From stable to table: food hygiene requirements in the EU by Ron Dwinger DG Health & Consumer Protection, European Commission

Iceland Summary Introduction - why changes are necessary New framework of food safety legislation Characteristics of new legislation Requirements of new legislation Official feed and food controls Conclusions SANCO

Iceland Why changes are necessary - 1 outside factors - major food safety scares * BSE crisis ( present) * dioxine crisis ( ) * FMD crisis (2001)  consumers lost confidence  political repercussions SANCO

Iceland Why changes are necessary - 2 inherent factors: ante-mortem inspection  lack of information (history, treatments)  large number of healthy uniform animals  unclear clinical symptoms SANCO

Iceland Why changes are necessary - 3 inherent factors: post-mortem inspection  abnormalities detected are no threat  bacteria isolated are no threat  low sensitivity of current inspection  routine incisions  cross contamination (Salmonella, Campylobacter) SANCO

Iceland Food safety legislation General Food law – Regulation 178/2002 HACCP requirements (2001/471/EC) H 1 - hygiene of foodstuffs H 2 - hygiene rules for food of animal origin H 3 - official controls (meat inspection) H 4 – 2002/99/EC (animal health) H 5 - repealing 17 directives Official Feed & Food Controls SANCO

Iceland General food law general principles (definitions) risk analysis responsibility traceability precautionary principle EFSA SANCO Regulation 178/2002

Iceland HACCP requirements 7 principles guides to good practice bacteriological sampling  hygiene indicator for carcases  hygiene indicator for food contact surfaces required in all meat establishments (June 2002/3) SANCO Commission Decision 2001/471/EC

Iceland Characteristics of Hygiene 1  all food (replaces 93/43/EEC)  stable to table (integrated approach; GFP)  all stages of production, processing, distribution, exports  not direct sale to consumer  primary responsibility: food business operator SANCO Regulation (EC) No 852/2004

Iceland Requirements in Hygiene 1  registration of all food businesses  hygiene requirements  HACCP  guides to good practice  microbiological criteria  temperature control requirements SANCO

Iceland Characteristics of Hygiene 2  food of animal origin: red and white meat, farmed and wild game, MSM, meat products, live bivalve molluscs, fishery products, raw milk & dairy products, eggs (& products), frogs’ legs, snails, rendered animal fat & greaves, treated stomachs, bladders & intestines, gelatine, collagen  not for direct sale to consumer (retail) SANCO Regulation (EC) No 853/2004

Iceland Requirements of Hygiene 2  (conditional) approval of establishments  animals must be clean  health mark for red meat carcase (by vet.)  identification mark (by operator)  (simplified) requirements for slaughterhouses & cutting plants  emergency slaughter SANCO

Iceland Characteristics of Hygiene 3 quantitative assessment of risks determining the ante-mortem and p.m. examination food business operator is responsible verification by competent authority traceability of products SANCO Regulation (EC) No 854/2004

Iceland Major changes clean animals goal more important than the means food chain information visual inspection use of company staff SANCO (compared with 64/433/EEC; 71/118/EEC)

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Iceland F lexibility  national measures to accommodate - traditional methods - low throughput - regions (special geographic constraints) - pilot projects - transitional arrangements  concerning: infrastructure, presence of CA, food chain information, guides to good practice)  notify Commission (details) SANCO

Iceland HACCP for small businesses - 1  define small business (size, output, type of product)  prerequisite hygiene requirements  guides to good practice  generic guides for HACCP  follow Codex - CAC/RCP (rev ) SANCO

Iceland HACCP for small businesses - 2  hazard analysis  critical limits  proportionate monitoring  corrective and preventive actions  simplified recording (diary)  standard processing procedures  certification  training SANCO Flexibility for HACCP

Iceland FAT MELTER 9 FEED ESTABLISHMENTS 102 BEEF FARMS 239 DAIRY FARMS 431 POULTRY FARMS 1056 PIG FARMS OTHER MS OTHER MS OTHER MS FOOD OTHER MS

Iceland Lessons from food scares traceability organisation/coordination of CA laboratory capacity contingency plans administrative cooperation between MS SANCO

Iceland Definition and scope Controls = verification of compliance with feed law food law rules on animal health, animal welfare and certain aspects of plant health  Risks to humans and animals  Consumer interests: labelling, organic farming, geographical indications, designation of origin SANCO

Iceland Official controls on a regular basis and with a frequency based on risk without prior warning (as a general rule) at any stage of production, processing and distribution including imports/exports SANCO

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Iceland Operational criteria - 1 official controls must be effective staff free from interest adequate laboratory capacity adequate facilities and equipment legal powers contingency plans co-ordination impartiality, quality and consistency SANCO

Iceland Operational criteria - 2 continuous training of staff documented procedures verification procedures transparency delegation of control tasks internal audits reports SANCO

Iceland Sampling and analysis accredited labs (CEN standard) validated methods community reference labs (CRL) national reference labs second opinion (appeal/complaint) SANCO

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Iceland Import controls - 1 food of animal origin (article 14): checks Directive 97/78/EC border inspection posts advance warning documentary, identity, physical check (Commission Decision 94/360/EC) SANCO

Iceland Import controls - 2 food of non-animal origin at present: not harmonised at entry points, +/- declaration, checks: 5 MS market controls at importer’s premises and wholesale markets + targeted checks at point of entry: 7 MS self monitoring by importers +/- market controls: 2 MS SANCO

Iceland Import controls - 3 food of non-animal origin (art. 15): regular controls (frequency based on risk) any place (point of entry, importer’s premises, retail) documentary, identity, physical check SANCO

Iceland Import controls - 4 food of non-animal origin –list of products with high risk profile –entry via border inspection post –prior warning –frequency and nature of controls: comitology SANCO

Iceland Safeguard measures Decision 2000/49/EC – peanuts (Egypt) Decision 2002/79/EC – peanuts (China) Decision 2002/80/EC – figs, etc. (Turkey) Decision 2003/493/EC – nuts in shell (Brazil) Decision 2005/85/EC – pistachios (Iran) Decision 2004/92/EC – hot chilli products SANCO

Iceland Imports: decisions recall special treatment re - dispatch destruction regularisation official detention SANCO

Iceland Imports: information from TC Commission responsible for asking info on: sanitary and phytosanitary regulations control procedures risk assessment procedures follow-up of FVO recommendations SANCO

Iceland Import conditions - 1 Food of animal origin (in H3) : list of approved third countries list of approved establishments certificates pre-export checks (approval after audit) equivalence agreements SANCO

Iceland Import conditions - 2 Food of non-animal origin and feed where necessary: detailed rules detailed rules may include:  list of third countries/establishments  certificates  special conditions SANCO

Iceland Conclusions  food business operator is responsible  veterinarian in charge of verification  major implications for operator and CA  flexible approach (small establishments, animal species, supervision)  consumer safety SANCO

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