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Integrated Approaches to the Management of Food Safety throughout the Chain

Country Paper proposed by the USA

Year of publication 2002

Author Nutrition Division

Product type Meeting

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The existing US scheme of food safety responsibilities, involving the Food and Drug Administration, US Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies, is based on laws and regulations that place responsibility for safety on those that produce, process, transport and store the food. In 1997, a new initiative to revamp the regulatory approach extended its scope throughout the food chain, "From Farm to Table." The initiative was needed to address signi ficant outbreaks of foodborne illness and increasing international trade, and was based on extensive consultation with all stakeholders. Actions that were taken to prevent and respond to foodborne illness involved improved recognition of foodborne illnesses and outbreaks, establishment of an outbreak response team, research on new technologies, development of good agricultural practices, food safety education, and increased federal-state partnerships. As a result, food safety is now seen as a sh ared responsibility between consumers, industry, and government at all levels with better-understood roles for each. Increased transparency and visibility have brought more resources, higher priority and incentives to implement the initiative.

Meeting symbol GF CRD USA-3

Language English

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    Most countries with systems for recording foodborne disease have reported significant increases in the incidence of diseases caused by pathogenic micro-organisms in food over the past few decades. As many as one person in three in industrialized countries may be affected by foodborne illness each year and the situation in most other countries is probably even worse. Apart from the deaths and human suffering caused by foodborne disease, the economic consequences are enormous, running into billion s of dollars in some countries. In Europe bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, "Mad cow disease") and contamination of food with dioxins led consumers to lose confidence in the safety of foods on the market, with severe economic consequences. In many cases, the origins of food safety problems can be traced back to contamination of animal feed or other factors in the early parts of the food chain, an area which until fairly recently had received scant attention from those responsible for food s afety.
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    Enter-net is the international network for the surveillance of human gastrointestinal infections, which monitors salmonellosis and Verocytotoxin producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) O157. It involves all 15 countries of the European Union, plus Switzerland and Norway and is funded by the European Commission. International travel and international trade in food play an important role in the occurrence of foodborne infections. Events in one country now have the potential to affect many others. A co-ordinated international response is required to control this threat. Through recognition of outbreaks and investigation, timely exchange of information between experts in different countries can lead to effective international public health action. Exchange of data internationally can help eliminate potential vehicles of infection allowing authorities to concentrate their resources more effectively. For instance, if a rise in infection occurs only in one country it is likely that the source is in that country and not a result of imported goods.
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    Risk management integrated approaches to the management of food safety throughout the food chain in Slovak Republic
    Country Paper proposed by Slovak Republic
    2002
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    Slovak republic is a country, which is being prepared intensively for membership in European Union. During this process, all EU legislation is being included into Slovakian legislation. Decisive part of food legislation have been already harmonised with EU legislation in line of European philosophy of total consumer protection. Both sides of risk management - legislation and control - are just now finishing to adjust to current European level, what will guarantee exhaustive and reliable approach not only to primary protection of consumer, but also to creation of substantial base for risk analysis individual procedures. Two institutions together - Slovak Veterinary and Food Administration and Food Research Institute - will be fully competent to take over the responsibility for food safety and consumer protection in the country and cooperate with European Food Authority.
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