public and private safety and quality objectives and ...public and private safety and quality...

Public and private safety and

quality objectives and principles

Roundtable on Eco-labelling and

certification in Fisheries

The Hague, Netherlands

22 – 23 April 2009

Lahsen Ababouch

Chief, Fish Utilization and Marketing Service

Food and Agriculture Organization of

The United Nations. Rome, Italy

Objectives of safety and

quality measures

To protect the health of consumers;

To ensure fair trade practices in

food production and distribution;

To facilitate international trade in

food

Historical background

Attempts to codify food well known by eraly

civilizations and during the middle age

Scientific developments of nineteenth century

More recent milestones

1963: Creation of the Codex Alimentarius

1985, the UNGA adopted resolution 39/248 on

guidelines for consumer protection

1995: Creation of the WTO and signing of two

agreements on The SPS measures and on TBT

The agreement on sanitary and

phytosanitary measures

Expanded and updated text from GATT (1947, Article XXII b) and from TBT agreement of the Tokyo Round (1973 – 1978)

Purpose of the SPS agreement:

- to ensure that measures established by governments to protect human, animal and plant life and health are consistent with obligations prohibiting arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination on trade between countries where the same conditions prevail.

- Such measures shall not be applied in a manner that would constitute a disguised restriction on international trade

Technical Barriers to Trade

Agreement (TBT) Revised Agreement from Tokyo Round (1973 - 79)

Purpose of Agreement:

- To encourage the development and use of international standards and conformity assessment systems

- To prevent the use of technical requirements as unjustifiable trade barriers

- To prevent deceptive trade practices

Product (1979) vs. product, process and production methods (1995)

SPS measures for agriculture and foods dealt with separately under SPS

SPS/TBT Agreements

General Principles

Sovereignty

Harmonization

Equivalency

Scientific basis

Transparency

Technical Assistance

Special and differential treatment

Consultation and dispute settlement

SPS Agreement

Sovereignty

Article 2 of the SPS agreement recognizes the rights of Members to establish sanitary and phytosanitary measures at the necessary level of protection for human, animal and plant life and health as long as they are not inconsistent with the provisions of this agreement.

Measures are not to be arbitrary, discriminatory, unjustified, unnecessary or disguised barriers to trade.

TBT Agreement

Sovereignty The preamble to the TBT agreement

recognizes that no country should be prevented from taking measures necessary to ensure the quality of its exports, ....,

or for the prevention of deceptive practices, at the levels it considers appropriate,

subject to the requirements that they are not applied in a manner which would constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between countries where the same conditions prevail or a disguised restriction on international trade

Establishment, Recognition and Application of Common SPS Measures by Members

Members shall base their measures on those developed by relevant international organizations (OIE, CAC, IPPC)

Measures which conform to international standards are consistent with Agreement

Members are to fully participate in the work of relevant international organizations

WTO to monitor progress of international harmonization (SPS and TBT Committees)

Harmonization

World Trade Organisation

CODEXGuidelines,Standards

Codes of Practice

SPS/TBT and Codex

National Regulations

Members shall accept other Member

measures as equivalent, if final results

are the same ( achieve same ALOP)

Members shall consult to achieve

bilateral and multilateral agreements

(Mutual Recognition Agreements)

Equivalence

Scientifically based standards

SPS measures are to be based on the assessment of risks to humans, animals or plants, using internationally accepted risk assessment techniques and taking into account the available scientific evidence

SPS measures should minimize negative trade effects and arbitrary and unjustified measures should not be considered

Risk Communication(interactive exchange

of

information and ideas)

Risk

Assessment

(“scientific”)•hazards

•exposure

•dose-response

•synthesis

•uncertainty

Risk

Management

(“policy”)•social

•cultural

•economicProcess

Initiation

The Risk Analysis Process

How do “experts” and consumers

rate risks?

Actual Risk Risk Factor

Perceived

Risk

HIGH microbiological contamination LOW

packaging f ailure

distribution f ailure

pesticide residues

biotechnology

f ood additiv es

LOW f ood irradiation HIGH

Publish regulations and provide lead time for comments and consultation

Establish Enquiry Point

Establish Notification Procedures

General Reservations (related to Confidential information)

Emergency circumstances (By pass publication)

Transparency

Members agree to facilitate

technical assistance, especially to

developing countries

If substantial investment needed,

assistance should be envisaged

Technical assistance

Members are to consider special needs of other members

Time limit exception (granted upon request to the SPS Committee)

Longer time frames envisaged

Members to participate actively in the work of international organizations

Special and differential

treatment

Rules established by GATT (Articles XXII and XXIII)

Technical/scientific advice from experts, advisory panels and international organizations

Other existing international agreements may be used

Consultation and dispute

settlement

The food chain approach

Prevention at Source

Risk Analysis

Harmonization

Equivalence

Traceability

Prevention at source

Producers and processors are responsible for fish safety and quality along the food chain using preventive systems (GAP, GHP, HACCP and GMP)

Control authorities provide regulatory framework, verify that producers and processors apply properly preventive systems (through audit and verification)

Harmonization and Equivalence in international trade

World Trade Organisation

CODEXGuidelines,Standards

Codes of Practice

SPS/TBT and Codex

National Regulations

The CA: How does it work?

The Executive committee, the regional coordinating committees and the secretariat of CAC

9 subject committees (e.g. Food Hygiene), 12 commodity committees (e.g. CCFFP), 5 ad-hoc IG task forces (e.g. handling and processing quick frozen foods)

3 Joint FAO/WHO expert groups (e.g. JECFA) which are independent of CAC and where experts serve on their personnel capacity

Ad –hoc joint FAO/WHO working groups and expert consultations

Thank you

Lahsen Ababouch

Chief, FIIU

Fish products and Industry Division

Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture

The U.N Food and Agriculture Organization

Via Delle Terme di Caracalla

00100 Rome, Italy

+390657054157

+390657055188

[email protected]

Microbial

Risk

Assessment

Codex

Committee

Drafting groups

Initiation meeting

Expert

Consultation

call and Selection

of Experts

Exposure

assessment

Hazard

characterization

Call for data

Drafting groups

Progress meeting

Public review

periodY

ear

1

Request

from Codex

FAO/WHO

JEMRA

MRA

process

relevant

Codex

Committees

Expert

Consultation

Drafting groups

Progress meeting

Finalisation of

risk assessment

documents

Ye

ar

2

Technical

report

Interpretative

summary

characterization

Risk

period

Peer review

Ye

ar

3

MRA

Process

(2)

Outputs (2006)

Since its foundation, CAC has adopted 186 Food Standards and 46 commodity related texts

9 texts of food labelling, 5 on food hygiene, 15 on sampling and analysis, 8 on inspection and certification procedures, 3 on risk assessment, 7 on food additives and 6 on animal food production

2930 ML for Pesticide Residues, covering 218 pesticides

12 texts on Contaminants in foods (ML, detection and prevention)

1112 provisions for Food Additives, covering 292 food additives

441 MRL for Veterinary Drugs in foods covering 49 Veterinary Drugs

Outputs relevant to Fisheries Code of practice for food hygiene (GHP, HACCP,

Risk assessment, microbiological criteria)

Standards for fish and fishery products (Volume 9A: 16 standards on frozen, canned, salted and dried fish, 2 guidelines for sensory evaluation)

Code of practice for Fish and Fishery products (GHP, GAP, HACCP)

Several international risk assessments (Vibrios in seafood, biotoxins, antimicrobial resistance)

Several principles and guidelines for food import and export inspection and certification

MRL for veterinary drugs relevant to FFP

MRL for contaminants relevant to FFP

Work in progress (EC Viruses, Risk/benefits of MeHg or active chlorine, antimicrobial resistance)

Code of practice for FFP

Scope,

definitions,

Pre-requisite program,

General Considerations for the Handling of Fresh Fish and Shellfish,

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point and Defect Action Point (DAP) Analysis;

Aquaculture production

Live and Raw bivalve molluscs;

Processing of Fresh, Frozen and Minced Fish;

Processing of Frozen Surimi;

Processing of Quick-Frozen Coated Fish;

Processing of Salted Fish;

Processing of Smoked Fish;

Processing of Lobsters & Crabs;

Processing of Shrimps and Prawns;

Processing of Cephalopods;

Processing of Canned Fish and Shellfish;

Transport;

Retail

Section 3: Pre-requisite programs

3.1 Fishing and Harvesting Vessel Design

and Construction

3.2 Facility Design and Construction

3.3 Design and Construction of Equipment

and Utensils

3.4 Hygiene Control Programme

3.5 Personal Hygiene and Health

3.6 Transportation

3.7 Product Tracing and Recall

Procedures

3.8 Training

Harmonization and equivalence

Codex standards, Codes of practice and guidelines

European Union: “Farm to Fork” Food Hygiene Package (2002 + 2005)

FDA: 1997 (21CFR 1230): GHP, GMP, Guidance for hazards in fish and fishery products, Seafood HACCP Alliance training program

Mutual recognition agreements

Package Regulation /Directive Covering

Hygiene 1 European Parliament and Council

Regulation 852/2004 on the hygiene of

foodstuffs

general requirements primary

production, technical requirements,

HACCP, registrations/approval of food

businesses, national guides to good

practice


Regulation 853/2004 laying down

specific hygiene rules

specific hygiene rules for food of

animal origin (approval of

establishments, health and

identification marking, imports, food

chain information)


Regulation 854/2004 laying down

specific rules for the organization of

official controls on products of animal

origin intended for human

consumption

detailed rules for the organization of

official controls on products of animal

origin (methods to verify compliance

with Hygiene 1 & 2 and animal by-

products regulation 1774/2002)

Hygiene 4 Council Directive 2002/99/EC laying

down health rules governing the

production, processing, distribution

and importation of products of animal

origin

veterinary certification, compliance

with European Union rules


Directive 2004/41/EC repealing 17

existing Directives

GFSI Guidance document

Introduction

Scope

Definitions

Procedure for the

application and

benchmark

Requirements for FSMs

Key elements for FSMS

Key elements for GAP,

GMP, GDP

for HACCP

Requirements for the

delivery of FSMS:

auditors qualifications,

training and experience,

management of certification

bodies,

certification,

management of the food

certification system

Thank you

Lahsen Ababouch

Chief, FIIU

Fish products and Industry Division

Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture

The U.N Food and Agriculture Organization

Via Delle Terme di Caracalla

00100 Rome, Italy

+390657054157

+390657055188

[email protected]

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