Agenda Item 9	Conference Room Document 29 English only

FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food Safety for Asia and Pacific

Seremban, Malaysia, 24-27 May 2004

The National Surveillance System for Foodborne Disease in China

(People's Republic of China)

The first of all, we would like to thank FAO/WHO supporting the regional conference on food safety in Asia and Pacific, and have the agenda on foodborne disease monitoring and surveillance systems. Thanks Malaysia for preparing the document and made the good suggestions.

Now, we appreciate to share some information with you, about the national foodborne diseases surveillance system in China

The report system

There two report systems for foodborne diseases separately in China.

1. Infectious diseases: Aaccording to “The Peoples Republic of China Law for the Infectious Diseases Prevention and Cure”, ccholera, virus hepatitis, bacterial and ameba diarrhea, typhoid and paratyphoid, and other infectious diarrhea, must be reported.

2. Food poisoning events: According to “ The Peoples Republic of China Law for Food Hygiene” and “The Management Means for the Food Poisoning”, the important food poisoning events, including the more than 30 cases, or more than 1 death in an outbreak, or happened in the school, must be directly reported to the Ministry of Health. The general outbreaks could be reported to the local health agency.

In 2003, the reported events are significant more than those during the past years. Other than the events fact, it is important that The State Department issued “The Byelaw for the Meet an Emergency Outburst Public Health Happening” during the SARS prevalence. The situation of fail to report food poisoning is getting better, and the media made the strong support.

National Foodborne Monitoring and Surveillance System

In 2001, the National Foodborne Monitoring and Surveillance System have established. There are more than 50 surveillance points among 13 provinces in China, which covered about 643 millions population, as 50.8% of total.

According to the EU model WHO recommended, the data of acute foodborne diseases were collected from 1992 to 2001. It was found that the microbial foodborne disease was at the first position, and then followed by chemical foodborne disease. There were 31.1% of food poisoning caused by Vibrio parahemelitics and 17.9% of caused by Salmonella spp. The most dangerous foods are meat and seafood products.

Microbial Risk Assessment

• The rapid examination methods (PCR) and the trace to the source techniques for Salmonella, E.coli, Vibrio parahemelitics and Listeria were established in our laboratory.
• The quantitative detecting inspection for Salmonella in poultry and eggs, Vibrio parahemelitics in oyster were carrying out.
• The consumption assessment model of shelled eggs in Chinese population, the transmit assessment model of foodborne pathogen from fly to human, exposure assessment model for raw oyster in the littoral areas, were established at the research stage.
• After the 36^th CCFH, the studies on the Enterbacter sakazakii in the infant formulas are going on in China.

Comments to FAO/WHO

1. The prevention and control of foodborne disease is the main objective to protect consumers, which is more scientific and difficult than the food inspection and control. It is necessary to have another consultation meeting for foodborne disease control, and invite some experts not only food safety area, but also the epidemiologist, clinical medicine, veterinary, educationist, economist and sociologist.

2. We support FAO and WHO will try to establish the globe foodborne disease surveillance network, and to share the information. Meanwhile, the food terrorist and biosafety are the focus problems worldwide recent years. How to resolve this antinomy? We suggest FAO/WHO to consider and have a consultation meeting, and to ensure the nations safety.