Food Risk Analysis

12 experts from 10 Arab countries complete another milestone of the tailored competency enhancement program in food risk assessment designed and implemented by the Arab Food Safety Initiative for Trade Facilitation (SAFE) @arabsafetrade

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This phase of the training was developed and carried out in collaboration with the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES). ANSES hosted the training at its Headquarters in Maison-Alfort, France from June 17-21, 2019 and devoted more than 10 scientists and experts to design and deliver a dedicated training program, in collaboration with Laval University (Quebec, QC. Canada) Professors and SAFE experts. The training was designed in the form of presentations of key concepts in exposure assessment, microbiological and chemical risk assessment with an emphasis on approaches to develop data sources in support of risk assessment, such as the set-up and implementation of Total Diet Studies, as well as the reliance on tools commonly used by risk assessors, such as software used in exposure assessment.

 

The Arab food risk assessors’ network, which includes the first cohort of SAFE trainees has completed the second milestone of the competency enhancement program, specifically designed to address the needs of the Arab region, through SAFE with the intent to lead, at minimum, to a community of practice of food safety risk assessors, that can be called upon to support science and risk-based regulatory decisions, both for incident management and standard setting in the Arab region. Such efforts will enable a stronger coherence in food decisions amongst Arab countries and in alignment with international best practices as well as the SPS agreement of the World Trade Organization.

Two other phases are envisaged for the completion of this unique competency enhancement program, through an On-line training period for the upcoming three months, followed by a last phase of face-to-face risk assessment workshops, to be held in Amman, Jordan, in October, 2019.

SAFE is a food safety capacity building funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in partnership with the League of Arab States (LAS) and its subsidiary organizations the Arab Organization for Agriculture Development (AOAD) and the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO).

Propagating Training and Research in #FoodRegulatoryScience on #WorldFoodSafety Day

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One day each year is now dedicated to food safety. Today, June 7th, 2019 and together, we celebrate the first-ever World Food Safety Day!

Food safety is a prerequisite to food availability and security. Unsafe food is not a commodity that can be traded, may lead to serious health repercussions, not only in individuals but across populations. Food that is not safe can undermine consumer confidence and trust.

Food Control Systems aim to ensure that consumers are protected from instances of unsafe food, to clarify responsibilities and provide guidance to all parties involved in food production, across the supply chain, such that food safety hazards are identified and prevented from introduction in the food supply. Food Control Regimes empower regulators to set and oversee food production requirements, make the relevant decisions to protect consumers and to ensure fair practices in the food trade. Ineffective Food Control Structures, associated with ill-equipped regulators, result in unpredictable environments and untrustworthy markets leading, unequivocally, to potential health and economic emergencies. Investing in food safety capacity building should encompass not only upgrades to the food production sector but also enhancement of regulatory oversight in a given jurisdiction.
Faculty-FSAATraining and propagation of food regulatory sciences is one avenue to enable the improvement of competencies and capacities of food regulators around the world. This is one of the mandates of the Food Risk Analysis and Regulatory Excellence Platform (PARERA), recently created by the Department of Food Sciences jointly with the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Food (INAF) of the Université Laval. The Platform contributes to the development of tailored training on risk analysis, with a specific focus on risk assessment, as well as on best practices of food regulatory policies.

The Platform also plans to create an open access data hub for contaminant and nutrient occurrence in food and to support the collection of food consumption information useful for exposure assessment purposes.

Recognizing the importance of food testing in generating the scientific information underpinning food regulatory decision-making, the Platform also hosts the International Food Safety Training Laboratory (IFSTL), a unique facility that develops and delivers competency enhancement programs in chemical residue analysis and other food chemical safety laboratory techniques.IFSTL parera

Fostering standardization of food analytical methods is another objective pursued by the Platform, with the objective to disseminate best practices in food analytical performance and to harmonize, globally, the reliance upon reference methods for (a) given analyte(s), with guidance / direction from the AOAC International.

The above represents a snapshot of commitments that colleagues and partners involved in the development of the Platform are helping to achieve through their invaluable dedication, engagement and funding.

Celebrating World Food Safety Day once a year presents not only an opportunity to review our progress on such obligations, but also to identify new needs and challenges that must be addressed now and into the future. As with similar endeavours, collaboration and partnerships are, without question, key to attain the desired impact: to achieve food safety through improved regulatory oversight.