Traceability Seafood: The difficult challenge to implement the traceability on seafood

The difficult challenge to implement the traceability on seafood by Iván Loaiza Alamo

Prof. An Cliquet

Content

!   Introduction

!   What is traceability?

!   Why is traceability important?

!   Advances

!   Conclusions

!   Recommendations

Introduction

The Seafood industry continues to evolve to satisfy what the consumers require, nowadays the consumers are much more knowledgeable and demanding about the foods they purchase. Therefore the increased focus on food safety and consumer awareness raises and hence, is urgent to identify and adopt business practices with international standards.

On the other hand, the protection of environment (humans included) must be considered through the supply chain.

What is traceability?

“Traceability refers to the completeness of the information about every step in a process”

But…the supply chain change from farm (aquaculture) to consume:

Feed/Medicine

Breeder/Hatchery/Fish farm

Wholesaler/Producer Transport Retailer Consumer

“Traceability means the ability to trace and follow a food, feed, food-producing animal or substance intended to be, or expected to be incorporated into a food or feed, through all stages of production, processing and distribution” (E.U/FAO)

Why is traceability important?

Scopes:

Economics

Food safety

Environmental

Occupational safety and health

Otherwise… Belgium: 10. June. 1999: Beef, pork, poultry, egg and milk produced in Belgium after 14. January 1999 cannot be sold, because it was discovered that large quantities had been contaminated by dioxin

Denmark: Listeria in smoked salmon, Nematodes in Herring

Peru: 10. September. 2008. Hepatitis virus in marine bivalves, food intoxication in Spain. A few days later, forbidden to import marine bivalves come from Peru.

Otherwise… (controlled on the market or border control)

France: 17. May. 2011. Mussels with Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP).

India: 12. May. 2011. Frozen peeled shrimps with prohibited substance chloramphenicol (0.11 ug/kg ppb).

Vietnam: 19. May. 2011. chlorpyriphos (144 µg/kg - ppb) and trifluralin (6.3 µg/kg - ppb) in pangasius fillets (Pangasius hypophthalmus).

Otherwise… (controlled on the market or border control)

South Africa: 20. May. 2011. Poor temperature control - rupture of the cold chain - of frozen tuna (Thunnus alalunga).

Brazil: 20. May. 2011. Poor temperature control - rupture of the cold chain - of whole tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis).

Advances - EU January 2002. Official Journal of the European Communities. Demand: Traceability, Scientific name, Trade name, etc. (the most importance of 66 scopes developed)

(8) High level of health protection as appropriate in the development of food law, whether food or feed is traded on the internal market or internationally.

(9) It is necessary to ensure that consumers, other stake- holders and trading partners have confidence in the decision-making processes underpinning food law - scientific basis.

Advances - EU

(15) Networking of laboratories, with the aim of ensuring continuous monitoring of food safety, could play an important role in the prevention of potential health risks for citizens.

(23) International trade agreements; non-discriminatory manner; following fair and ethical trading practices.

(30) A different food business operators (to be able to devise a safe system or not) in States can create barriers trade.

Advances - EU

(32) The scientific and technical basis relating to the safety of food and feed should contribute to the achievement of a high level of health protection.

(33) (34) (35) (36) The establishment of a European Food Safety “The Authority” should reinforce the present system of scientific and technical support which is an independent scientific source of advice. These should include issues in food safety (mainly) and feed supply chains, animal and plant health and welfare, also cover scientific advice and scientific and technical support on human nutrition.

(37) (38) Some environmental and worker protection aspects should also be assessed by the Authority in accordance with the relevant legislation.

Advances - FAO

November 2009. Workshop on the role of international standards in managing the supply chain and traceability Geneva. Traceability purpose:

!   ensuring food safety throughout the food chain

!   fair trade practices : ensuring the quality of the product, preventing misleading labeling for consumers

Advances - FAO

Principles for traceability/product tracing (taking in account different scope than E.U)

!   The application of traceability/product tracing should take into account the capabilities of developing countries.

!   If in the context of a traceability/product tracing tool an importing country has objectives or outcomes which cannot be met by an exporting country, the importing country should consider the provision of assistance to the exporting country, and especially in the case of a developing country.

Advances - FAO

Application of traceability, different purposes:

!   Food safety : or “food hygiene”, Hazard Analysis- critical control points (HACCP).

!   Certification: sanitary certificates, food quality

!   Consumer: information and substantiation of claims

Codes of hygienic practice developed on a risk based approach and HACCP application for: ! Drinking waters (2001)

!   Transport of foods in bulk (2001)

!   Transport of fats and oils in bulk (1999, 2001, further revision ongoing)

!   Fresh fruit and vegetables (2003)

!   Milk and milk products (2004)

!   Fish and Fishery products (2003 to 2008 and ongoing): includes process for compliance with safety and quality provisions

Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products Host Government: Norway: Last session of CCFFP will be held April 11-16, 2011 in Tromso, Norway. The Committee will continue to work on:

!   Draft Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products (Crabs and relevant Definitions)

! Draft Standard for Sturgeon Caviar

!   Proposed Draft List of Methods for the Determination of Biotoxins in the Draft Standard for Raw and Live Bivalve Molluscs

Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products

!   Proposed Draft Standard for Quick Frozen Scallop Adductor Muscle Meat

!   Proposed Draft Code of Practice on the Processing of Scallop Meat

!   Proposed Draft Standard for Smoked Fish, Smoke-Flavoured Fish and Smoke-Dried Fish

!   Proposed Draft Standard for Fish Sauce

Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products

!   Amendment to the Standard for Quick Frozen Fish Sticks (Nitrogen Factors)

!   Proposed Draft Standard for Fresh/Live and Frozen Abalone

!   Revision of the Procedure for the Inclusion of Additional Species in Standards for Fish and Fishery Products

Other Advances

Conclusions

!   E.U and FAO are important organizations which are developing scopes, codes and standards in the traceability of seafood.

!   The information of traceability implementation in developing countries is still poor.

!   Environmental (including humans as workers) issues are in the secondary objectives in most of the reviewed documents.

Conclusions !   The importing country should assist the

exporting country in terms of good practice in the elaboration of a product, even more if the country is a developing country.

!   The scientific and technical support in EU is developed with an independent scientific group.

!   The creation of different manual, implementation, practical guides in U.S.A and Canada are addressing the implementation of traceability in seafood products.

References ! Doyran S. H. , 2009. Codex standards and traceability.

Workshop on the role of international standards in managing the supply chain and traceability. Geneva.

!   Olsen P., 2009. Round Table on Eco-Labelling and Certification in the Fisheries Sector. Netherlands.

!   Seattle fish CO., 2010. Ensuring Traceability in the Seafood Supply Chain

! Cannavan A. FAO/IAEA Agriculture & Biotechnology Laboratory. Food Traceability and Authenticity - Global Issues. Austria.

References

! Magera A. and Beaton S., 2009. Seafood Traceability in Canada traceability systems, certification, eco-labeling and standards for achieving sustainable seafood.

!   Petersen A. and Green D. Seafood Traceability: A Practical Guide for the U.S. Industry.

! Germain C. FAO., 2003. Traceability implementation in developing countries, its possibilities and its constraints A few case studies.

!   Assessing the state of readiness. An analysis of the requirements, current conditions and opportunities for traceability in the british columbia seafood sector.