Food Safety: One goal, several approaches
Overview
The "Food Safety" is the assurance that food will not cause harm to consumers when they are prepared and / or consumed in accordance with the intended purpose.
The "food security", contrary to common usage, refers to the security of food supplies in sufficient quantity and adequate quality. The "Food Safety" is only one component of the "food security".
Food safety is a major concern for consumers: it reflects a growing concern vis-à-vis a system to keep the eating of raw foods, through the many changes leading to food eating more and more elaborate.
The aim of this paper is to present some basic concepts of food safety as well as different approaches to it.
Basics
Before discussing the different approaches to food safety, it would be useful to address the main concepts in this field in order to clarify and eliminate confusion that may exist in their use.
Concept of danger and the notion of risk
Broadly speaking, a danger is one thing or person that threatens the security or the existence of someone or something.
Restricted to the area of food safety, the danger is defined as "a biological agent, chemical or physical agent in a food may cause an adverse effect on health" (ISO 22000: 2005).
A danger in the food industry is characterized by:
- Its nature: biological, chemical or physical;
- frequency of appearance: that of his presence in the feed (data obtained by statistics) and
- the seriousness of its consequences on health (manifestations): the ability to cause an adverse effect on health (data gathered by epidemiological surveillance). Typically, the morbidity and mortality are two indicators that are used to describe the manifestations of a danger. However, media events and rumors are also factors that increase the severity of a hazard unless they are based on solid grounds.
The risk, often confused with the danger, is the probability that an event occurs during a defined period.
In the area of food safety, risk is defined as "the probability of an adverse effect on health and the severity of this effect resulting from one or more hazards in food" (AFNOR) . In other words, the risk is the probability of expression of one or more hazards in the form of an adverse event.
The assessment of this probability is required to judge the appropriateness of taking into account a danger: it is "risk assessment". It is used for hazard analysis in the context of a HACCP is sometimes called "risk assessment", but it is best to reserve the "risk assessment" to the stages of "risk analysis", it is only the first of three stages. The other two stages are "risk management and risk communication."
The risk assessment is based on scientific knowledge and has four stages:
- Identification and Characterization of the hazards;
- assessing the effects, qualitative and / or quantitative;
- the assessment of exposure, and qualitative or quantitative and
- risk estimation: summary of previous steps, including uncertainties, the probability of occurrence and severity of adverse effects known or potential, in the context of the study.
Hazard analysis and risk analysis
Risk analysis is generally the responsibility of States under the World Trade Organization (WTO). It can lead to regulatory decisions or incentives in nature. So it will never be asked of a professional to conduct "risk analysis" itself, for against, it will have to conduct a "hazard analysis" as part of a HACCP approach. Therefore, the professional will have to conduct a "risk assessment" as part of this process.
Hazard Analysis
The hazard analysis is the first principle of HACCP. It consists, first, to list all hazards that can reasonably be expected at each stage - primary production, processing, manufacturing, distribution and consumption. Then, it is necessary to undertake a risk assessment to identify hazards to eliminate or reduce them to an acceptable level.
For each danger, we must consider any measures to be used for control.
Risk Analysis
Risk analysis is a systematic way to better assess the various aspects related to risk and to foresee all the consequences related to its management.
According to a definition developed by an expert consultation jointly organized by FAO and WHO (Geneva, 13-17 March 1995) and repeated by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (June 1997), risk analysis includes three elements: risk assessment, risk management and risk communication.
Risk Assessment
Risk assessment (risk assessment) allows, through a structured approach to assess the risk and the positive and negative factors that influence it.
In practice, risk assessment is divided into two parts: the collection of epidemiological data and the scientific exploitation of them.
- The collection of epidemiological data:
Government can not act appropriately if they have relevant data. In terms of safety of food products, these data come mainly from epidemiological surveillance, ie the collection of information on all diseases and epidemics of origin.
The effectiveness of epidemiological surveillance can therefore be assessed against a criteria: completeness of data provided by its network.
Epidemiological surveillance involves the establishment of a health information system.
- Exploitation of scientific data (expertise data):
The expertise of the data aims to identify and assess risks using the data collected while taking into account scientific research in food safety. It is an interface between the research and policy that it proposes different options for risk management.
Risk Management
Risk management (risk management) is to weigh policy alternatives in light of risk assessment and, if necessary, to select and implement appropriate control measures, including regulatory measures ;
Also, two categories can be distinguished in the risk management: the development of regulation and its implementation.
- Elaboration of regulations:
A risk can be managed in the presence of a regulation that specifies the practices to comply with the limits not to exceed, etc.. The regulations are developed in consultation between the different stakeholders: public authorities, scientists, professionals and consumers.
- Implementation of regulations:
The implementation of the regulations is provided by the government through the inspection services and professionals, through the establishment of self.
Control applied by the public has a double face: it occurs both in the finished product to ensure compliance thereof and on the other hand, it intervenes at the level of professionals to ensure the effectiveness of the control system they have put in place.
Risk Communication
Risk communication (risk communication) is all that relates to the exchange of information on the risks, it is between those responsible for their evaluation and management or between managers and other stakeholders (professionals and consumers).
Notion of crisis and crisis management
Notion of crisis
The term "crisis" is generally used to express a situation of difficulty. To define it properly, it must be associated with a specific area.
In the food, the food crisis has two definitions depending on the context in which it is used:
- It is defined as "a situation of shortage or even famine" (Wikipedia) or
- as "a food poisoning collective widespread, affecting dozens of people, or more, and which has a large impact in the media" (Wikipedia).
The first definition relates to food security (food availability), while the second definition, the one we want to refer to food safety. However, this definition is incomplete because it ignores the nutritional risk. Indeed, the consequences of poor nutrition (anemia iron for example) can sometimes be more serious than poisoning. In addition, the number of people affected is not an indicator for the onset of a crisis of food safety, it is especially the degree of media coverage of hazard events that triggered the crisis. The examples below give us proof.
Some recent food crises
Crises related to food safety headlines increasingly chronic each experienced more intense than the previous one. This importance, more and more growing up to the crises of food is largely due to the media often played a role amplifier.
Mad cow disease
The "mad cow disease" means, in the 1990s, the collapse of the beef market sentiment due to concerns of consumers after the epidemic of bovine spongiform encephalopathy that affected farms from European 1986. This disease, also called "mad cow disease", is suspected to transmit to humans a variant of the disease of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. This crisis was a huge media stir, despite the very small number of human cases, about 100 people living in the world.
After a long hesitation, the European Community in 1996 decreed the embargo on beef from Britain, which was first identified the outbreak. The disease gradually reached the rest of Europe. To limit its development, several countries decided to systematically slaughter the herds in which an animal is reached.
On this occasion, the audience discovers that the bovine animals intended for consumption are not fed only grass and plants, but also supplements of mineral origin, synthetic or animal.
As a precaution, consumers buy less beef, which causes the collapse of the market. The meat took advantage of the crisis, registering significant increases.
The European Union and the countries concerned have reacted by introducing legislation to reassure consumers and ensure better food safety: control of imports and farming, hygiene and stricter implementation of traceability systems .
Crisis chicken dioxin
On 28 May 1999 a European real crisis begins. The Ministry of Health Belgian withdrew from sale all chickens and eggs produced in Belgium as a high rate of substances close to dioxin has been found in a lot of animal fat used for food for poultry
Despite the presence of a suspicious package, the Commission has decided to withdraw from the market and destroy all chickens and eggs may come from Belgian farms. For its part France is blocking the "precautionary" the production of certain farms.
The crisis has been widely echoed media, but no deaths were recorded. The consumption of poultry meat has greatly lowered. But a rapid response of government and the poultry industry (poultry and birds) were quickly mitigated the effects of the economic crisis.
Listeriosis crisis
The listeriosis crisis hit France twice, in 1992 and 2000. In 2000, she was responsible for 3 deaths. In 1992, 85 deaths were officially attributed to listeriosis. However, the extent of media deaths in 2000 is compared with the benefits recorded in 1992 as a result of many deaths.
Melamine in food products
Melamine (1,3,5-triazine-2 ,4,6-triamine in the IUPAC nomenclature) is part of the large family of amino resins derived from urea, the thio-urea and cyanamide. Its molecular formula is C3H6N6 and has a high content of nitrogen atom.
Melamine has repeatedly been deliberately introduced into foods to make believe that they were richer in protein than in reality. Indeed, the analytical methods employed measure the nitrogen content in the sample to link the rate of protein. We then realized that adding a compound rich in nitrogen allows to defraud these tests easily and cheaply.
In March 2007, a food scandal has made known this fact in North America, with the recall of 60 million cans of dog and cat food manufactured in China and sold under different brands, the United States, Canada and Mexico. These boxes contained wheat gluten contaminated with melamine. The melamine poisoning under certain conditions could cause serious kidney complications, particularly with the formation of kidney stones, which would explain some deaths of cats and dogs who consumed these foods.
In May, July and September 2008, four Chinese babies died and tens of thousands fell ill after having absorbed the artificial infant milk containing melamine. Several thousand tons of contaminated products have been withdrawn from the market. However, this crisis, which coincided with the Olympic Games, has not experienced significant media coverage. Indeed, the guidelines given to Chinese media during this period rank among others about food safety as "off limits".
Crisis management
Crisis management is the set of measures adopted by the government to return to normal conditions.
Crisis management is based on two principles:
- The implemented corrective actions to stop or mitigate the consequences of the crisis and stop its spread: heal the sick, recall or withdrawal of the suspected products, consumer awareness, etc..
- The introduction of preventive measures to avoid the crisis appears another time. In this context, risk analysis is the basic tool for developing a prevention strategy.
Food Safety: A single goal, several approaches
The main purpose of food safety is the protection of consumer health. This claim is one of the fundamental rights of consumers that are recognized by the United Nations: "Consumer protection against risks to their health and safety."
To achieve this objective, two approaches can be distinguished: the classic or traditional and new approach.
Classical approach
This approach is based primarily on a food control at the end of the chain. The measures that can be taken by professionals to control their products are part of a proactive approach and are imposed by any regulation. Food safety is a mission of public authorities.
The effectiveness of this approach remains limited. Indeed, it relies on repressive measures against the offender and does not provide for remedies and / or preventive action to correct non-compliance and avoid the non-conforming product is consumed elsewhere. In addition, food safety can be ensured only by the involvement of all operators in the food chain.
New Approach
The various food scares, including mad cow crisis in 1996, have led to a questioning of the basis for food safety. Thus was born the new approach to food safety.
The new approach is based on two principles:
- The separation between assessment and risk management and
- A comprehensive approach based on the food chain "from stable to table".
Principle of separation of assessment and risk management
The separation between risk assessment and risk management allows not divert the advice of scientists in favor of administrative decisions. In fact, when the two missions are not separate, administration tends to dismiss any assessment that adversely management guidelines defined in advance. The separation of organic and functional assessment and risk management is needed to ensure food safety.
Principle of the approach based on the food chain
To the extent that governments are not able to provide only the control of each link in the food chain, the approach involves significant administrative reorganization and a change in the general philosophy of regulation, to integrate a more preventive approach based on regulation shared between public authorities, professionals and consumers.
The approach assumes complete coverage of the food chain, both in regulation than controls. It is based on accountability of all operators in the food chain, everyone in this regard:
- The State carries out risk analysis and fixed by regulations, objectives and safety of food. It ensures that these rules are respected at all levels of the food chain.
- Accountability of professionals based on the development of HACCP, hygiene and traceability as basic tools for controlling food safety. Professionals must identify the operations of their production line, at which level the potential risks of contamination are highest and to concentrate the bulk of controls on these critical points. Controls on government for their part must ensure the effectiveness of self-made by professionals.
- Consumers, meanwhile, exert considerable pressure to ensure that professionals are becoming more vigilant and that the government further enhance their tools to monitor and ensure food safety.
Adaptation of control systems with the new approach
Most countries adapt now, according to their traditions and administrative constraints of their own, their national imperative to approach the food chain.
In France, the draft law on the sanitary quality of foodstuffs intended for human or animal responds to this integrated approach in extending controls products in farms and farming. It also harmonises the terms of controls and sanctions, whatever the product (animal or vegetable origin, imported or domestic product).
In the United States, two plans to improve food safety have been presented in 1997. They take into account all the links in the food chain to the consumer. The title of the first of them, called "Farm to table", in this regard is unequivocal.
In Morocco, the creation of the national office of the Food Safety (ONSA) and the draft law on food safety are also part of a process of adaptation of the national control system to the new approach.
In other countries, how to adapt control systems official cover a relatively wide range, ranging from maintaining the traditional checks to a quasi privatization of inspection services. The most radical is represented by New Zealand has considered a possible privatization of part of the inspectorate of the Ministry of Agriculture: State is content to set outcomes and of monitor controls, the routine checks being entrusted to private.