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FSAINEWS

1 Voluntary Calorie Menu Labelling Scheme Recommended

2 Food Tax – A Weapon of Mass Reduction? 3 Update on Bisphenol A 4 Food Supplements Training Day

for EHOs 4 FSAI Establishes a Food Fraud Task

Force 5 FSAI Audit of Irish Food Manufacturer

Allergen Controls and Labelling

6 Legislation Update 8 Public Warned about Gathering

Wild Shellfish 9 Food Contact Materials EU-RL/NRL

Network Meeting in Dublin 9 Launch of DAFM’s Agri-Food & Forestry

Graduate Development Programme 10 International Health Regulations

- Communication Protocol Agreed Between the HPSC and FSAI

10 Multi-agency Outbreak Control Simulation Exercise

11 Official Controls on the Supply of Food Contact Materials

11 Local Authority Regional Meetings 12 Illegal Stimulant in Food Supplements 12 FSAI Publishes Booklet on New Food

Information Regulation 12 FSAI Signs MoU with Loughs Agency 13 A Harvest of Irish Food Event

13 Position of Member of the Management Board of EFSA

13 FSA UK Visit 14 Date for your Diary 14 Launch of Irish Village Markets

Handbook 15 FAQ 16 FSAI Highly Commended for

Excellence in Public Relations 16 Recent Publications

Voluntary Calorie Menu Labelling Scheme Recommended The introduction of a voluntary calorie menu labelling scheme is one of the main recommendations contained in a report that was presented to the Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly T.D., on the 4 July last, by the FSAI.

‘Calories on Menus in Ireland – a Report on a National Consultation’ was published following a four week public consultation where views on calorie menu labelling were sought from consumers and stakeholders. The response to the consultation was unprecedented, with over 3,300 submissions in total, 80% of which were from consumers.

The report’s findings reveal an overwhelming demand for calorie menu labelling with 96% of consumers keen to see this information displayed in food businesses and 83% seeking calorie labelling in all food outlets. Overall, stakeholder responses to the technical survey were positive. However, significantly more submissions from food businesses, compared to submissions from any other background, did not want calorie menu labelling in any food outlet. Cost and a lack of technical expertise to implement a calorie labelling scheme were repeatedly cited as concerns by food businesses.

The FSAI recommends that a best practice calorie menu labelling system should be adopted and centred on the four principles outlined in the booklet ‘Technical Guidance for Food Businesses’ which has been published to complement this report. An explanatory document has also been published for consumers.

The FSAI is working on the development of a system that will ensure calorie menu labelling is sustainable in Ireland. This system will focus on enabling the catering sector to calculate the calorie content of the

dishes they serve. The collaboration between the FSAI and the Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland (FSANI) will continue to ensure a harmonised calorie menu labelling scheme across the island of Ireland. The voluntary calorie menu labelling scheme is to be evaluated after a period of six months and this will inform future ‘roll out’.

The national consultation indicates that there is a strong consumer demand for calorie menu labelling and, as long as adequate support is provided, this will be welcomed by all stakeholders.

The report and other documents are available on our website www.fsai.ie/science_and_health/healthy_eating.html

Pictured at the launch are Dr James Reilly T.D., Minister for Health and Prof Mary Flynn, FSAI

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Food Tax – A Weapon of Mass Reduction? Taxing foods that have high levels of sugar or fat is currently flavour of the month in many countries around the world. Such initiatives are heralded as a means to combat the global obesity epidemic. The underlying rational is that by taxing the less healthy ingredients in foods, prices will rise, consumption of these ingredients as well as energy intakes will decrease and a reduction in obesity rates will follow. That is a lot of assumptions. Human behaviour is not always easy to predict.

Tax increases may not always translate into price rises, as producers can absorb some or all of the cost to maintain market share, or promote special offers to gain market share. Brand loyalty can also influence consumer choice. Price alone does not always change consumer choice. Even if price does alter purchasing patterns and consumers switch to other foods, there is no guarantee that the amount they eat will be any less or any healthier. The net result might simply be an increase in cross-border shopping.

Taxes can have unexpected outcomes. Denmark introduced a tax on saturated fat last year and now there are calls to repeal the tax. Their agriculture lobby point to job losses and damage to the economy as consumers travel across the border to Germany to buy butter and other products. It is also argued that health related food taxes are regressive, in that they impact much more on lower income groups which spend a greater proportion of household budgets on food. The public health sector in Denmark is urging government not to weaken and to follow through with plans to introduce sugar taxes next year. In theory, revenue raised from food taxes can be directed towards other intervention programmes to tackle obesity. In reality, such taxes are seldom ring-fenced to be spent solely on tackling public health issues.

Sugar sweetened beverages have become a leading candidate for a health tax. The proposal to use a price mechanism as an instrument of nutrition policy is a new departure for Ireland and needs to be fully evaluated. Our Department of Health has commissioned a Health Impact Assessment to inform decision making. We welcome this approach. Within the USA, a group of more than 100 respected health organisations have now asked the Surgeon General to prepare a report on sugar sweetened beverages to be used as a science reference on the health consequences of consuming these drinks. In Ireland, in order to make an effective impact on the health of the nation, we need the evidence to relate consumption of sugar sweetened beverages to the causes of obesity, before any proposed taxation intervention takes place. The best scientific data available should underpin all policy.

Data from the National Food Consumption Study carried out by the Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (IUNA) show that sugar sweetened beverages contribute less than 4% of the total energy intake of Irish consumers. About 60% of adults and 20% teenagers and children do not consume sugar sweetened beverages. Data from the IUNA work also shows that there is no evidence of a link between consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and body mass index (BMI). The effectiveness of a health tax on sugar sweetened beverages in reducing the numbers of obese people in Ireland therefore remains open to question.

Alternatives to sugar and fat taxes are worth considering. Making the healthy choice the cheaper option could amount to a win-win situation. If we cannot change behaviour, why not change the food? The food industry has a key role to play in reformulating foods to improve

nutrition profiles. Options include: reducing fat and sugar content; applying alternative technologies, such as baking rather than frying; and utilising particle size reduction, such as microcrystalline salt to reduce salt content without altering taste or improving functionality of food components to reduce energy density of food.

A new approach is required that focuses on foods that are commonly eaten to make incremental improvements to nutrition profiles. This was the strategy behind the FSAI salt reduction programme where the mean daily salt intake from foods in adults (18-64yrs) has reduced from 8.1g to 7g over the last decade. This highly successful programme was achieved through engaging with the food sector and has seen, for example, a reduction in the salt content of breads by 20% and cornflake based cereals by 57%.

When consumers are provided with information they can make informed choices about what they eat.

Public health policy needs to focus on preventing people from becoming overweight or obese, rather than treating obesity related disease. The proposal by the Minister for Health to introduce calories on menus in catering and fast food premises is a move in the right direction. When consumers are provided with information they can make informed choices about what they eat. There is certainly more the health sector can do in driving the healthy eating agenda, particularly in the area of inter-departmental collaboration. The HSE is one of the largest caterers in the country and putting nutritional standards into supply contracts and including calories at the point of service should be a priority.

The obesity epidemic is like a food crisis in slow motion, in that the relatively small increases in consumed calories accumulate over time and have led to large changes in population weight. Reversing the obesity trend requires a long-term strategy and is likely to take years as food consumption habits and physical activity levels are deeply ingrained in individual patterns of behaviour. Obesity is a multi-faceted problem, and requires multi-dimensional interventions, but ones which we can be certain will have the desired outcome.

Alan Reilly Chief Executive

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Update on Bisphenol ABisphenol A (BPA) is by now one of the most researched chemicals in existence. BPA is a building block or monomer in the synthesis of polycarbonate plastics, which are widely used in many household items such as plastic bottles, tableware (plates, mugs, plastic utensils etc.), storage containers, plastic furniture, compact disks (CDs), etc. BPA is also a component of epoxy resins, used as protective coatings and linings for food and beverage cans and vats, in dental materials, as well as many other uses.

In relation to food safety, BPA is regulated as a food contact material under Commission Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. It was first evaluated for this use over 25 years ago by the EU Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) who set a Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) for BPA of 0.05 mg per kg body weight (b.w.). SCF re-assessed the chemical in 2002 and maintained their TDI of 0.05 mg per kg b.w., and since that time the safety of BPA has been assessed by a number of national and international organisations, including the European Union in the context of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 793/93 on the evaluation and control of existing substances, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the US FDA, Health Canada, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) and the World Health Organisation.

EFSA concluded, therefore, that no new toxicological study could be identified which would call for a revision of the existing TDI

The focus on the safety of BPA reflects increasing concerns regarding the potential adverse health effects of BPA, particularly based on recent studies using novel testing approaches. BPA is known to have oestrogen-like properties and has been characterised as an endocrine-active substance or endocrine-disruptor, which may affect physical, neurological and behavioural development. Regulatory bodies including EFSA and the US-FDA have, however, concluded that current low levels of human exposure to BPA do not present a risk, based on the results of the standard toxicity studies that are normally applied to test the safety of chemicals. In 2010, EFSA commented on reports of BPA-related effects of possible toxicological relevance, in particular biochemical changes in brain, immune function and enhanced susceptibility to breast cancer, but considered that the reported studies had many shortcomings. EFSA concluded, therefore, that no new toxicological study could be identified which would call for a revision of the existing TDI of 0.05 mg per kg b.w.. Exposure estimates for the European population, including infants and young children, indicate that these are below the TDI.

In the light of the uncertainties identified in the EFSA opinion, the European Union prohibited the manufacture and sale of BPA-based infant feeding bottles, from March 2011 (manufacture) and June 2011 (sale), respectively. This followed a similar ban by the Canadian Government in 2008, while in 2010, Denmark introduced a temporary ban on BPA in all food contact materials for young children. In 2011, France proposed draft legislation banning BPA in all food container products intended for children under three years of age from 2013, and from all food packaging from 2014. The French proposed ban has, however been the subject of objections from a number of other European Member States on the grounds that the draft French law represents an internal barrier to trade. Despite this, the French move has been followed by Belgium, who indicated in March of this year its intention to ban the use of BPA in materials in contact with foods intended for infants and young children under three years of age. Most recently, Sweden has announced a similar ban on such products and may introduce similar measures for toys and childcare articles.

So far, the European Commission has not signalled any intention to introduce a European-wide ban on use of BPA in all food contact materials for young children, in line with the existing or proposed measures in Denmark, France, Belgium and Sweden. EFSA has, however, announced that it will undertake a full re-evaluation of the human risks associated with exposure to BPA through the diet by

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FSAI Establishes a Food Fraud Task ForceProtecting consumers’ health and interests is a priority for the FSAI and is achieved by ensuring that foods are accurately and honestly labelled and comply with legislation. Food fraud is essentially a form of cheating consumers, where lower quality foods are marketed as prime quality, or where lower grade ingredients are substituted for more expensive products in manufactured foods and then falsely labelled. Food fraud is committed when food is deliberately placed on the market with the intention of deceiving the consumer, usually for financial gain. While food fraud is not rampant in Ireland, there have been incidences over the past few years of consumer deception involving incorrect labelling of imported meat, substituting lower grade honey for more expensive brands and labelling of farmed fish as wild captured species. While food fraud has not impacted on consumers’ health in Ireland to date, consumer confidence can be undermined, with subsequent damage to the reputation of the food industry as producers of quality food products.

The European Commission is concerned that food fraud is on the increase. Speaking at an international conference earlier this year, the EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli, described food fraud as “a significant problem driven by the lure of vast potential profits”. A lack of reliable global data means it is difficult to estimate the true extent of food fraud, but the figures that do exist at European level point to a significant increase in the number of confirmed cases each year, involving incidences such as the marketing of substandard olive oil, fraudulent tomato sauce and counterfeit cheese.

The issue of food fraud is not going away. Much work in this area has already been carried out in Ireland. To tackle this issue from a multi-agency basis across different enforcement arms of the State, the FSAI has established a food fraud task force. The task force is made up of representatives from a number of enforcement agencies including: An Garda Síochána; Customs and Excise Service/Revenue Commissioners; Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland; Health Service Executive; Irish Medicines Board; the local authorities, and the

Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority. The role of the task force is to act as a communications, coordination and networking group where intelligence and research can be shared at national and international level. Issues that will be considered include raising awareness, improving mechanisms for monitoring and surveillance and training of enforcement officers.

May 2013, focusing in particular on exposure of vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women and young children. Should EFSA conclude, on the basis of available evidence on adverse health effects of BPA, that current levels of human exposure to BPA may present a risk to health, in contrast to its earlier opinions, it is likely that the European Commission will move to harmonise legislation on the use of this controversial chemical in food contact materials.

FSAI welcomes the EFSA re-evaluation of BPA, considering that any risk management measures for BPA in food contact materials should be based on sound science and the outcome of a robust risk assessment from EFSA.

Food Supplements Training Day for EHOsThe FSAI hosted a training day, on 24 July last, for environmental health officers (EHOs) with responsibility for supervising establishments which manufacture, pack or distribute food supplements. The training followed the development of a detailed aide memoire and checklist by a working group, made up of EHOs and FSAI staff. Gemma O’Dwyer of McGee Pharma International, who were involved in the project, took the group through the application and inspection of good manufacturing practice in such establishments, with a view to ensuring that food supplements manufactured, packed or distributed are safe for consumers. Pictured at the training day are (l-r) Ruth Conefrey, FSAI; Sinead Kilcommins, EHO; Martin

Nestor, EHO; Gemma O’Dwyer, McGee Pharma International; Gerry Leen, EHO; Eibhlin O’Leary, FSAI

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FSAI Audit of Irish Food Manufacturer Allergen Controls and Labelling The FSAI recently called on food manufacturers to strengthen food allergen controls and labelling policies following an audit of compliance with allergen labelling legislation. Results of the FSAI audit revealed that the management and control of food allergens in some food businesses was insufficient to protect the health of people with food allergies or intolerances. The audit of a selection of small, medium and large food businesses showed that food allergen labelling was applied in an inconsistent and sometimes incorrect manner.

The audit, which involved unannounced site inspections of 12 food manufacturing businesses, is part of an ongoing review to determine both the level of compliance with food allergen labelling requirements and the level of control of allergenic ingredients through documented protocols and procedures. Food businesses visited included bakeries, chocolate manufacturers, convenience foods and snack producers, as well as meat and fish establishments. These audit activities were taken on foot of an FSAI survey in 2011, which showed some 94% of precautionary food allergen labels were found to be unreliable.

The audit found that a significant number of food businesses did not have adequate controls to manage incoming allergenic ingredients and their storage. One in four of the establishments visited had a significant risk of cross-contamination by allergens. Staff training was found to be inconsistent and not carried out at all by some food businesses, with only two out of three providing some form of allergen training to staff. None of the establishments operated dedicated production lines, which is the gold standard in terms of risk management – although not always feasible or practical from a commercial perspective. Instead, most food businesses relied on production scheduling, equipment cleaning or, in a few cases, dedicated equipment or clothing to minimise the risk of cross-contamination.

The audit also highlighted that:

n 2 out of 3 businesses were found to apply allergen labelling inconsistently across products ranges, which could be confusing, if not misleading to consumers

n 10 of the 12 establishments were found to apply voluntary precautionary labelling; however, the use of precautionary labelling by 5 of these establishments was shown to be unjustified and therefore, inappropriate

n Precautionary labels were sometimes applied to a food simply because a retail customer required it, even though the food posed a very low risk, if any, of containing the pertinent allergen

On the plus side, all establishments visited were found to have documented protocols in place for purchasing and most establishments did consider allergen controls and had systems in place to manage them.

In many cases, food businesses are using precautionary allergen labels such as ‘may contain nuts’ or ‘produced in a factory that also uses nuts’ as a substitute for adequate controls. This defensive action to use precautionary labels where a very low risk or none exists, results in the unnecessary elimination of healthy dietary options or a desensitisation of food allergy sufferers who could then be more liable to taking risks with foods carrying these labels.

The FSAI will work closely with the food industry to establish best practices for the management and control of food allergens in the food manufacturing environment but ultimately the responsibility is with food businesses to ensure products are labelled appropriately and controls to manage allergens are in place.

The FSAI provides a free email and SMS text service which directly informs people with a food allergy or intolerance of the presence of allergens in inappropriately labelled foods – interested consumers can sign up online at http://bit.ly/9x5JW6. The FSAI also has an information leaflet on food allergies and intolerance which is available to download at http://www.fsai.ie/resources_publications.html

The FSAI Audit of Irish Food Manufacturer Allergen Controls and Labelling is available at http://bit.ly/OW4s9I

Pictured are Alex Conefrey (age 2) and Emily Bolton (age 4)

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Legislation UpdateIrish legislation

Official Controls on the Import of Food of Non-Animal Origin

The Department of Health has published the European Communities (Official Controls on the Import of Food of Non-Animal Origin) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 248 of 2012)

These Regulations amend the EC (Official Controls on the Import of Food of Non-Animal Origin) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 391 of 2010) and give effect to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 514/2012 as regards the increased level of official controls on imports of certain food of non-animal origin. The S.I. revokes the European Communities (Official Controls on the Import of Food of Non-Animal Origin) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 126 of 2012).

EU Legislation

Wine labelling

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 579/2012 of 29 June 2012 amending Regulation (EC) No. 607/2009 laying down certain detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No. 479/2008 as regards protected designations of origin and geographical indications, traditional terms, labelling and presentation of certain wine sector products, has been published in the EU Official Journal.

Under general labelling rules, beverages containing more than 1.2 % by volume of alcohol are exempt from listing ingredients. However, they must indicate the presence of ingredients which have been identified by the EU as causing an allergenic reaction in certain individuals or to which people may be intolerant (Annex IIIa of Directive 2000/13/EC). This new amending Regulation sets out the labelling requirement for wine sector products in relation to certain ingredients in that Annex i.e. sulphites/sulfites, milk and milk-based products and eggs and egg-based products, if their presence can be detected in the final product using the analysis methods referred to in Article 120g of Regulation (EC) No. 1234/2007.

The Regulation requires that the terms which must be used on the label are as follows :

For wine products containing sulphites/sulphites

‘sulphites’, ‘sulfites’, ‘sulphur dioxide’ or ‘sulfur dioxide

For wine products containing eggs and egg-based productsegg’, ‘egg protein’, ‘egg product’, ‘egg lysozyme’ or

‘egg albumin’

For wine products containing milk and milk- based productsmilk’, ‘milk products’, ‘milk casein’ or ‘milk protein’

The above terms may be accompanied, as applicable, by one of the pictograms shown below:

Food Additives

The EU has published a number of amendments to Annex II to Regulation (EC) No. 1333/2008 which contains the list of food additives approved for use in foods and their conditions of use. The Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 will apply from 1 June 2013, however, the

amending Regulations permit the use in specified products of the named additives from 25 June 2012.

The amendments permit the use of the following:

n Commission Regulation (EU) No. 471/2012 of 4 June 2012 authorises the use of lysozyme (E 1105) for the preservation of beers that will not receive either pasteurisation or sterile filtration

n Commission Regulation (EU) No. 472/2012 of 4 June 2012 authorises the use of glycerol esters of wood rosins (E 445) as an emulsifier for printing on personalised and/or promotional hard-coated confectionery products

n Commission Regulation (EU) No. 570/2012 of 28 June 2012 authorises the use of benzoic acid/benzoates (E 210-213) as preservatives in alcohol-free counterparts of wine

n Commission Regulation (EU) No. 583/2012 of 2 July 2012 authorises the use of polysorbates (E 432-436) in coconut milk

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Organic labelling

Since 1 July 2012, the EU organic logo, the “Euro-leaf”, is obligatory on all pre-packaged organic food products produced in EU Member States which meet the necessary standards. The logo remains optional for unpackaged foods and imported organic products. The logo was introduced in July 2010, however a two-year transition period was allowed in order to help operators adapt to the new rules and this period has now come to an end.

The legislation requires that where the logo is used, an indication of the place where the agricultural raw materials of which the product is composed have been farmed must also appear in the same visual field as the logo and must take one of the following forms, as appropriate:

n EU Agriculture’, where the agricultural raw material has been farmed in the EU

n ‘non-EU Agriculture’, where the agricultural raw material has been farmed in third countries

n ‘EU/non-EU Agriculture’, where part of the agricultural raw materials has been farmed in the

EU and a part of it has been farmed in a third country.

The indication ‘EU’ or ‘non-EU’

may be replaced or

supplemented by a country in the case where all agricultural raw materials of which the product is composed have been farmed in that country.

For the ‘EU’ or ‘non-EU’ indication, small quantities by weight of ingredients may be disregarded provided that the total quantity of the disregarded ingredients does not exceed 2% of the total quantity by weight of raw materials of agricultural origin.

The ‘EU’ or ‘non-EU’ indication must not appear in a colour, size and style of lettering more prominent than the sales description of the product.

EFSA Publications

Health claims made on foods

Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 harmonises the provisions that relate to nutrition and health claims and establishes rules governing the EU authorisation of health claims made on foods. According to the Regulation, health claims should only be authorised for use in the EU after a scientific assessment of the highest possible standard has been carried out by EFSA.

EFSA and its Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA panel) have been engaging in consultation with stakeholders and have published guidance on scientific substantiation of health claims since 2007. In order to assist applicants in preparing and submitting their applications for the authorisation of health claims, the NDA Panel continues to develop guidance documents on the scientific requirements for the substantiation of health claims in selected areas. In July the following two guidance notes were published:

n Guidance on the scientific requirements for health claims related to functions of the nervous system, including psychological functions

n Guidance on the scientific requirements for health claims related to physical performance

The guidance focuses on two key issues :

n claimed effects which are considered to be beneficial physiological effects,

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n studies/outcome measures which are considered to be appropriate for the substantiation of health claims

Guidance on the scientific requirements for health claims related to functions of the nervous system, including psychological functions

A draft of this guidance document was endorsed by the NDA Panel on 16 September 2011, and was released for public consultation from 17 October 2011 to 16 December 2011. All the comments received that related to the remit of EFSA were assessed, and the guidance has been revised taking into consideration relevant comments. Its content examines the following claims:

n Claims on specific functions of the nervous system

n Claims on cognitive function

n Claims on alertness

n Claims on attention

n Claims on memory

n Claims on mood/affect

n Claims on psychological stress

n Claims on anxiety

n Claims on vision

n Claims on sleep

It is not intended that the document should include an exhaustive list of beneficial effects and studies/outcome measures which are acceptable. Rather, it presents examples drawn from evaluations already carried out to illustrate the approach of the Panel, as well as some examples which are currently under consideration within ongoing evaluations.

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S.I. No. 212 of 2012 European Communities (Pesticide Residues) (Amendment) Regulations 2012

S.I. No. 245 of 2012 European Communities (Official Controls on the Import of Food of Non-Animal Origin for Pesticide Residues) (Amendment) (No.3) Regulations 2012

S.I. No. 248 of 2012 European Communities (Official Controls on the Import of Food of Non-Animal Origin) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2012

The following Regulations have been introduced over the last few months in Ireland:

Public Warned about Gathering Wild ShellfishForaging for food has become more popular with the public, especially holidaymakers, but is not without its risks. A number of small groups of people have recently suffered from shellfish poisoning after eating mussels and cockles which they gathered themselves along the seashore. At least twenty people were affected. The shellfish were collected along the coastline in the south and west of Ireland, in Kerry, Galway, Mayo and Sligo. The FSAI suspects that the illnesses are linked to the harmful algal blooms that occur naturally in Irish coastal waters.

As shellfish, such as mussels, are filter feeders, they consume marine algae, some of which are toxic, and then concentrate the toxins in their flesh. These toxins, such as okadaic acid or azaspiracid, are not inactivated by cooking. The FSAI is, therefore, advising people not to collect or eat wild shellfish from the shore, as they may make them sick. Symptoms of shellfish poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps. The effects are not life-threatening but can be particularly severe for older people, young children and people who may already be ill from another medical condition.

Shellfish should only be purchased from reputable suppliers. Commercial producers of shellfish operate under a sophisticated national monitoring programme which manages the risks, with test results issued by the Marine Institute on an ongoing basis. A weekly status report is provided for bays where commercial harvesting of shellfish takes place. If people do gather their own shellfish, they need to be aware of the risks. If harvesting is near commercial shellfisheries, the technical information from the monitoring programme, available on the Marine Institute’s website www.marine.ie, may be useful. It is normal that at any one time a number of bays where shellfish are farmed can be closed for harvesting because of toxic algal blooms, but the public are unlikely to be aware of this. Warning signs are erected in some, but by no means all, popular parts of the shoreline around Ireland.

Pictured is one of the warning signs placed at strategic locations around Ireland, warning consumers of the risks of collecting shellfish for consumption

Guidance on the scientific requirements for health claims related to physical performance

The NDA Panel was asked by EFSA to draft guidance on scientific requirements for health claims related to physical performance. This guidance, prepared by the NDA Panel, on the scientific requirements for the

substantiation of health claims on physical performance was, prior to its finalisation, endorsed by the NDA Panel on 24 November 2011 for public consultation, which was open from 19 December 2011 to 09 March 2012. The guidance was devised taking into consideration relevant comments and it looks at the following claims:

n Claims on physical performance

n Claims on endurance capacity

n Claims on muscle function

n Claims on physiological effects which may lead to an improvement in physical performance or endurance capacity

These documents can be accessed on the EFSA website: http://bit.ly/OhKmLx and http:// bit.ly/M84w6c

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Food Contact Materials EU-RL/NRL Network Meeting in DublinSuccessful implementation of European legislation relies on high standards of enforcement being applied consistently across all Member States. Analysis of the composition of food, whether chemical or microbiological, to ensure it complies with European legislation, is one aspect of enforcement. To assist in developing consistent approaches to analysis, various networks of National and European Reference Laboratories have been established for a range of chemical and microbiological parameters. These networks of laboratories are designed to contribute to a high quality and uniformity of analytical results across all the Member States.

These different networks meet on a regular basis and, as part of this process, analytical scientists from the European Union Reference Laboratory (EU-RL) for Food Contact Materials, and from the National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) for food contact materials in each of the European Union Member States, came together in Dublin recently to discuss issues related to the analysis of food packaging and other materials and articles that come into contact with food.

The meeting was hosted by the FSAI and the Dublin Public Analyst’s Laboratory, the Irish NRL for food contact materials. Among the issues discussed were the work programme for the network for the next three years, possible future changes to the legislation for the specific migration limits for ceramic articles and the simulants to be used in their testing, and the outcome of a recently completed EU co-ordinated enforcement on gaskets in lids.

A very important aspect of the work of the EURL is the organisation of inter-laboratory comparison tests and the participation of the NRLs in these comparison tests. To this end, the results of an inter-laboratory comparison test for the use of Tenax as a food simulant, to measure the migration of substances from packaging materials into dry food, were presented. This work has relevance since Tenax may become the simulant of choice for the testing of food contact materials destined to come in contact with dry foods in the future.

Also discussed were the results of an inter-laboratory comparison test for the migration of formaldehyde from melamine kitchenware, which is relevant to the implementation of Regulation (EU) No. 284/2011 for the import controls to be performed on polyamide and melamine kitchenware from China and Hong Kong.

This network normally meets twice yearly and the next meeting has been organised for Nov/Dec 2012.

Launch of DAFM’s Agri-Food & Forestry Graduate Development ProgrammeThe FSAI attended the launch of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s (DAFM) Agri-Food & Forestry Graduate Development Programme, on 20 July last. The programme was launched by Mr Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. UCD, UCC and Teagasc have been running the Food Graduate Development Programme since 2007.

The programme is funded by DAFM and has successfully developed and delivered a suite of modules taken by several hundred postgraduate students and researchers, undertaking research in food, from institutions across Ireland and beyond. It is now well recognised nationally and internationally as a very significant programme in graduate development in general, and food in particular.

Recognising the wider remit of the agri-food industry in Ireland, together with the significant success and impact of the existing food programme, a new programme (the Agri-Food Graduate Development Programme, AFGDP) has now been developed which consolidates the successes of the existing programme, and incorporates the key areas of agriculture, horticulture and forestry. The current range of modules will be greatly expanded to include topics relevant to students undertaking research funded by DAFM in these new areas.

Attendees at the EU-RL and NRL network meeting

Pictured at the launch are (l-r): Dr Edel Keaveney, FSAI; Mr Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Dr Bettie Higgs, UCC; Ms Mary Phelan, Irish Farmers Journal.

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International Health Regulations - Communication Protocol Agreed Between the HPSC and FSAI The revised International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 of the World Health Organization (WHO) entered into force in June 2007. The IHR are a legally binding agreement that provide a framework for improving detection, reporting, and response to public health emergencies of international concern, while at the same time avoiding unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade. All 194 Member States of the WHO have a comittment to develop and implement a set of core public health capacities by June 2012. In addition, each country has a National IHR Focal Point, which is required to report relevant outbreaks to the WHO, and to ensure that alerts from the WHO are disseminated within the country to those who may need to take action. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) is the Irish National IHR Focal Point.

The International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) was established in 2004 following recommendations by the international community. It is a voluntary global network managed by the WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and exchanges information between national agencies responsible for food safety during food safety events with international implications.

INFOSAN Emergency National Focal Points have the responsibility of informing INFOSAN at the WHO of relevant events and of ensuring that their country is aware of alerts sent through INFOSAN to allow appropriate action to occur. The FSAI fulfils the role of the Irish INFOSAN Emergency Focal Point.

Some food safety related events and incidents could constitute a public health emergency of international concern. The protocol agreed between the HPSC and the FSAI describes the formal liaison arrangements between both agencies in the event of a food safety related incident that could compromise the health of consumers of Irish food, whether at home or abroad. Close collaboration between agencies and working together to protect consumers’ health is the spirit that characterises the Irish public sector.

Multi-agency Outbreak Control Simulation Exercise In response to the potential threat of foodborne illness outbreaks, the FSAI and the official agencies with responsibility for food control and public health have collaborated through a dedicated working group, chaired by Prof Patrick Wall, to produce a protocol (‘Management of outbreaks of foodborne illness’), detailing the collective agency response should such an event materialise.

An agreed part of this process is to rehearse and examine the effectiveness of the protocol by undertaking a training simulation exercise. The FSAI has contracted a crisis management consultancy, to design and facilitate this exercise.

The exercise will be conducted on Wednesday 19 September 2012 and involve a range of agency representatives, centred around designated members of the Outbreak Control Team (OCT).

Dr Darina O’Flanagan, Director, Health Protection Surveillance Centre and Professor Alan Reilly, Chief Executive, FSAI signing the protocol in June 2012

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Official Controls on the Supply of Food Contact Materials The FSAI has initiated a new control programme in suppliers of food contact materials (food packaging, food processing equipment, utensils and other materials that contact food). The controls are being carried out by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) under a revised service contract with the FSAI. Controls will assess compliance with the existing legislation on food contact materials, which is aimed at ensuring that the materials do not affect the safety of food.

Food contact materials (FCM), such as food packaging, have the potential to contaminate the food when substances from the material transfer to the food. The potential problem is controlled by careful specification of the substances used to make the FCM, and controls on its manufacture and how it is to be used by the food industry. If the controls fail and foods are affected, there can be significant problems for the food and FCM industry, with expensive product recalls and loss of consumer confidence.

The FSAI is responsible for enforcing the legislation on FCM in Ireland, via official agencies. To date, checks have focussed on food businesses using FCM and on retailers. The FSAI has arranged that one agency, the National Standards Authority of Ireland, will be checking compliance with the legislation in the suppliers of FCMs. This is a requirement of EU food legislation. The work will be done under the terms of the service contract between the FSAI and the NSAI, which has been revised to include the new controls. All of the service

contracts of the FSAI for enforcement of food legislation are available on our website: http://www.fsai.ie/about_us/service_contract_agencies.html

The FCM suppliers to be inspected by the NSAI are those that import, manufacture, distribute or supply food contact materials, with the exception of:

n Food business that also handle FCM. These food businesses will continue to be inspected by their existing inspectors.

n Retailers of FCM

The FSAI and the NSAI will be working together to implement the new controls as smoothly as possible. The official controls will check compliance against the requirements of the FCM legislation, which is available at: http://www.fsai.ie/legislation/food_legislation/materials_articles/introduction.html

Local Authority Regional Meetings On 12 and 14 June last, regional meetings between the FSAI and the Local Authority Veterinary Inspectors took place in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, and Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. These one day meetings are scheduled annually and are required under the service contracts which are in place between the FSAI and 28 Local Authorities.

A range of topics were presented and discussed at these meetings, including the process for the development of EU legislation; changes to food labelling under the new food information regulation (Regulation 1169/2011); an overview of FSAI activities which are relevant to the LAs; official controls on wild game; developments in the official agency premises and inspections database; inspection fees charged for the slaughter of animals; and an overview of the legislation

governing products with traditional specialities guarantees, protected geographical indications and protected designations of origin.

Presentations were also given by colleagues from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Mr Kilian Unger (Veterinary Public Health Division) discussed the salmonella control programmes in place for poultry in Ireland and Mr Pat Keena (National Beef Assurance Division) discussed the animal identification and movement system.

The regional meetings provide an important networking and learning opportunity for LA veterinary inspectors. At these meetings the LA vets meet with colleagues from other local authorities in their area who are responsible for enforcing the same food safety legislation. A national meeting between FSAI and LAs will take place later in 2012.

Pictured are attendees at the LA Regional Meeting

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FSAI Signs MoU with Loughs AgencyThe Loughs Agency is an agency of the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission (FCILC), established as one of the cross-border bodies under the 1998 Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Ireland. The Agency aims to provide sustainable social, economic and environmental benefits through the effective conservation, management, promotion and development of the fisheries and marine resources of the Foyle and Carlingford areas.

The FSAI is delighted to have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the Loughs Agency. Under this MoU the Loughs Agency will be taking on shellfish and water sampling under the Irish Shellfish Monitoring Programme. The MoU can be viewed on our website at http://www.fsai.ie/about_us/service_contract_agencies.html

FSAI Publishes Booklet on New Food Information RegulationThe FSAI recently published a new industry booklet to give food business operators an easy to understand overview of some of the upcoming changes to food labelling under the new food information regulations. While the original objectives and components of current labelling legislation still apply, some new requirements are being introduced under Regulation No. (EU) 1169/2011, which will modernise the current system. The booklet is available online and we would encourage all food businesses to familiarise themselves with the new regulatory requirements.

‘Overview of Changes to Food Labelling Introduced under the New Food Information Regulation’ is available to download at: http://bit.ly/P7rlrT

Illegal Stimulant in Food SupplementsFood supplements containing DMAA came to attention of the FSAI following alerts from both the World Health Organisation and the European Commission’s Rapid Alert System. DMAA is reported to be associated with the occurrence of high blood pressure, nausea/vomiting, cerebral haemorrhage, stroke, cardiac arrest and death. Reports of adverse reactions have come from Sweden, the United States, New Zealand and Australia, leading countries to take action to protect consumers.

The supplements which contain DMAA are mainly aimed at the fitness, body building and sports market. DMAA is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) prohibited list. DMAA is known by other names such as 4-Methylhexan-2-amine, geranamine, methylhexanamine, dimethylamylamine, 1, 3-dimethylamylamine.

DMAA is regarded as an illegal medicine by the Irish Medicines Board (IMB). Due to the potentially very serious side effects, consumers are warned not to use the substance and retailers to discontinue sales. The FSAI and the IMB, as well as the Environmental Health Service of the HSE, are continuing to work together to police the supplements market where the border between foods and medicines can sometimes be problematic.

Coming soon! Conference on Food Labelling The FSAI will be hosting a conference on food labelling on 4 December 2012. Watch out for further details on the programme for this conference in our September/October newsletter.

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A Harvest of Irish Food Event Dublin was chosen to host Europe’s largest science conference, ESOF 2012 (Euroscience Open Forum), from 11-15 July. To celebrate this prestigious, international event, Dublin has been declared the City of Science 2012. The DUBLIN CITY OF SCIENCE 2012 festival is a year-long celebration of science, with over 160 events to represent the best of Irish culture, arts and science. As part of this festival ‘A Harvest of Irish Food’ was organised by Teagasc, in partnership with University College Dublin (UCD), Bord Bia and Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), and was partially sponsored by the FSAI.

This event showcased the unique combination of Irish food culture and tradition, with the best of food science and technology in Ireland. It also included a tour of three sites: Teagasc (The Irish Agriculture and

Food Development Authority) in Ashtown; UCD in Belfield; and DIT in Cathal Brugha Street.

More information can be found here: http://bit.ly/PQJpfQ

Position of Member of the Management Board of EFSA – Calls for Expressions of Interest

Applications are invited for the position of member of the Management Board of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which is based in Parma, Italy. A member of the Authority’s Management Board, appointed until 30 June 2014, has resigned and is to be replaced until the end of the term of office, i.e. until 30 June 2014. Further details can be found on the European Commission’s website http://bit.ly/xCDi6

FSA UK Visit The Food Standards Agency UK recently visited the FSAI. The aim of the visit was to learn how the FSAI’s service contract system, which is in place between the FSAI and the official agencies, works in Ireland.

Pictured at the event are John Fagan, BIM and Michelle Riblet, FSAI Culinary Arts Student at DIT, Cathal Brugha Street

Pictured during the visit are (l-r): David Lynch, DAFM; Andrew Rhodes, Director of Operations, Food Standards Agency; Peter Whelan and Bernard Hegarty, FSAI; and Mark Ball, Food Standards Agency.

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Launch of Irish Village Markets HandbookThe FSAI was involved in the production of a new handbook for market traders in Ireland, which was launched on 21 June last. Published by Irish Village Markets (IVM), the handbook is a comprehensive guide for anyone thinking of becoming a market/event trader. It includes information on insurance requirements, traders’ rights plus casual trading and licence requirements. There is also a comprehensive guide to food safety and HACCP, which covers food handling, registering a food business and vendor responsibility. It also has a brief guide to financial considerations, together with banking and legal advice.

The handbook can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/fHOObR

Pictured at the launch are (l-r): Edel Conway, FSAI; Ciaran Casey, MAST; Des Vallely, IVM; Dave Lennon, Dave’s Woodfire Pizzas; and Mark Beirne, Bank of Ireland

Date for your Diary: FSAI and EFSA ConferenceDate: Thursday, 4th October, 2012Time: 8:45am to 4:15pm Location: Gibson Hotel, Point Village, Dublin 1 Details: Stepping up to the plate – is your food any safer? A decade of science underpinning EU food safety policy

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the FSAI is hosting a joint conference with EFSA to look back over the past 10 years on the evolution of food safety in the EU, to assess current matters and to look forward to what food safety issues may be on the menu in 2022. It is a time to pause and reflect on past achievements and to anticipate new challenges for the next decade. EFSA has evolved as a credible and trusted organisation that delivers independent scientific advice, which underpins European food safety policy. Safeguarding its core values of openness and transparency and building trust among all stakeholders has been central to the activities of EFSA over its short lifetime. Responding to new demands of evaluating regulated products, harmonising risk assessment approaches, protecting the independence of its scientific advice and strengthening collaboration with EU Member States are just some of the challenges facing EFSA over the next decade.

For the agenda and to register online, see the events section on our website: www.fsai.ie

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Many people contact our advice-line each month to ask questions on a variety of food safety issues. Some questions get asked time and time again – so in each issue of FSAINEWS, we will feature a Frequently Asked Question. This issue’s question is ...

What is HACCP?HACCP stands for hazard analysis and

critical control point and is simply a system put in place by a food

business to identify and control potential

risks and hazards, with

procedures in place to deal

with situations where things

go wrong. This is generally referred

to as a food safety management system.

Legal Requirement for HACCP

The legislation requires that all food business must have a food

safety management system based on the seven principles of HACCP. However, there is some flexibility in this requirement (discussed below). These seven principles are as follows:

1. Identify the hazards: e.g. salmonella getting onto cooked chicken through cross-contamination

2. Determine the critical control points (CCPs): This is a step in your process which must be controlled to prevent a problem occurring e.g. cooking beef burgers to a core temperature of 75°C will kill any dangerous bacteria present, like E.coli O157:H7. So, checking and recording this temperature would be a CCP

3. Establish critical limits: This involves setting limits for a CCP so you know when a CCP is out of control and action needs to be taken. Using the example above, setting a limit of a minimum temperature of 75°C would be a critical limit

4. Establish a system to monitor control of the CCP: You need to be regularly monitoring and recording what’s going on at your CCPs

5. Establish corrective action to be taken in the event of a CCP not being under

control: So, for example, the temperature of cooked meat in a fridge has risen to above 10°C for over 24 hours due to a fault with the fridge. Corrective action involves disposing of the cooked meat and repairing the fridge to ensure foods are maintained below 5°C

6. Verify that the system is working correctly: There is no point in having a food safety management system in place if it is not regularly tested to ensure it is working i.e. that everyone who should be, is aware when a CCP is out of control and knows what action to take. In addition, if your processes have changed or expanded, that any new CCPs are identified etc.

7. Establish appropriate documentation: Documentation of procedures and appropriate records should be kept and be available on demand, e.g. cooking temperatures, cleaning or delivery records

Flexibility in HACCP SystemThe legislation allows for flexibility in the implementation of a business’ food safety management system. Based on the size of the business, scale of production and level of risk involved, there are three options available for meeting the legal requirement for a food safety management system:

1. Implementation of the prerequisite hygiene requirements set out in Article 4 and Annex II of Regulation 852/2004/EC If meeting these requirements is deemed sufficient to control hazards then there is no need to put in place a permanent procedure based on the principles of HACCP detailed above. This option generally applies to food businesses where there is no preparation, manufacturing or processing of food, e.g. market stalls, small retail shops, transport and storage of pre-packed, non-perishable food

2. Following a recognised guide to good practice Examples of this would be businesses choosing to follow the NSAI hygiene standards e.g. I.S. 340:2007-Hygiene in the Catering Sector. Businesses choosing this option must ensure that the guide covers all operations. If not

covered then the principles of HACCP must be applied to any additional operations

3. Developing a system based on the HACCP principles (as detailed above)

Whatever system is chosen, all relevant staff should be involved in the development and implementation of the food safety management system so there is a good awareness of the risks and hazards involved in the process and what action needs to be taken in the event of something going wrong. The system should be regularly monitored and reviewed to ensure it is working. Remember, you are responsible for ensuring the food you produce is safe.

There is a legal requirement for the person responsible for the development and maintenance of the HACCP system to have received adequate training in the application of HACCP principles.

Is there a HACCP certificate?No, we get asked this question a lot and there is no such thing as HACCP certification. HACCP simply refers to a food business’ food safety management system. There is no certification of this system. It is a legal requirement for all food businesses, so use of the term ‘HACCP Certified’ by a business is meaningless.

For more information you can download Guidance Note No. 11 – Assessment of HACCP Compliance (Revision 2) from our website or order a copy from the advice-line on 1890 336677

The FSAI’s Safe Catering Pack is a tool designed to help caterers develop a system to manage food safety and comply with the food hygiene regulations. It presents options for businesses to choose how they are going to do this. It is available by calling the FSAI advice-line on 1890 336677 and costs €60 (plus €10 postage).

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Editor: Helen Crowley Contributors: Anne Marie Boland, Ray Ellard, Rhodri Evans, Bernard Hegarty, Sinéad Ní Bhriain, Eibhlin O’Leary, Marita Porter and Iona Pratt.© 2011 ‘Permission is granted to reproduce information contained herein with appropriate credit’.

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Recent PublicationsThe following publications were recently produced by the FSAI:

n Booklet – Overview of Changes to Food labelling Introduced under the New Food Information Regulation

n Calories on Menus in Ireland – a Report on a National Consultation

n Follow-up and close-out of non-compliances with food law in Local Authorities - Laois County Council

n Follow-up and close-out of non-compliances with food law in Local Authorities - Limerick County Council

n Follow-up and close-out of non-compliances with food law in Local Authorities - Waterford County Council

n Follow-up and close-out of non-compliances with food law in Local Authorities - Roscommon County Council

n Follow-up and close-out of non-compliances with food law in Local Authorities - Offaly County Council

n Audit of Irish Food Manufacturer Allergen Controls and Labelling

n Food Safety Authority of Ireland Annual Report 2011

These publications are available on our website at: www.fsai.ie/resources_publications.html.

FSAI Highly Commended for Excellence in Public RelationsThe Awards for Excellence in Public Relations, hosted by the Public Relations Consultants Association (Ireland), the Public Relations Institute of Ireland, and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Northern Ireland set the industry benchmark for excellence across all areas of public relations. The FSAI’s national consultation for calories on menus campaign was shortlisted for a 2012 award and was presented, together with its PR consultancy, Weber Shandwick, with a highly commended certificate in the “best public information campaign” category.