VPHA Autumn Scientific Meeting8th November 2003

Marine Hotel, North Berwick,“THE CHAIN GANG”

VPHA Autumn Scientific Meeting8th November 2003

Marine Hotel, North Berwick,“THE CHAIN GANG”

FOOD SAFETY FOR THE RED MEAT INDUSTRY

- An Industry Perspective

Dr. Josephine HeadGroup Technical Director

Dawn Meats (UK) Ltd.

FOOD SAFETY FOR THE RED MEAT INDUSTRY

- An Industry Perspective

Dr. Josephine HeadGroup Technical Director

Dawn Meats (UK) Ltd.

PRESENTATION CONTENT

Current Legislation

Legislative ProposalsImpact through the Supply Chain

Supply Chain Integration

Food Chain Information

Role of Enforcement

Food Safety Objectives

HACCP Implementation

Summary

Council Directive 64/433/EEC of 26 June 1964, on health conditions for the production and marketing of fresh meat

Council Directive 71/118/EEC of 15 February 1971, on health problems affecting the production and placing on the market of fresh poultry meat

Council Directive 77/96/EEC of 21 December 1976 on the examination for trichinae (trichinella spiralis) upon importation from third countries of fresh meat derived from domestic swine

Council Directive 77/96/EEC of 21 December 1976 on health problems affecting the production and marketing of meat products and certain other products of animal origin

Commission Directive 89/362EEC on general conditions of hygiene in milk production holdings

Council Directive 89/437/EEC of 20 June 1989 on hygiene and health problems affecting the production and the placing on the market of egg products

Council Directive 91/494/EEC of 15 July 1991, Laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on the market of live bivalve molluscs

Council Directive 91/493/EEC of 22 July 1991, laying down the health conditions for the production and placing on the market of fishery products

Council Directive 91/495/EEC of 27 November 1990, concerning public health and animal health problems affecting the production and placing on the market of rabbit meat and

farmed game meat Council Directive 92/45/EEC of 16 June 1992 on public health and animal health problems

relating to the killing of wild game and the placing on the market of wild game meatCouncil Directive 92/46/EEC of 16 June 1992, laying down the health rules for the production

and placing on the market of raw milk, heat-treated milk and milk-based productsCouncil Directive 92/48/EEC of 16 June 1992, laying down the minimum hygiene rules

applicable to fishery products caught on board certain vessels in accordance with Article 3(1)(a)(i) of Directive 91/493/EEC

Council Directive 92/118/EEC , laying down animal health and public health requirements governing trade in imports into the Community of products not subject to the said requirements laid down in specific Community rules referred to in Annex A(I) to Directive 89/662/EEC and, as regards pathogens, to Directive 90/445/EEC

Council Directive 93/43/EEC of 14 June 1993 on the hygiene of foodstuffsCouncil Directive 94/65/EEC of 14 December 1994, laying down the requirements for the

production and placing on the market of minced meat and meat preparations

Current EU

Legislation

CURRENT LEGISLATION

GeneralRaft of sector specific Directives

Out of Date (35 years)

Detailed, prescriptive rules

Inconsistent; unnecessarily burdensome; complicated;

repetitious;difficult to enforce; incompatible with current

thinking & practise

EnforcementTargeted at least public health risk

80:20 rule suggests 80% of risk lies with 20% of the

industry

the majority of risk falls outside the areas of highest

control

Meat InspectionQuality Control

Unfit v. Unsafe

Largely irrelevant

Unhygienic practices by inspectors

Spreading of Pathogens

Not compatible with Codex HACCP - based principles for

public health

The Scientific Committee on Veterinary Measures relating to

Public Health (SCVPH; 1999) concluded that current criteria

were :

Not based on risk assessment

Not based on internationally approved principles

Many are not meaningful (w.r.t. public health)

Limited value from end product testing

Numerous

Varied

Laid down in different formats

Microbiological Criteria

1) REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the hygiene of foodstuffs (2000/0178(COD))

2) REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin (2000/0179(COD))

3) REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL laying down specific rules for the organisation of

official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption (2002/0141(COD))

4) COUNCIL REGULATION laying down the animal- health rules governing the production, placing on the market and importation of products of animal origin intended for human consumption (2000/0182(COD))

5) DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL repealing certain Directives concerning food

hygiene and health conditions for the production and placing on the market of certain products of animal origin intended for human consumption, and amending Directives 89/662/EEC and 92/118/EEC and Council Decision 95/408/EC.

PROPOSALS

LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS

A holistic‘farm to fork’ risk-based approach

Adoption of Codex Principles for all foods

Founded in sound science

Responsibility for safe production of food by food producers

IMPACT THROUGH THE CHAIN

Assured British Meat Launched January 1998 Founded by the Industry with MAFF backing ‘Independently assuring integrated and continuous safety standards at all stages, across all products, from farm to plate’ Traceability as a core function Recognises existing sector specific standards ‘Little red tractor’ EN45011accredited

Benefits for ABM scheme members (?)

Minimal impact of proposals

Horizontal and vertical proportionality

Risk based enforcement

Primary Producers

Registration with the competent authority

Monitor hazards to food safety

Eliminate or reduce hazards to an acceptable level

Through application of GAP

Integration of the Supply Chain - Dawn Meats Model

DAWN MEATS

Group Quality Management System

Group Supplier Management Group Independent Auditors Laboratory Management

System EFSIS BRC ABM EN45011 Very Little (!?)

Manufacturers/ Processors

Chilled meat not food? Supplier assurance less onerous Minimise product loss through

improved traceability Traceability less onerous (one

up one down) Better operational control

information Improved capability to identify

causes of issues (Competitive advantage/

preferred consumer choice)

Food Service/ Retailers+

Supplier assurance less onerous Reduced risks of handling

contaminated food Minimise product loss through

improved traceability Category management

- Compulsory licensing HACCP Training

Consumers

Greater assurances over safety of food as purchased

Greater assurances over the safety of food as consumed out of the home

Reduced risks of handling contaminated food

(Communication & Education ?)

FOOD CHAIN INFORMATION

Ante-mortem inspection carried out by the OVOV’s role as auditor Full time presence of an OV in slaughterhouses

not absolutely necessaryRisk-based post-mortem inspection (OV

responsibility)Post-mortem by plant staffDaily OV visits to cutting plants not absolutely

necessaryCatering butchers and domestic game plants

under OV control.

ROLE OF ENFORCEMENT

Prescriptive

Conflicts with Codex principles

Non – Scientific

Uneven Playing Field

HACCP IMPLEMENTATION

Reform of existing legislation is long overdueRisk based food safety management should significantly

improve public healthProposed reforms are very much welcomed by the IndustryThe Industry has (largely) been working to a Farm to Fork

approach to food safety for some timeThe UK has some of the best animal welfare and food

production systems and standards in the worldWe hope to be recognised and rewarded by our heavy

investment in food safety management systems in terms of enforcement and preferred consumer choice

Consumer education is key to the improvement of public health

But will the FSA come up with the goods? HACCP implementation is cause of concern

SUMMARY