World Environmental Health Day Food Global trade global
World Environmental Health Day • Food: Global trade - global risks • Codex – UN (FAO WHO) Body balances trade with safety • Codex – International reference standards for WTO trade disputes • Risk based approach – equivalence in EU UK legislation • Pizza – 35 different ingredients passing through 60 countries ! • Global EU issues will impact UK
Routine FSA LA Testing • LA’s routinely sample and test food products • Range of legal controls – labelling; nature or substance; fraud; • Annual enforcement returns to FSA. 2011/12: – 78, 653 food samples ( 30, 098 analyses for composition, labelling and presentation – 800 samples tested for meat authenticity • Level of sampling falling but this was a failure of intelligence not sampling levels • Additional FSA funding for sampling included meat fish, rice…… but not horse !
Horsemeat – industry testing • Horsemeat in beef burgers (15 th Jan) • Testing by industry. . . positives found in other products ready meals. . . crisis of confidence • Needed order urgency to industry testing – 8 th Feb wrote to industry requiring testing results – 11 th Feb industry meeting to agree protocol – 15 th Feb first results published (2501 tests 29 +ves) – 1 st March final weekly (5430 – 44+ves) – Now quarterly – 13 th June 19, 050 additional tests. • Aim – check food chain, reassure consumers, put contamination into perspective • Focus on gross contamination
Pragmatic reporting threshold LGC study and consumer acceptance testing re future approach, GMP 1% Gross adulteration fraud Trace unavoidable contamination
Other FSA LA action • 3 phases of LA testing of beef products • UK – results similar to industry results. EU results showed more widespread contamination • LA checks investigations to all UK approved plants and cold stores • Ad hoc testing where necessary eg SMEs • Providing advice support to businesses • FSA Europol investigations ongoing • Series of Government reviews – Troop, EFRA, NAO, Government Elliot Review – LA views being sought • Improving intelligence sharing an emerging theme • Effective collaboration vital – Thank you !
food fraud- not just about horsemeat ! Adulterated Basmati Rice Fake Champagne Illegal harvesting of shellfish Illegal slaughter / Smokies Counterfeit vodka False organic claims Illegal re-dating False health marks
An excellent example of collaboration – so what’s the latest position and what’s coming up? Local authority uptake Focus on display Wales – 22 of 22 Northern Ireland – 26 of 26 England – 325 of 326 Focus on consistency
What’s the future for FHRS? Maximise public health protection Contribute to business growth Make it easy for local authorities to manage the FHRS locally alongside delivery of their statutory food law regulatory services. Give consumers the knowledge and understanding to recognise the FHRS and the trust to rely on the information to make better decisions. Give businesses confidence that FHRS is operated fairly and consistently, and make it easy for them to improve and maintain standards and benefit from this. Provide the ratings information at the right time and in the right place so that it is easy for consumers to use the scheme routinely.
Review of Official Control Delivery • Review reported to FSA Board March 13 – closed the Review – FSA initial concerns on the impact of cuts to LA budgets and fragility not realised – seems a degree of protection for official controls delivery against wider & deeper cuts - so far – hygiene delivery has been less affected than standards delivery • Analysis of the data suggests much scope for improving the effectiveness of the current system - similar to feed. • Next steps will be developed with close working with LAs • NOTE…. This is not FSA saying everything is OK and there are no serious issues to tackle ! • Thank you for contributing • NB LAEMS 2012 -13 data to be reported to November Board
FSA Changes • New Operations Group Structure – further information shortly • The changes to Divisions are intended to improve our working and support to LAs, industry and consumers. Expect a few teething issues. • But also expect more emphasis on: – greater collaboration – – flexibility and intelligence to target resources prioritisation on problem areas – eg shellfish, brokers, fraud……. Work to improve intelligence sharing Improving evidence of impact and what works in driving up compliance • Reflects horsemeat learning and FSA E&C Strategy • Note recent Feed COP consultation – greater targeting, Earned Recognition and more collaborative working through NTSB • For a (much) better update on all the food issues download the FSA Chief Scientist Annual Report for 201213 – published last Tuesday !
Where next ? • Capacity & competency vital • Enforcer v advocate communicator • More intelligence – different models eg regulating internet global issues • Greater cross authority, regulation, regional, national coordination liaison • Evidence (data) on impact risk crucial • Whatever it is – will not be less of the same
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