the role of infosan in managing food safety incidents and

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

The role of INFOSAN in managing food safety incidents and broader food control systems

Francesco Branca

Director, Nutrition and Food safety

World Health Organization, HQ

UK Global Food Safety Incidents and Emergency Response Conference 2021


Voluntary network of

national authorities

involved in food safety

from around the world

(700+ participants from

188 Member States)

managed jointly by FAO

and WHO

International Food Safety

Authorities Network

INFO

SA

N


Origin of INFOSAN

▪ 2000 and 2002: Resolutions of the World Health Assembly

• Improved communication re: food safety

• WHO to coordinate identification and response to food safety

emergencies

▪ 2004: Specific request from FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius

Commission for WHO to develop a network for the exchange of

information during food safety emergencies

INFOSAN launched by WHO in 2004 in

collaboration with FAO


Mission of INFOSAN

“Halt the international spread of contaminated

food, prevent foodborne disease outbreaks, and

strengthen food safety systems globally to reduce

the burden of foodborne diseases”


Promote the rapid exchange of information during food

safety related events

Share information on important food safety related issues

of global interest

Promote partnerships and collaboration between countries,

and between networks

Help countries strengthen their capacity to manage food

safety emergencies

Objectives of INFOSAN


INFOSAN Membership

▪ Emergency Contact Points → From the national

authority responsible for coordinating national food

safety emergency response activities

▪ Focal Points → Other national authorities with a

stake in food safety (i.e. human health, veterinary

services, agriculture, trade, fisheries, etc.)

▪ Other members → Advisory Group Members,

WHO Regional Food Safety Advisors; FAO Regional

Food Safety Officers; Regional Food Safety

Authorities; Collaborating Centres


INFOSAN Structure


Outbreaks of foodborne illness linked to

imported or exported food; or

Contamination of food (or feed) which has been

imported or exported and is likely to cause a

human health risk

What constitutes a food safety incident?


What constitutes as a food safety incident?

Food safety events, incidents or emergencies which

have potential for serious global public health

impact are of highest priority to the INFOSAN

Secretariat

A response would not be expected or required with

respect to information on quality issues or

compliance issues, unless there was a public health

impact


Food Safety Incidents may:

involve animal feed, food producing animals,

human food or a food ingredient at any stage

of the food chain from farm to table

be caused by biological, chemical, physical (i.e.

foreign matter) and radio nuclear hazards

be accidental or deliberate (i.e. food

fraud/terrorism)

What constitutes as a food safety incident?


Decide if

an

INFOSAN

Global

Alert is

warranted

Decide if

action from

INFOSAN

Secretariat

is required

INFOSAN Global

Alert issued in

coordination with

affected ECPs and

WHO IHR Secretariat

(and all INFOSAN

members are notified

by email)

Yes

Assessment

by the

INFOSAN

Secretariat

Monitor

No

Request

information

from ECPs

(with cc to

FPs for their

situation

awareness)

Yes

Receive

response

from

INFOSAN

ECP

Assessment

by INFOSAN

Secretariat

Notify and/or

request additional

information to

affected ECPs

(with cc to FPs for

their situational

awareness)

Close file

Summary of

the food

safety incident

published/

updated on

the INFOSAN

Community

Website by

the INFOSAN

SecretariatInformation

source (ECP,

FP,

FAO/WHO

programmes,

news/social

media, etc.)

Affected members

provide details

related to the

response effort in

their country in the

associated

discussion thread

No

Workflow for

INFOSAN event

assessment, analysis

and response

How does INFOSAN operates during food safety incidents?


What is the INFOSAN Community Website?

The ICW is our primary tool for

disseminating food safety

information to members during

emergency situations

▪ Provides a forum for members to

discuss topical food safety issues

with experts from around the globe

▪ Chat-function to enable real-time

communication with other members,

including the INFOSAN Secretariat


Promote partnerships and collaboration between

national agencies, between countries, and between

networks

▪ Analytical testing methods

▪ Outbreak investigation resources

▪ Training opportunities

INFOSAN network of networks


Several important regional food safety

communication networks…


…INFOSAN is Global


Outbreak of Listeriosis in South

Africa linked to internationally

distributed ready-to-eat meat,

2017/2018

INFOSAN in action


Food most often associated with listeriosis

▪ Foods with a long shelf-life under refrigeration

▪ Ready-to-eat foods consumed without further cooking

▪ In past outbreaks:


Listeriosis: Two main types

Non-invasive listeriosis

(febrile listerial gastroenteritis)

Invasive listeriosis is

a more severe form of

the disease and affects

certain high risk groups

of the population


Listeriosis: Two main types

▪ Invasive listeriosis:

Due to the long incubation

period, it is challenging

to identify the food which

was the actual source of

the infection

What did you eat 4 weeks ago?


Outbreak of Listeriosis in South Africa

1060 cases , 216 deaths http://www.nicd.ac.za

WHO GOARN/INFOSAN missions to support

systems strengthening

WHO GOARN/INFOSAN mission & factory sampling

Outbreak declared05/12/2017

First indication18/7/2017


South Africa

Angola

Botswana

DRC

Ghana

Lesotho

Madagascar

Malawi

Mauritius

Mozambique

Namibia

Nigeria

Swaziland

Uganda

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Export

RCL Foods

Ente

rpri

se a

nd R

CL

pro

duct

s

Four retail chains

Export

Export

Tiger Brands (Enterprise)


Role of INFOSAN in the Event

▪ INFOSAN Alert to entire network in December 2017

▪ Multiple information requests to INFOSAN Emergency

Contact Point in South Africa before and after

potential source(s) identified

▪ Provision of updates on the INFOSAN Community

Website for all INFOSAN members

▪ Communication directly to INFOSAN Emergency

Contact Points in 15 countries with export details

provided by South Africa

▪ Provision of support and guidance to countries with

respect to response and risk management


Food categories

N = 168 incidents

Fish and other seafood (35)

Herbs, spices and condiments (19)

Milk and dairy products (18)

Meat and meat products (17)

Vegetables and vegetable products (17)

Snacks, desserts, and other foods (13)

Fruit and fruit products (9)

Nuts and oilseeds (9)

Composite food (5)

Legume and pulses (4)

Unknown (4)

Cereals and cereal-based products (3)

Food additives (3)

Alcoholic beverages (2)

Drinking water (2)

Fruit and vegetable juice (2)

Products for special nutritional use (2)

Sugar and confectionary (2)

Starchy roots and tubers (1)

Food for infants and small children (1)

Food safety incidents reported by INFOSAN in 2021


Hazards and sub-hazards

N = 168 incidents

Biological (101)

Salmonella (42)

L. monocytogenes (27)

C. botulinum (7)

E. coli (6)

HAV (6)

Norovirus (4)

Vibrio (3)

Yersina (2)

B. cereus (2)

S. aureus (1)

Insects (1)

Milk (11)

Gluten (3)

Eggs (3)

Soy (1)

Peanuts (2)

Celery (1)

Shellfish (1)

Sesame (1)

Mustard (1)

Lactose (1)

Cashew (1)

Allergens (26)

Histamine (11)

Malachite green (2)

Methanol (1)

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (1)

Hydrocyanic acid (1)

Cyanide (1)

Chlorpyrifos (1)

Ethylene oxide (1)

Chemical (19)

Glass (11)

Metal (4)

Plastic (2)

Rubber (1)

Knife (1)

Foreign body (1)

Can defect (1)

Physical (21)

Undetermined (1)



118 MS

23%

16%

16%

13%

13%

13%

10%

8%

7%7%

United Kingdom

Canada

France

Germany

Italy

United States ofAmerica

Top 10

countries

N = 168 incidents

Involvement of Member States



Source of identification

CFIA (9)

ECDC (6)

FSANZ (4)

ECP/FP (49)

Outbreak (7)

RASFF (81)

IHR offices

(12)

INFOSAN

Members

(68/168)

Surveillance

partners

(100/168)

40%

60%



INFOSAN Secretariat Strategic Plan 2020-2025

Six Strategic Objectives:

1. Detect and respond to international food safety emergencies

2. INFOSAN as a ‘network of networks’

3. Increase food safety response capacity globally

4. Improving the user experience of members on the INFOSAN

Community Website

5. Boost the visibility of INFOSAN

6. Gain a comprehensive understanding of barriers and facilitators


Strengthening capacity for food control systems

• Strong national food recall systems are an essential component of effective national

food control system.

• Through capacity building regional and national workshops, INFOSAN helps

strengthen:

– Multi-sectorial and interagency coordination

– Definition of roles and responsibilities, particularly for emergencies

– Risk communication and notification; diagnosis and analysis

– Legal frameworks

– Capacity among the competent authorities to develop risk-based food control

systems


20202021Strategic

Indicators

168 incidents(09/2021)

127 incidents

4 days 5,1 days

1,8 days 3,8 days24h

3

35.4%40%50%

Strategic plan performance indicators

Number of

incidents/year

Time for

provision of

information

Time for

acknowledgement

Members as

source of

information


INFOSAN SecretariatDepartment of Nutrition and Food Safety

World Health Organization, [email protected]

THANK YOU

the role of infosan in managing food safety incidents and

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