
Dairy Plants
Food Processing Plants
Understand the process
Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls ◦ Hazard analysis, including intentional adulterants: what can go wrong? ◦ Preventive controls: what can you do to control the hazards? ◦ Monitoring: how will you know? ◦ Corrective actions: “Oops”… ◦ Verification: Proof that preventive controls work
An inspection priority: looking at what the firm measures and records
Consider environmental sampling Can help verify that preventive controls are effective WDATCP looking at regulatory testing for indicator bacteria in Zones 1 and 2 of RTE processing areas
Should regulations adopt microbiological performance standards? Performance standard, examples Requirement to destroy a specified number of pathogen cells Requirement to prevent pathogen growth “How to” standard, example Hold raw-milk cheese for at least 60 days at a temperature not less than 35°F Encourage flexibility and innovation Let the science speak “Safe Harbors” for those without resources to conduct studies
Don’t forget the basics!
Retail Food Establishments
Know your customers Accuracy in labeling Susceptible populations
Civics 101 (why regulatory change can lag behind industry change) To address “big problems”, elected officials pass LEGISLATION Often empowers or requires agency to create regulations Sometimes “little problems” are addressed Non-elected officials create REGULATIONS and GUIDANCE May be possible without new legislation Requirements for meeting the “big picture” goals = regulations Writing and approving regulations can take years Information on complying with regulations = guidance which may be the day-to-day reality for industry and regulators GET INVOLVED!! Industry and public comments
Regulating food safety today “Fair, effective, and efficient – regardless of how big the business is! Is undergoing a transition. Past Command and control – “This is what you must do.” “Snapshot” on-site observations – “This is what I see now.” Present How well is establishment controlling the process? Preventive Documentation emphasis – “This is what your records show since the last inspection.”
Food Safety Regulation in the Future More Emphasis on “Upstream”Food Sources • More regulation of on-farm practices (especially produce). • Yet, increasing pressure to exempt “small” and “local”. • More scrutiny of “supply contracts” that dictate food safety requirements. • More scrutiny of private auditing and certification of suppliers. 48
Regulatory challenges ahead… Regulators are in uncharted territory Success of regulatory efforts depends on people Resources for hiring (and keeping) the best Training! The “time sink” of compliance actions How can we better integrate with federal regulators? FSMA regulations changes in laws, rules, jurisdictions, training How can we better receive, process, and transmit information? Standardization of processes Avoiding mixed messages
Questions? Steve.Ingham@wi.gov 608-224-4701
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