L' Szponar, H' Mojska, U' Pelzner, I' Traczyk, A' Salwerowicz, J' Popowski

1
L. Szponar, H. Mojska, U. Pelzner, I. Traczyk,
A. Salwerowicz, J. Popowski
National Food and Nutrition Institute Warsaw,
Poland
The Safety of Food and Nourishment as an Integral
Part of Health Protection in Poland
2
Introduction

Poland is a country of 312,685 square
kilometers with almost39 million people, 62
living in towns and cities, and 38 in rural
areas. The demographic structure shows
that population is relatively young as compared
with most European Union countries. Nearly 58 of
the whole population is below 40 years of age
those aged over 60 make up 16,54 of the
population.
3
Introduction

4
Food law
Introduction

• The issue of food safety in Poland is
  regulated by law provisions in which the basic
  importance have
• 1) Act of 4 September 1997 on Government
  Administration Departments (Journal of Laws
  2003, No. 159, item 1548 with changes)
• According to this Act Minister of Health is
  intersectional co-ordinator of activities in the
  field of ensuring food safety.

5
Food law
Introduction

• 2). Act of 11 May 2001 on Health
  Conditions of Food and Nutrition (Journal of Laws
  2005, No. 31, item 265),
• 3). Act of 29 January 2004 Veterinary
  Inspection (Journal of Laws 2004, No. 33, item
  287 with changes),
• 4). Act of 27 August 2003 on the
  Veterinary Border Inspection (Journal of Laws
  2003, No. 165, item 1590 with changes),
• 5). Act of 10 December 2003 on The
  Veterinary Inspection in Trade (Journal of Laws
  2003, No. 165, item 1590 with changes),
• 6). Act of 29 January 2004 on Veterinary
  Requirements for Products of Animal Origin
  (Journal of Laws 2004, No. 33, item 288 with
  changes),
• 7). Act of 11 March 2004 on Protect Animal
  Health and Fight Animal Communicable Diseases
  (Journal of Laws 2004, No. 69, item 625 with
  changes),

6
Food law
Introduction

• 8). Act of 21 December 2000 on Commercial
  Quality of Agricultural and Food Product
  (Journal of Laws 2001, No. 5, item 44 with
  changes),
• 9). Act of 26 June 2003 on the Seed
  Production (Journal of Laws 2003, No. 137, item
  1299 with changes),
• 10). Act of 15 December 2000 on the Trade
  Inspection (Journal of Laws 2001, No. 4, item 25
  with changes),
• 11). Ordinance of the Minister of Health of
  9 September 2002 on setting up the Food Safety
  Co-ordination Team (Journal 2002,No. 9, item
  49),

7
Food law
Introduction

• 12). In connection with extremely important
  weight of food safety there was prepared a
  document based on UE experts recommendations.
  This document Food Safety Strategy in Poland
  was prepared in February 2002.
• 13). Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the
  European Parliament and of the Council of 28
  January 2002 laying down the general principles
  and requirements of food law, establishing the
  European Food Safety Authority and laying down
  procedures in matters of food safety,
• 14). Draft Commission Regulation (EC) No/of
  laying down detailed rules for the implementation
  of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 with regard to the
  network of organizations operating in the fields
  within the European Food Safety Authoritys
  mission,
• 15). Guidance on the implementation of
  articles 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 of
  regulation (EC) No 178/2002 on general food law

8
Food safety strategy

• Food safety strategy, understood as methodology
  on preparation, introduction and maintenance of
  food safety at the minimum risk level, has a
  primary significance for the practical
  implementation of major multi-sectoral components
  of a populations health protection system, in
  particular with regard to its preventive aspect.
• The United Nations appreciated this fact
  already at the outset of their existence by
  appointing in 1945 the Food and Agriculture
  Organization (FAO) based in Rome and in 1946 the
  World Health Organization. Among its many
  responsibilities the FAO supports on a global
  scale various sets of measures to improve food
  security understood as its availability. Through
  its many public health improvement programs the
  WHO actively supports, also on a worldwide basis,
  improvement of food safety, that is reduction of
  the risk of microbiological, chemical and
  physical food pollutants. The joint efforts of
  both these organizations toward improvement of
  food safety and security, with the participation
  of Poland, including National Food and Nutrition
  Institute, focus on the Codex Alimentarius and
  other FAO/WHO activities.

9
Food safety strategy in Poland

• The food safety strategy in Poland has the
  following objectives
• to ensure food safety throughout the food chain
  starting with primary production and ending with
  food distribution and the consumers table
• to reduce the risk of food poisonings and
  intoxication as well as diseases caused by
  consumption of microbiologically, chemically or
  physically contaminated food and economic losses
• to prevent biological food hazard in the event of
  a bioattack
• to ensure, through proper border control, that
  imported food meets the same or equivalent health
  quality standards and requirement as applicable
  to domestically produced food
• to reduce the risk of diet related diseases

10
Food safety strategy in Poland

• to ensure harmonization of the Polish food law
  with the European Union law, and its effective
  implementation in practice
• to ensure effective and efficient official
  control of the food chain
• to ensure continuous provision of reliable food
  safety information to the Government and the
  general public
• to build and strengthen the trust of domestic and
  foreign consumers in food safety and to establish
  thereby favourable conditions for Polish economic
  interests
• to improve further training, including
  post-graduate education, for the staff of
  official food control bodies and those engaged in
  food production, processing and trade.

11
Food safety

• The definitions food safety means all
  conditions which must be fulfilled and actions
  which must be taken at all stages of food chain
  and manufacturing, process and marketing of food
  and farm animal feedstuffs to ensure the safety
  of human health and life.
• According to above food safety is connected
  with compliance with general hygiene principles
  during production, processing, storage,
  transport, food and feedstuffs retail and also is
  connected with efficiently working internal food
  control system leaded in food establishment and
  fulfilled by official food control bodies. The
  Minister oh Health is a leader in this area of
  food safety and realizes intersectorial food
  safety system integration. He also fulfils
  supervision on health quality of food and
  materials and products intended to come into
  contact with foodstuffs.

12
Food safety

• The statutory supervision in the area of
  food quality and food safety in Poland is,
  exercised by
• State Sanitary Inspection supervised by the
  Ministry of Health,
• Veterinary Inspection, Inspection of Plant and
  Seed Protection, Agricultural and Food Protection
  Commercial Quality Inspection supervised by the
  Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,
• Trade Inspection supervised by the Office for
  Competition and Consumer Protection.

13
Organizational chart of the target food safety
supervision in Poland
The Team composition of Food Safety comprise
1) Team Leader Chief Sanitary Inspector, 2)
Deputy Team Leader a representative designated
by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development, 3) team members representatives
of Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
4 persons, Minister of Health 4 persons,
Chairman of the Competition and Consumers
Protection Office 2 persons, Minister of
Environment, Minister of Finance, Secretary of
the European Integration Committee, Chairman of
Scientific Research Committee,4) Secretary
appointed by the Team Leader a representative of
the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate.. 1) The Chief
Veterinarian Officer works with Sanitary and
Epizootic Board and the State Veterinary
Institute 2) The Chief Inspector of Pland
Protection and Seed Production will work with the
Board for Monitoring the Quality of Soil, Plants,
Agricultural and Food Products and the Institute
for Plant Protection 3) The Chief Inspector of
the Agricultural and Food Product Trade
Inspection will work with industrial
institutes 4) The Chief Sanitary Inspector works
with the Sanitary and Epidemiological Board, the
Institute of Food and Nutrition, and the National
Institute of Hygiene
14
European Food Safety Authority
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)is the
keystone of European Union risk assessment
regarding food and feed safety. In close
co-operation with national authorities,
Including,in Poland,among other bodies, National
Food and Nutrition Institute, and in open
consultation with its stakeholders in Poland,
EFSA provides independent scientific advice and
clear communication on existing and emerging
risks.

15
RASFF system

• The aspects of food safety became a big
  issue, not only for particular countries but in
  the EU as a whole. The main reason of it was the
  creation of common European market. An important
  element of this issue is effective transmission
  of information about potential hazard connected
  with unsafe products. This was a main purpose to
  establish Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed.
• RASFF is a system of informing on unsafe
  products is established. Its objective is to
  transfer the information of unsafe products to
  the organs of government and local, adequate
  institutions and consumers.
• RASSF system is realized in Poland from 1st
  January 2003. It is based on the control activity
  of Sanitary Inspection regarding food and
  Veterinary Inspection regarding feed.

16
Food quality official food control results

• Results of sanitary supervision
  (1999-2003) for the whole country proportions
  food samples questioned has decresed generally,
  particularly in the area of microbiological,
  chemical and physical food contamination. Also
  food labelling is under control.
• The Sanitary Inspection service cooperates
  closely with the Veterinary Inspection in
  official food control.
• A detailed analysis of food products produced
  in Poland in2000-2003 indicates that the
  percentage of unfit or disqualified food samples
  has decreased.
• The highest percentage of unfit samples in 2003
  were butter 18,5 liquid milk 16,2
  ready-to-eat dishes 11,6 fish and fish products
  (excluding canned fish) 7,9.
• The lowest percentage of unfit samples was in
  vegetable fats 1,7, fruit, vegetables, mushrooms
  and their products 4,7, and bakery products
  about 5,6.

17
Main infringements by food groups in 1999-2003
Own analysis based on data from Province Sanitary
Epidemiological Stations.
18
Main infringements by food groups in 2000-2003
Own analysis based on data from Province Sanitary
Epidemiological Stations.
19
Food quality official food control results

• Most frequently inappropriate
  microbiological quality was the problem. In 2003,
  19,4 of milk samples, 19,3 of butter samples
  and 10,6 of ready dishes was unfit. From
  2000-2003 the situation was similar for liquid
  milk, where the proportion of unfit samples has
  risen from 16,6 to 19,4.
• It is necessary to stress that food-labeling
  infringements had reduced in nine out of the ten
  food groups analyzed in this period and the last
  one not change.
• The proportion of samples unfit due to
  chemical contamination was evidently few times
  lower than that due to microbiological
  contamination. In summary, the improvements in
  the quality of food (as controlled by sanitary
  inspection) is improving - but slowly.

20
Sanitary state of production, processing and
turnover of foodstuffs. Plants and institutions
involved in 2001
Own analysis based on data from Province Sanitary
Epidemiological Stations.
21
Sanitary state of production, processing and
turnover of foodstuffs. Plants and institutions
involved in 2003
Own analysis based on data from Province Sanitary
Epidemiological Stations.
22
Food quality official food control results

• The number of disqualified objects in Poland
  has decreased from 2001 to 2003. Proportion
  controlled objects are over 90 by year.
• In General, the percentage of objects at
  inappropiate sanitary condition has decreased
  from 16,4 in 2001 to 10,1 in 2003.
• It is necessary to stress that the state of
  hygiene during production, processing
  foodstuffs in plants has increased. Percentage of
  objects at inappropiate sanitary condition has
  decreased in order and cleanness part and also
  order and cleanness part and in technical part
  together.

23
Contamination assessment of daily diets

• The level of health risk for consumers
  because of chemical contamination of daily diets
  was evaluated only in some part of population.
• Many scientific research centres
  focus on this problem. Results of studies of
  contamination (lead, cadmium, mercury and
  nitrates) of food daily rations, point out that
  in an overwhelming majority of food daily rations
  the level of contamination is lower than
  tolerable.
• In own research, the mean tolerable weekly
  cadmium intake was not exceeded in any daily diet
  and fell within the range of 27-88 of PTWI
  (Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake) even though
  some food ratios were from regions, regarded as
  particularly contaminated. A similar situation
  was noted for lead the maximum tolerable weekly
  intake was not exceeding 70 of PTWI. Mercury
  contamination analyzed showed that in the studied
  daily diets mercury was present in relatively low
  concentrations, not exceeding 25 of PTWI.

24
Bacterial food-borne infections and
intoxications in Poland

• One of more important indicators of the food
  safety is the incidence of food poisonings and
  food-borne infections nationally. Data published
  by the State Institute of Hygiene in 2004 shows
  that the total of 26.734 bacterial foodborne
  infections and intoxications were registered in
  2002 (incidence 69,9/100.000 population).

Bacterial food-borne infections and intoxications
registered in Poland in 1998-2002. Number of
cases and incidence.
A. Przybylska Foodborne infections and
intoxications in Polish in 2002 Epidemiological
Reviev 2004 58.
25
Collective outbreaks of foodborne and waterborne
infections and intoxications
Collective outbreaks of foodborne and waterborne
infections and intoxications in Poland in
2001-2002. Number and percentage of outbreaks and
cases in outbreaks according to the etiological
agents

A. Przybylska Foodborne infections and
intoxications in Polish in 2002 Epidemiological
Reviev 2004 58.
26
Food hygiene in foodproduction and processing

• In the last decade the sanitary condition of
  food production and processing plants has
  improved.
• Several factors have contributed to this
• modernization in a considerable number of the
  plants
• improved accommodation
• equipment
• new production lines
• wide introduction of quality assurance systems
  increased awareness of the responsibility of
  producers for food safety and quality.

27
New approaches to risk analysis

• A risk analysis approach throughout the food
  chain is playing a more central role in the
  creation and realization of food safety policy
  and strategy in Poland.
• Risk analysis related to food safety is studied
  for many scientific research centres and
  Ministerial advisory bodies. Where there are
  particular problems of health risks related to
  food special attention is given organizing
  scientific conferences and training courses for
  the presentation of research results, evaluation
  of the problems and development of proposals for
  practical solutions for health protection.
• Long-term Governmental projects are sponsored
  in which several centres and many experts are
  working on food safety and risk reduction
  projects. Projects on risk evaluation and
  scientific research are conducted independently
  and receive financial support from state budget.
  Studies on risk analysis are conducted using
  methods accepted in EU countries.

28
HACCP system

• The analysis of risk in the food industry is
  carried out through evolving HACCP systems.
• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
  called further HACCP system means undertakings
  aimed at ensuring food safety through
  identification and assessment of the hazard scale
  from the point of view of health quality and the
  risk of hazard during all phases of manufacturing
  and trade of food.
• It is a dynamic system that uses a combination
  of proper food handling procedures, monitoring
  techniques, and record keeping to help ensure the
  consistent safety of food.
• This system is also intended to specify the
  methods of reducing hazards and developing
  corrective actions.
• The internal control, effected by the producer,
  is one of the most important elements of the
  companys functioning.

29
HACCP system

• The survey was carried out in 2001 based on the
  questionaire specially developed for the purpose.
  The questionaire was sent by mail to 400 food
  production and processing plants selected at
  random from the food business directory. The
  questionaire was anonymous, i.e. the name of the
  plant and its adress were not required, and it
  was filled in on a voluntary basis.
• E. Konecka-Matyjek, H. Turlejska, U. Pelzner, L.
  Szponar Actual situation in the area of
  implementing quality assurance system GMP, GHP
  and HACCP in Polish food production and
  processing plants

• 34 of food production and processing plants
  have already implemented the system HACCP,
• 35 of food production and processing plants are
  in the process of implementing HACCP,
• 28 of food production and processing plants
  intend to implement HACCP,
• 3 of food production and processing plants do
  not intend to implementation the system as
  long as possible,

30
Percentage of companies which claim either to
have HACCP, or to be in the process of
implementing one, or not to have it now, but
going to implement it in the future, or not to
have one and not going to have it ever, versus
companies product-type

.
31
Identification of emerging risks in the field of
food production in Poland

32
Campylobacter

• In the last twenty years several bacteria not
  previously recognized, as food-borne pathogens
  have become important public health concerns.
  These include E. coli 0157H7, Campylobacter
  jejuni, Listeri monocytogenes and Yersinia
  enterocolitica.
• Campylobacter jejuni, first identified as a
  human diarrheal pathogen in 1973, is the most
  frequently diagnosed bacterial cause of human
  gastroenteritis in the United States.
• Campylobacter jejuni is the most commonly
  reported bacterial cause of food-borne infections
  in the United States and Europe. The major risk
  factors for human Campylobacterisis is
  mishandling of raw poultry and consumption of
  undercooked poultry.

33
Campylobacter

The reported incidence rates in the EU for the
year 1999 varied between 9,5 cases/100.000 in
Spain and up to 108 cases/100.000 in Scotland.
In the United States, 37 of laboratory confirmed
cases of bacterial gastroenteritis reported
through FoodNet were attributed to infection with
Campylobacter. Poland, similarly as EU
and United States, is starting to realize the
monitoring of Campylobacter infection.
Campylobacter jejuni
34
Acrylamide

The acrylamide content in potato chips and
snacks on Polish market was surveyed Analysis
were made with GC-MS/MS with bromination. D3
acrylamide was used as internal standard.
The content of acrylamide was in potato
chips (n24) 350-3650 µg/kg (mean 998 µg/kg), in
corn snaks (n2) was 542 µg/kg, in wheat snacks
(n3) was 187 µg/kg. The samples were
collected randomly in 2004 from all the country.
35
Trans isomers of fatty acids
The monitoring investigations, in
range of content trans isomers fatty of acids,
hugged 122 samples of food products and 65
samples of infant formulae and follow-on
formulae. The samples were collected randomly
in 2004 from all the country.

36
Total fat and trans isomers of fatty acids
content in chosen groups in food products

37
Total fat and trans isomers of fatty acids
content in infant formulae and follow-on formulae

Statistically essential difference (p lt 0,00001)
38
Trans isomers of fatty acids

The highest median of trans fatty acids isomers
was in group of soups and sauces concentrates
18,86, the lowest one - in group of soft
margarines and chocolates 0,00.
Median of the trans fatty acids content in milk
formula was estimated at 0,37 of the all  fatty
acids. For infant formulae 0,13 and for
follow-on formulae 0,54. Statistically
essential difference were not found between the
medians.

39
International co-operation of the National Food
and Nutrition Institute in the area food safety

Poland,involvig National Food and Nutrition
Institute,co-operates with other countries in
the area of food safety through among others PR-6
scientific projects on acronymes
40
SAFEFOODERA

• The primary objective of SAFEFOODERA European
  excellence in food safety research programming is
  to establish a European platform for protecting
  consumers against health risks from the
  consumption of food through a co-ordination
  action ERA-NET of 15 Member States (include
  Poland), 3 Associated Countries and 2 regional
  organizations representing 480 million European
  citizen.
• The tasks objectives
• Exchanging information on the management of
  programmes and evaluation practices aiming to
  define best practice and to develop
  harmonised transnational evaluation, management
  and analysis/communication procedures,
• Identifying complementarities between topics in
  ongoing national and regional programmes
  and to
• define additional joint strategic
• topics.

41
SAFEFOODERA

• Identifying a procedure or system to proactively
  describe new or re- emerging chemical and/or
  microbial risks in European food and feed
  production chains,
• Clustering of projects and the exchange of
  information on research in overlapping or
  complementary areas, creating a durable
  integration with regard to the planning and
  conduct of research,
• Defining the policy, scientific and industrial
  chalenges within the selected strategic
  topics and to define new opportunities and gaps
  in the existing programmes,
• Identifying barriers hindering transnational
  research co-operation, including the
  financing, monitoring and auditing of research
  activites,
• Development of models leading to the launching
  of pilot common calls for proposals within the
  strategic topics to establish transnational
• research programmes.

42
SAFEFOODERA

• External communication with consumer groups,
  industry, authorities and the scientific
  community to facilitate pan-European
  dissemination and exploitation of the
  results, including the development of common
  plans for evaluation, analysis, interpretation
  and communication of research search outputs.
  Also to encourage the involvement of other
  eligible European organisations in future
  co-ordination activity.

43
SAFEFOODNET
Objectives of the project are to harmonise and
integrate Associated Candidate Countries and New
Member States infrastructures and activities in
the field of chemical food safety with those of
Member States and to provide the European Food
Safety Authority (EFSA) with a network of
scientists, researchers, institutions able to
address the different aspects of the chemical
contaminants in food. In addition, through
participation in this project, scientists and
research groups will have the opportunity to join
mainstream research activities, such as the ones
developed in Food Chemical Safety in Europe
(FOSIE), the NoE Chemicals as contaminants in
the food chain an NoE for research, risk
assessment and education (CASCADE), the project
Harmonized Environmental Indicators for
Pesticide Risk (HAIR), or to promote new
projects in the field of food safety.

44
SAFEFOODNET
SAFEFOODNET - Chemical Food Safety Network -
consortium has 20 partners from 17 countries,
which include 4 Member States (Italy, Denmark,
Germany and Belgium), 10 New Member States
(Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland,
Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Malta,
Cyprus), and 3 candidate countries (Bulgaria,
Romania, Turkey).

45
PERIAPT

46
PERIAPT

47
Conclusions

• The Minister of Health in Poland is a leader, in
  the area of food safety and integrates
  intersectorial food safety system in Poland,
• EU regulations in the area of food safety are
  ranking above Polish food law,
• Polish food law, updated and harmonized with the
  EU legislation, is becoming more coherent and
  clear,
• RASSF system based on the food chain, exist in
  Poland since 2003,

48
Conclusions

• As the result of restructuring of food control
  inspections the number of food control
  laboratories has decreased. In the State Sanitary
  Inspection during last three years, the number of
  food control laboratories diminished from 264 to
  60. At the same time the effectiveness of these
  new laboratories increased,
• In Polish food industry there is a need for
  better identification and evulation of
  prevention mechanisms in food and diet of
  emerging risks (e.g. Campylobacter, acrylamide,
  trans isomers of fatty acids),

49
Conclusions

• 7. Poland co-operates with other EU countries in
  the area of food safety by among others
  SAFEFOODERA, SAFEFOODNET, PERIAPT,
• 8. Poland co-operates with EFSA. As a result of
  this co-operation food safety system becomes
  more and more complementary to EU food safety
  system.

50

• Thank you for your attention!