Future European Hygiene Regulations

1
Future European Hygiene Regulations

• Paolo Caricato
• European Commission
• DG Health Consumer Protection

2
Summary

• Introduction - why changes are necessary
• New framework of food safety legislation
• Characteristics of new legislation
• Requirements of new legislation
• On farm consequences
• Conclusions

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Why changes are necessary - 1

• outside factors - major food safety scares
  BSE crisis (1996 - present) dioxin crisis
  (1999 - 2000) FMD crisis (2001) ? consumers
  lost confidence ? political repercussions

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Why changes are necessary - 2

• inherent factors ante-mortem inspection? lack
  of information (history, treatments)? large
  number of healthy uniform animals? unclear
  clinical symptoms

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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)

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Why changes are necessary - 4

• Old Legislation for fishery products and live
  bivalve molluscs? necessity to update
  legislation mainly for marine biotoxins
  classification of P.A.
• ? FBO are involved in the Decisions taken by
  CA
• ? HACCP approach also for this sector with
  primary responsibility of FBO.

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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
• H 4 2002/99/EC (animal health)
• H 5 - repealing 17 directives
• Official Feed Food Controls

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Characteristics of Hygiene 1

• ? all food (replaces 93/43/EEC)
• ? stable to table (integrated approach)
• ? all stages of production, processing,
  distribution, exports
• primary responsibility food business
  operator
• general implementation of procedures based
  on HACCP principles

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Requirements in Hygiene 1

• registration of all food businesses
• hygiene requirements for all food
  premises
• HACCP
• guides to good practice
• ? microbiological criteria
• ? temperature control requirements

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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, gelatins, collagen
• ? flexibility

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Requirements of Hygiene 2

• ? registration/approval of establishments
• ? identification mark by operator
• ? health mark by competent Authorities
• ? HACCP based
• (simplified) requirements for
  slaughterhouses cutting plants
• imports from approved third Country/establishme
  nts

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Characteristics of Hygiene 3

• Audits of HACCP based procedures
• ? checks on food chain information
• ? establishment operator responsibility
• ? verification by competent authority
• ? microbiological criteria
• ? traceability of products

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Characteristics of Hygiene 3

• Audits of HACCP based procedures
• ? application of identification marks
• ? specific auditing tasks for slaughterhouses,
  game establishments and cutting plants
• ? public and animal health risks
• ? animal welfare
• ? type of process carried out

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Characteristics of Hygiene 3

• Imports procedures
• ? lists of third Countries
• ? special conditions for meat
• ? approved production areas for bivalve
  molluscs
• ? specific rules for fishery products
• ? specific health certificates

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The Future

• Repealing of legal texts under the Regulations
• ? 15 Commission Decisions preserved
• ? 37 Decisions will be repealed
• ? 13 Decisions will be modified
• ? 87 new Decisions will be taken as
  implementing measures
• ? Commission Regulation on microbiological
  criteria

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Why the uproar?
major changes as compared to existing legislation

• Visual inspection
• Use of slaughterhouse staff
• Conditional approval
• Shift in responsibility
• Food chain information

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Prerequisites of H 3

• ? permanent presence of veterinarian in
  slaughterhouse
• ? cutting plant appropriate frequency
• ? veterinarian does a.m. inspection
• CA guarantees official supervision during
  entire process

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Tasks for the CA veterinarian

• Inspection tasks
• primary production information
• ante-mortem inspection (on the farm)
• animal welfare
• post-mortem inspection
• canalization of destruction material
• analysis of lab results
• feedback of inspection results

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Tasks for the CA veterinarian

• Decisions
• ? arrival of animals IR, farm info, sick
• ? clean animals ?contamination
• ? line speed adjustment
• ? unsuitable for consumption
• ? frequency of controls
• ? flexibility (small establishments)

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Visual inspection

• ? poultry? rabbits? fattening pigs
• ? other categories?
• housed under controlled conditions
• in integrated production systems
• since weaning

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Food chain information

• ? contact details (farm, vet.)?
  identification details ? management data ?
  animal health status ? treatments ?
  additional information (disease free farm,
  slaughter findings, disease monitoring, etc.)
• ? combined with health certificate

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Implications for the farm

• farmer is responsible GFP
• registration of the farm
• ? identification of the animals (records)
• food chain information
• special conditions (Salmonella, Trichinella)
• integrated production system
• ? veterinarian in charge of verification

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Flexibility

• ? 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)

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Implementing measures

• ? no Trichinella sampling
• inspection of fattening calves
• ? weekly Salmonella sampling
• ? food chain information
• distinction of two types of MSM
• (decontamination of food of animal origin)

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Conclusions

• ? establishment operator is responsible
• veterinarian in charge of verification
• major implications for operator and CA
• ? flexible approach (small establishments,
  animal species, supervision)
• ? consumer safety

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Fishery products (H2)

• ? Monitoring and, where necessary, recording of
  temperatures, for vessels cooled clean
  seawater
• transport and storage of fishery products in
  cooled water on board vessels
• parasites fishing grounds do not present
  health hazard and by authorization of CA

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Fishery products (H2)

• ? no document with the type of process if
  supplied to the final consumer
• no compliance with freezing temperature if the
  journey to establishment is short

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Live bivalve molluscs (H2)

• ? No fixed distance between relaying areas
  (before 300 m)
• immersion in relaying areas at least two
  months
• no laboratories inside purification centres
• ? specific requirements for Pectinidae
  harvested outside classified production areas

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Live bivalve molluscs (H3)

• ? Classification of production and relaying
  areas in cooperation with FBO
• Classification A,B and C areas based on E.Coli
  (Alt 230/100 gr flesh and intrav.liquid B lt
  4600 C lt 46.000)
• sampling frequency for toxins on weekly basis
• ? two negative results separated at least 48
  hours to re-open production areas

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Live bivalve molluscs (H3)

• For classifying , opening or closing P.A. the
  CA may take into account data of FBO
• CA must have designated laboratory
• Analysis in accordance with protocol agreed
  between CA and FBO.

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Fishery products (H3)

• Detailed rules on official controls for
  vessels
• Possibility to inspect a factory or freezer
  vessels in another MS or Third Country
• Delegation to the CA of another MS or Third
  Country to carry out for granting full approval
  or prolonging conditional approval.

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contact

• E-mail paolo.caricato_at_cec.eu.int
• Telephone [phone]
• Fax[phone]

References http//europa.eu.int/eur-lex/ http//w
ww.cc.cec/home/menu_en.html