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The Need to complete and apply a coherent set of principles for managin food safety risks in all nations

Year of publication 2002

Author Nutrition Division

Product type Meeting

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Consumers International supports the development of comprehensive "working principles for risk analysis," to support transparent food safety decision-making processes at both the international and national levels. Consistent, harmonized principles offer the promise of ensuring a high standard of health protection and food safety for consumers in all parts of the world, while avoiding creating unjustified trade barriers. The Codex Alimentarius Commission and several of its subsidiary bodies are c urrently developing consensus principles for risk analysis, and completion of that work is an urgent priority. Many opportunities for further progress in advancing risk management through sound principles are identified in this paper. They include spelling out more detailed principles for risk management of specific food safety problems, and expanding the Codex principles to make them useful as guidelines for national governments. A broader consensus is needed on clear principles for the applica tion of precaution and on the roles of science and non-scientific other factors in food safety risk management. And the scientific advisory system on which Codex and many national governments rely for risk assessments needs to be expanded and improved, to increase the quantity and quality of risk assessments to keep pace with demand.

Meeting symbol GF CRD CI-1

Language English

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    Risk analysis is widely recognised as the fundamental methodology underlying the development of food safety standards. As recognised in the 1995 consultation, risk analysis is composed of three separate but integrated elements, namely risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. That consultation recognised risk communication as an interactive process of exchange of information and opinion on risk among risk assessors, risk managers, and other interested parties. Risk management is d efined within Codex as the process of weighing policy alternatives in the light of the results of risk assessment and, if required, selecting and implementing appropriate control options, including regulatory measures. The outcome of the risk management process, as undertaken by Committees within the Codex Alimentarius system, is the development of standards, guidelines and other recommendations for food safety, m the national situation it is likely that different risk management decisions could be made according to different criteria and different ranges of risk management options. The overall objective of Codex is to ensure consumer protection and to facilitate international trade.
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    Meeting
    The Current Status of Consumer pariticipation in Food Safety Risk Analysis, and Opportunities for Improvements 2001
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    Consumers International has participated in Codex work as an observer for three decades, and notes the importance of ongoing efforts by the Codex Commission to improve the participation of consumers in its activities. Sound goals have been established, but the details of implementation have yet to be worked out. Data need to be collected at regular intervals on objective measures to track progress in consumer participation at the national and international level. Some governments are more advanc ed than others in terms of the extent and mechanisms through which they facilitate consumer participation in their food safety risk analysis. Through forums such as this one and Codex Regional Coordinating Committees, successful experiences can be shared and perhaps, more widely adopted. In order to improve the quality of consumer participation, consumer NGOs should be given opportunities to take part in risk analysis training and similar workshops carried out by international agencies and natio nal governments. The risk assessment process, which has traditionally been closed to observers, should also be more open and transparent; bringing invited consumer participants into that process could both improve the results and add to the credibility of risk assessments.
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    Meeting
    Sharing information on national experiences in the general field of risk management 2002
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    The subject of risk management is a broad one; the discussion group on "Sharing information on national experiences in the general field of risk management" is to discuss two specific topics in detail: "Reduction in foodborne hazards, including microbiological and others, with emphasis on emerging hazards" and "Integrated approaches to the management of food safety throughout the food chain". I would like to go beyond that in introducing the discussion group debates by touching on the various as pects of this subject and the ways in which risk managers and policy makers can approach it.
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