1

Risk-based approaches to food safety in developing

countries

Delia Grace

ILRI workshop on safety of animal source foods with an emphasis on the informal sectors, New Delhi, India, 8 February 2011

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Overview of presentation

Context: – food safety, – animal source foods, – informal markets

Risk-based approaches in Africa and Asia

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Why food safety matters

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

1,800,000

Ca

se

s p

er

ye

ar

4

Why animal source foods matter

Manure

Xenobiotics

Chemicals

Pathogens

Aesthetic

Milk, meat, eggs

Xenobiotics

Chemicals

Pathogens

Allergens

Zoonoses:

Bacterial

Viral

Parasitic

Prion

Social conflict

Traffic accidents

Injuries

Environmental degradation

5

Why the informal sector matters

Small & medium

scale

Large scale

Self-employment

245,000 11,000

Long-time hired labour

454,000 93,000

Casual labour 36,000 2,000

Total (numbers)

735,000 105,000

% of total 87% 13%

Kenya 80%

Tanzania 98%

W. Africa 90%

India 83%

Assam 97%

Nicaragua 86%

6CONSUMERS (in litres milk equivalent) (???)

IMPORTS ???LOCAL PRODUCTION (347 Million litres X 17%

marketed= 59 Million litres )

SHOPS

TRADERS

PROCESSORS

FORMAL

3% 31% 66%

<1% 26% 46%27%

28% 72%

100%

13%12%75%

5%

45% 2% 48%

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Risk Assessment

Risk Management

Risk Communication

Risk analysisa tool for decision-making under uncertainty

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Participatory Risk Assessment

Attitudes

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How do risk-based approaches differ from

conventional public health?

Look at risks, not hazardsLook at paths, as well as productsSolution, not problem oriented

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Understanding perceptions & incentives – adulterated milk in

Assam0.0

00.2

50.5

00.7

51.0

0S

en

sitiv

ity

0.00 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.001 - Specificity

Area under ROC curve = 0.5178

Perfect test

Consumer judgment

Completely useless test

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0 5 10 15 20 25

Consumer

Intermediary

Farm

Bovine

Added water (%)

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SNF

Addedwater

Coliformslog

Totalbacteria

log

4

6

8

10

4 6 8 10

0

50

0 50

0

5

10

0 5 10

0

5

10

0 5 10

Adulteration & health risk

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Compliance with standards : Formal no better than informal

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

Coliforms Totalbacteria

Fat Added water SNF

Sa

mp

les

Co

mp

lyin

g w

ith

Sta

nd

ard

s %

Pasteurised

Raw

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How do risk-based approaches differ from conventional public

health?

Look at paths, as well as productsSolution oriented not problem

oriented

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Risk mitigation

Average of 17.25 risk mitigation strategies used

Farmers who believed UA was legal used more strategies

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-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Waste Disposal Utensils Cleaningregime

Cold storage Personalhygiene

Ingredientstorage

Preparation Selling areahygiene

Hyg

iene

sco

re

Poor quality sweeetsGood or moderate quality sweets

Risk-based identification of interventions to improve bacteriological quality of sweets.