Food and Chemical Safety

Publications and Documents

10-point Regional Strategy for Food Safety in the South-East Asia Region

Epidemiological Systems

     In order to increase the availability of information necessary for advocacy of food safety issues as well as to plan, implement and assess disease control activities, a national epidemiological service with the capacity to establish surveillance and investigation procedures is essential, While such services exist in most countries of the Region, their resourcing also severely limits their capabilities. Slow management of health data by doctors, clinics and hospitals may also negate the effectiveness of these services with delays of up to several months before data on communicable diseases is accessed.

Strategy 5: Governments should identify the need for, and. most appropriate approach to foodborne diseases surveillance and provide, the ne .cessary resources.

Related Actions

     As country reports from the Region identified all foodborne diseases as notifiable, the central or core multi-sectoral group (developing food policy) should identify the most appropriate approach to foodborne disease surveillance and outbreak investigation. This may be achieved either using national expertise or by requesting international collaboration to elaborate the alternative approaches possible as laid down in the WHO publication WHO/FSF/FOS/97.3.

     Where there is not currently a centrally-administered epidemiological surveillance unit with the capacity to address foodborne diseases, a government's health authorities should establish such a capability, providing it the necessary human and financial resources.

     In those countries where a central epidemiological unit alone is inadequate to provide the appropriate level of responsiveness, the government must commit to the establishment of a regional/provincial/district network of centres in the longer term. in such circumstances, it is appropriate that this longer-term goal need be identified as part of the government policy and the necessary funds allocated.

Establishing Effective Working Relationships with the Food Industry and Trade

The prevention of foodborne diseases requires that microbiological, chemical and physical hazards be prevented from contaminating food or be eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels at all stages of the food chain, from production to consumption. Measures implemented at the earlier stages of the food chain are able to prevent, eliminate or reduce many hazards. This is the first line of defence against foodborne diseases. it is essential that food control authorities interact with primary industry regulators and food producers to minimize the risk of agricultural and environmental chemical hazards as well as biological and physical hazards contaminating food. The failure to do so may lead to irreversible contamination and increased public health risk. The extent to which such working relationships exist is quite variable across the Region.

     Despite model food legislation drafted by WHO and FAO highlighting the need to involve producers, industry and trade in decisions at all levels of food control, a number of health authorities have failed to establish effective working relationships with these sectors.

     Increased international trade in food has led to a significantly increased availability of a very large number of food items. Monitoring these items may impose a very heavy burden on food inspection services, both in terms of cost and time. There is also a lack of awareness in some sectors of the food industry about the importance of food safety practices and the necessity to  properly train and educate food handlers. The food industry seldom consults health authorities on food safety problems arising during food processing. Few industries are involved in efforts to promote consumer health education.

Strategy 6:. Governrnents should both assist food producers,: industry: and trade to assure the safety of food and require these sectors to participate in providing food 'Safety and quality in all its products.

Related Actions

     Governments should ensure the presence of sufficient food inspectors (either government or government accredited) to audit industry's capacity to process high-risk food safely as a priority.

     Government should encourage small-scale food industries to realize its responsibility of care in the production of food through a diversity of awareness - raising activities and train (using government or government - accredited trainers) such industry personnel in the application of HACCP principles to food production.

     Industry should undertake food safety programmes based upon HACCP and quality assurance and control programmes as appropriate and training of its food handlers in basic principles of food hygiene commensurate with their work activities.

     Industry should consider establishing a diversity of approaches to facilitate consumer-industry interaction and industry-industry cooperation e.g. industry association laboratories, association codes of ethic and consumer grievance cells.

     Governments should encourage the involvement of producers, industry and trade in national food safety developments through representation on central food safety boards or committees addressing policy. Producers, industry and trade should also be encouraged to participate in the Codex process. To facilitate broad representation in these processes, producer, industry and trade associations should be encouraged.

     Governments should actively promote international trade in safe food by undertaking activities such as promotion of those industries employing ACCP based systems, provision of pre- and post- audit services to these industries and establishment of a laboratory for standardization of quality.

     Governments should examine mechanisms for establishing import-export certification systems in accordance with Codex guidelines. Such systems should be promoted through a diversity of activities.

     Where appropriate, in order to increase access to sufficient supplies of safe food and to better empower the socio economically deprived, governments should collaborate with producers to facilitate financial support through programmes such as credit programmes.

     Governments should examine schemes (including certification and grading) to encourage producers to implement safe production practices.

Establishing Effective Working Relationships with Food Service Providers and Retailers

     Governments do not often have the resources to adequately regulate this sector which is significantly more extensive than the food processing industry. The limited number of food control personnel, the vast number of retailers and food service personnel, in some cases their mobility, socioeconomic condition, low level of education and lack of appreciation of safe food handling all make this sector a significant factor in determining the extent to which consumers can access safe food.

     If a community is to have the full benefits of such foods with minimal risks of foodborne disease, government intervention is required to protect consumers against overt health risks and to assure that the standard of safety of such foods is the best attainable in the context of the prevailing local situation.

Strategy.7:Governments should both assist the retail and food service sectors (particularly street food vendors ) to assure the safety of food and require these sectors to participate in providing food safety quality in all its products.

Related Actions

     Governments should establish or strengthen regulations and standards (based upon HACCP principles) which address the handling and retailing of food, particularly high-risk food.

     Governments may find it appropriate to encourage the development of associations, where appropriate, in order to assist the retail and food service sectors to better participate in future developments in national food safety efforts.

     For the street food vending sector, training based upon HACCP principles should be undertaken and, where feasible, essential utility services, such as electricity, potable water and waste disposal, made available to enhance food safety.

     Authorities (national, provincial, district or municipal) should employ tools, such as healthy cities, healthy schools and healthy market places, to focus on food safety in both urban and rural environments.

     Authorities should make every effort to provide a maximum inspection capability to address this sector, according to the economic capacity of the country, province, state or municipality.

Establishing Effective Working Relationships with Consumers

     An informed and discriminating consumer is an effective incentive for the food industry to improve food safety and quality. in most developing countries, however, consumer awareness is almost non-existent because little information is provided to the public on food safety and quality, adequate diet, and nutrition and the relationship to adequate health and nutritional status. Greater efforts should be made to educate the public and involve their representatives in the establishment, monitoring and review of national food safety efforts.

     Historically, food control authorities have excluded consumers from consulting with advisory and decision-making bodies. However, the general failure to involve consumers and to implement effective consumer education has in itself resulted in barriers to improved food safety.

Strategy 8: Governments should both assist consumers to become aware of the importance of access to safe and nutritious food and require consumers (or their representatives ) to participate in national efforts to assure the safety and nutritious nature of food for the community.

Related Actions

     Governments should establish a diversity of approaches to enhance consumer awareness and participation. A cornerstone of these activities must be a commitment to the ongoing education of consumers (addressed under Strategy 10). However, other approaches may include consumer fora, the provision of support for the establishment of consumer associations, services (such as a consumer hotline), resources to increase awareness (such as education kits) and financial incentives (such as the reward system applied in Thailand).

     Governments should encourage and support, where necessary, consumer participation in the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

     Consumer associations should implement comparative testing programmes to determine the safety and quality of food. Any such testing should be undertaken in accordance with Codex guidelines and ISO 25.

     Consumer associations should consider a diversity of approaches to enhance consumer interaction with industry and government, e.g. consumer exhibitions, workshops and seminars.

Education and Training in Food Safety

     Only through education and training can food control authorities, industry and consumers be provided the necessary information to make decisions upon a sound scientific basis. Failure to do so allows ignorance, taboos and traditional belief to dictate their behaviour and practices. The competence of officers involved in food control is essential. However, throughout the Region the level of training provided is quite variable with some inspectors receiving orientation training only. In many countries, analysts also require additional training so that each can implement the necessary quality assurance to their activities.

     Industry at all levels also needs training in the hygienic production of food as well as the many hazards confronting food and the means of controlling these hazards. Additionally, most studies of the sources of foodborne disease demonstrate that most foodborne diseases appear to originate in the home. Consequently, attention must be given to the increased understanding of food hygiene principles in the general population and to those issues of particular concern to the nutritionally vulnerable. Failure to put adequate resources into the development of effective food safety education programmes for these groups will leave large numbers of the population unprotected and at greater risk.

     Where education and training has been undertaken, it has most frequently been developed to increase knowledge in the hope that increased knowledge will result in a change to food inspection, analysis, production, processing and consumption practices. Generally, programmes are evaluated simply by the production of materials and their breadth of distribution. Few efforts have been made to evaluate the effectiveness of this education and training and while attention has been paid to taking a participatory approach to education in other fields, little attention has been given to this approach in relation to food safety.

Strategy 9: Governments should recognize the need for, and facilitate a short-term and long-term focus on education and training for all sectors of the community in order for each of these to effectively carry out their responsibilities in ensuring the safety of food.

Related Actions

     Food safety education should be made an important and integral component of national food safety policy and education policy. As such, the development of multi-sectoral coordination including groups such as government agencies, industry, academia, NGOs, social activists) and infrastructure for food safety should be nurtured.

     Development of advocacy materials for policy makers, training resource materials for implementers as well as education and training materials for producers, industry, trade, food handlers and the public are necessary.

     Food safety should be incorporated into the formal education curricula from primary school through to university. The multi-sectoral group overseeing food safety policy development hould ensure that appropriate expertise is involved in curriculum development, particularly for primary schools.

     As an immediate-term strategy, governments need focus on consumers, articularly the socio-economically disadvantaged and the nutritionally vulnerable, as well as those producing (including farmers), processing, trading and handling food (including home-makers) targeted at these individuals. In addition, it is essential that training programmes prioritise the training of trainers (including health officers, extension officers, teachers and primary health care workers) ho are already operational in the field (N.B. WHO is currently preparing and evaluating a guidance document for training primary health care workers in food safety).

     As most foodborne disease occurs in the home, governments should consider the integration of food safety into primary health care an immediate priority. To achieve this, qualified and appropriately trained personnel should be placed appropriately.

     The principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Concept should be identified as a core component of education and training in food safety for appropriate groups such as producers, processors and inspectors amongst others.

Research in Food Safety

     Research is an integral component of a national food safety programme. Information on the extent and costs of foodborne d iseases, their causes and sources of contamination is essential or increasing government, industry and community commitment to the development, implementation and evaluation of current policies and programmes. Such research is also essential if food safety activities are to be better focused through sound scientific risk assessment. However, it is imperative that such research is timely, relevant to decision-makers and is communicated effectively. To achieve this, efforts should be made to provide essential resources, encourage the development and use of national and regional networks and databases and provide the necessary foundational research training.

Strategy 10: Governments should encourage and support a coordinated, approach to food safety research and give priority to research which aims to provide the necessary data to better manage food safety.

Related Actions

     Governments should, through the central policy-making group, consider undertaking a national review of research priorities. Such a review should involve all relevant parties including universities, both public and private (where appropriate), industry and consumers.

     Governments should strengthen, through partnership national research capacity by a number of processes including making research funds available, capital investment in research laboratory infrastructure, training of researchers, development and institutionalization of research protocols and the development of laboratory maintenance protocols taking into consideration international guidelines.

     Governments should facilitate (through dissemination, technical or financial means) the integration of research outcomes into food safety policy and programme development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Dissemination of outcomes might best be achieved regionally by linking to the existing regional research-cum-action network in nutrition. Such an approach would both facilitate the better integration of food safety and nutrition.

     A regional approach should be taken to research into food safety issues of common concern to several countries in the Region. This would be particularly useful where common borders facilitate informal trade in what may be unsafe food. To achieve this, the immediate action would be to seek collaboration with an international organization for a regional consultation to review regional and national research priorities in food safety and quality.