20 - Innovating Food, Innovating the Law - Aldo Prandini

The identification of potentially emerging The identification of potentially emerging food safety issues: an analysis of reports food safety issues: an analysis of reports published by the European Community's published by the European Community's

Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) (RASFF)

A. PRANDINI

S. SIGOLO

ISTITUTO DI SCIENZE DEGLI ALIMENTI ISTITUTO DI SCIENZE DEGLI ALIMENTI E DELLA NUTRIZIONE – U.C.S.C.E DELLA NUTRIZIONE – U.C.S.C.

REASONS OF THE CALL

SAFE FOODS

Project- Promoting Food Safety through a New Integrated Risk Analysis Approach for Foods. (2004-2008, 37 partner, 21 nations)

G.A. Kleter, A. Prandini, L. Filippi, H.J.P. Marvin, 2009. Identification of potentially emerging food safety issues by analysis of reports published by the European Community’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) during a four-year period. Food Chem. Toxicol. 47, 932-950.

WHAT IS THE RASFF?

A rapid alert system, established as a network, for the notification

of a direct or indirect risk to human health deriving from food

or feed.

THE SCOPE OF THE RASFF

The purpose of the RASFF is to provide the control authorities with an effective tool for exchange of

information on measures taken to ensure food safety.

THE LEGAL BASIS

Regulation (EC) n° 178/2002 Articles 50-52:

laying down the general principles and requirements of food law;

establishing the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA);

laying down procedures in matters of food safety.

MEMBER STATES

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Liechstenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

United

kingdom

MEMBER

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTORITY

EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY

MARKET NOTIFICATIONS

Alert notification

It is sent when a food or a feed presenting a serious risk is on the

market or when rapid action is required.

Information notification

It concerns a food or a feed on the market of the notifying country for which a risk has been identified

that does not require rapid action

MARKET NOTIFICATIONS

Border rejection notification

It concerns a food or a feed that was refused entry into the Community for reason of a risk to

human or animal health.

News

It concerns any type of information related to the safety of food or feed which has not been

communicated as an alert, information or border rejection notification, but which is judged interesting

for the food and feed control authorities in the Member States.

An original notification sent by a member of the RASFF network can be rejected from

transmission through the RASFF, after evaluation by the Commission, if the criteria for notification are not met or if the information transmitted is

insufficient. The notifying country is informed of the intention not to transmit the information through the RASFF and is invited to provide

additional information allowing the rejection to be reconsidered by the Commission.

MARKET NOTIFICATIONS

RASFF INFORMATION FLOW

RASFF PORTAL DATABASE

Since the launch of the RASFF portal (mid 2009) there have been no more

subscriptions to the weekly notifications as these are now uploaded into the

portal as and when they arrive.

RASFF PORTAL DATABASE

It consists of:

search page;

notifications list from 1979, when RASFF begun working, till now.

Classification

Date of case

Last change

Reference

Country

Subject Product category

Type

7. Alert

(information or border rejection or information for follow-up or information for attention)

25/06/2011

29/06/2011

2011.0842

FR foodborne outbreak suspected (verotoxin producing E coli O104:H4) to be caused by vegetable seeds for sprouting packaged in the United Kingdom

fruit and vegetables

Food

(feed or FCM)

TYPE OF NOTIFICATION

6% 7%

87%

FEED NOTIFICATIONS 190

FOOD CONTACT MATERIAL 229

FOOD NOTIFICATIONS 2873

ANNUAL REPORT 2010

2010 NOTIFICATIONS CLASSIFICATION

37%

19%

44% INFORMATION 1169

ALERT 573

BORDER 1549

47%

34%

7%

5%4% 2% 1%

BORDER REJ ECTION (47%)

OFFICIAL CONTROL ON THE MARKET 34%

COMPANY OWN-CHECK (7%)

BORDER CONTROL-CONSIGNMENTRELEASED (5%)

CONSUMER COMPLAINT (4%)

FOOD POISONING (2%)

OFFICIAL CONTROL FOLLOWING A RASFFNOTIFICATION (1%)

(border rejection)

(official control on the market)

NOTIFICATIONS BY THE MEMBERS

548

400

326

284

214

170155

140 133 128

93 89 8871

55 55 52 4632 31 25 23 23 22 21 17 16 12 10 8 3

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

ANNUAL REPORT 2010

NOTIFICATIONS BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

418

250 248

160 156 144132 132

115 113 109

73 69 66 64 54 50 5038 36 28 25 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 20

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

ANNUAL REPORT 2010

MAIN HAZARDS NOTIFIED BY RASFF (2010)

• Microbiological risks:

338 notifications for Salmonella of which 120 concerning feed.

Salmonella was followed by Listeria which was mainly detected in fish products (smoked salmon).

• Chemical risks:

most notifications regarded mycotoxins (95.3% of the mycotoxin notifications concerned the aflatoxins), followed by notifications for pesticide residues and migration of food contact materials.

• Other risks:

75 notifications for unauthorised GMO and 29 for unauthorised Novel Food.

67 nofications for allergenic substances not mentioned on the labelling.

notifications number by product category

661

208

727519

388652

133

234

13299

234675

229 1540 190

f ish (661)

meat and meat products (208)

poultry (72)

milk and milk products (75)

honey and royal jelly (19)

fruit and vegetables (388)

nuts and snack (652)

cereal and cereal products (133)

herbs and spices (234)

dietetic foods and food supplements (132)

ice and desserts (99)

fats and oils (23)

soups, broth and sauces (46)

beverages (75)

food contact materials (229)

eggs and eggs products (15)

other food products (40)

feed (190)

(nuts and snack)(fruit and vegetables)

(fish)

MAIN HAZARD BY PRODUCT CATEGORY (RASFF 2010)

Product category Hazard N° notifications

Details

Nuts and snack Mycotoxins 486 471 for aflatoxins

Fish Microbiological

contaminations

140

Heavy metals 116

Parasitic infestations

91

Fruit and

vegetables

Pesticide residues

225

Microbiological contaminations

31 11 for moulds

Food contact materials

Migration 214

Product category

Hazard N° notifications

Details

Herbs and spices

Mycotoxins 125 120 for aflatoxins

5 for ochratoxin A

Microbiological contaminations

38 27 for Salmonella

Pesticide residues 38

Feed Microbiological hazards

131 20 for Salmonella

Mycotoxins 23

Chemical contaminations

12 11 for dioxins

and dioxin-like compounds

Meat products

(excluded poultry)

Microbiological

contaminations

89 67 for Salmonella

CASE STUDY CASE STUDY MELAMINEMELAMINE

An industrial chemical used in plastics, An industrial chemical used in plastics, glues, etc…, rich in nitrogen (Cglues, etc…, rich in nitrogen (C33HH66NN66))

An important case of feed contamination in 2007 concerned the presence of melamine in pet food and

protein-rich ingredients (15 notifications).

MELAMINE CHRONOSTORY (2007-2010)

20072007

From February 2007

Unusual sickness and death of pet animals (cats and dogs) in the United States.

Problem origin: wheat gluten originating from China and used for production of pet food.

Precautionary action: recall of pet food in which the wheat gluten was used.

Early April 2007

Cause: fraudulent addition of melamine to wheat gluten imported from China.

Later (2007)

Melamine and cyanuric acid, a compound structurally related to melamine, were also found in rice protein concentrate imported from China.

Melamine levels: in wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate were in the range 0.2-8%.

Fraud aim: to enhance the apparent protein content of wheat gluten and other protein sources.

Consequences: animal health problems due to the combination of melamine and cyanuric acid forming crystals in the kydney of animals.

RASFF ACTIONS (2007)

20 March 2007: melamine contamination incident was reported as an unknown hazard.

In April 2007: the contamination with melamine was confirmed.

20 and 27 April 2007: Member States were requested to increase their alertness during the meeting of the Standing Committee (section Animal Nutrition) and Working Group meeting on the RASFF.

2 May 2007: Member States have been formally asked by the Commission to check consignments of wheat gluten, corn gluten, corn meal, soy protein, rice bran and rice protein concentrate originating from third countries, in particular from China, for the presence of melamine and related compounds and to report the results to the Commission through the RASFF.

EFSA ACTIONS (2007)

8 May 2007: request of EFSA opinion by the Commission on the risks for animal health and public health associated to melamine and related compounds.

8 June 2007: EFSA issued a statement on this topic (available at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/1047.pdf).

CHINA AUTHORITIES (AQSIQ) ACTIONS (2007)

Compulsory official melamine examination of protein concentrate products and strengthened control by local authorities

on the production of protein concentrate.

The Chinese authorities confirmed that all consignments of protein concentrate which had left China after 15 May 2007

should be free of melamine

All RASFF notifications on findings of melamine and All RASFF notifications on findings of melamine and related compounds in feed ingredients originating related compounds in feed ingredients originating

from China relate to shipments which left China from China relate to shipments which left China before 15 May 2007.before 15 May 2007.

Standing Commitee meeting on the Food Chain and Animal Health (section Animal

Nutrition) 22 October 2007

Taking into account the results of the controls, the Taking into account the results of the controls, the conclusions of the scientific statement issued by conclusions of the scientific statement issued by

EFSA and the measures taken and commitment by EFSA and the measures taken and commitment by the Chinese authorities, there was no longer a need the Chinese authorities, there was no longer a need

to maintain an increased frequency of import to maintain an increased frequency of import controls.controls.

20082008

15 September 2008: Commission services issued a news notification on deaths of babies in China following poisoning of the infant formulae with melamine.

24 September 2008: EFSA issued a scientific statement in order to assess the risks related to the presence of melamine in composite products containing milk ingredients such as chocolate and biscuit (imports of milk and milk products originating from China have never been allowed into the Community but composite product containing milk ingredients are imported from China).

Only in the case of high daily consumption of biscuits and Only in the case of high daily consumption of biscuits and chocolates containing high levels of contaminated milk chocolates containing high levels of contaminated milk

powder from China, the TDI would be exceeded and a health powder from China, the TDI would be exceeded and a health risk could exist.risk could exist.

1 - 2.5 mg melamine/kg was established as the 1 - 2.5 mg melamine/kg was established as the appropriate level to distinguish between the appropriate level to distinguish between the

unavoidable background presence of melamine unavoidable background presence of melamine (from food contact materials, pesticide use, etc.) and (from food contact materials, pesticide use, etc.) and

unacceptable adulteration.unacceptable adulteration.

14 October 2008: Commission Decision 2008/798/EC imposing special conditions governing the import of products containing milk and milk products originating in or consigned from China and repealing Commission Decision 2008/757/EC was adopted.

RASFF ACTIONS (2008)

Several RASFF notifications confirmed the presence of melamine in composite products and the illegal import of milk and milk products from China.

From the end of October 2008 onwards there are several notifications for high levels of melamine in soybean meal and ammonium bicarbonate from China.

The Commission Decision 2008/921/EC of 9 December 2008 The Commission Decision 2008/921/EC of 9 December 2008 amending Decision 2008/798/EC extends the safeguard amending Decision 2008/798/EC extends the safeguard

measures to ammonium bicarbonate and to feed and food measures to ammonium bicarbonate and to feed and food containing milk, milk products, soya and soya products.containing milk, milk products, soya and soya products.

MELAMINE RASFF NOTIFICATIONS (2008)

Since the first news notification, 79 notifications for melamine in food from China and 5 border rejections on such products as:

• illegally imported milk products

• composite products containing milk ingredient

• potato crisps

• leavening agent

• food supplements

MELAMINE RASFF NOTIFICATIONS (2009)

Notifications about industrial contaminants in pet food concerned findings of melamine.

Significant decrease of the number of notifications received for cereals and bakery products, and confectionery.

STATUS OF MELAMINE CONTAMINATION 2010 no notifications!

RASFF: THE FORCE POINTS

Effective tool for the protection of the consumer and public health.

Auxiliary tool for the political, sanitary and veterinary agencies in the work of evaluation and decision.

Useful tool to evaluate the historical trends of the food safety issues.

To have a potential ability to foresee possible future hazards.

RASFF: THE CRITICAL POINTS

Lack of a standard method of alert management eligible to guarantee intervention homogeneity by the national authorities

Complex information flow

Lack of control on the sampling methodologies

Lack of transparency towards the consumers

Hazard announcement to the consumer by unsuited means of communication (media).

Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina ma almeno con le

idee chiare! (Bentley, 2009)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!