Litchi Symposium

1
SA PIP

• Sandra Keller

2
EU food law

• 25 EU member states 450 Millions consumers with
  high food safety expectaions
• EU producers - third country supplier to keep
  pace with EU to ensure market access
• Retailer requirements
• EU food law is becoming increasingly complex.
• Significant responsibilities for operators.

3
Context

• Food safety, quality health

Food safety Physical (Insects) Biological
(Hygiene) Chemical (Residues) Quality Health
(Phyto-sanitary)
Principle
R918
178/2002
APS/OFS
R908
852/2004
Guideline
414/1990
FCD
4
Food safety regulatory environment
Continued Exports
5
Information sources

• Freshfel www.freshquality.org
• EU harmonised MRLs
• EU quality standards
• CODEX quality standards on product basis.
• DoA www.nda.agric.za/docs/
  Plantquality/default.htm
• RSA export default MRL (Export standards)
• RSA export quality standards (Export standards)
• RSA Food safety Standards (Food safety -
  checklists)

6
MRL definition

• Maximum level legally permitted in or on food
• mg/kg ppm
• Set per crop x CPP combination
• Trading standard
• Represents maximum amount of residue expected in
  a fruit under a defined GAP
• Safe for human consumption

7
Setting of MRLs

• Does exceeding an MRL constitute a food safety
  risk?

• MRL often mis-interpreted as safety limit instead
  of trading standard!

8
MRL exceedance

• Problem
• Consumers are told that eating more fresh produce
  is essential for good health
• but they are also told that fresh produce
  contains excessive pesticide residues.
• NO WONDER CONSUMERS ARE CONFUSED !

9
Implications and considerations

• inaccurate representation of residues on fresh
  produce in media
• no indication of extent of exceedance
• When does produce present a food safety risk
• ADI and
• Acute RfD?

10
The Rapid Alert System

• Launched in February 2002
• Obligatory notification of any direct or
  indirect risk to human or animal or to the
  environment
• Network consisting of
• National competent authorities
• The European Food Safety Authority
• The European Commission
• Alert notifications vs information notifications

11

• Total alert notifications 454

12

• Total alert notifications 454

13
Industry representation

• Follow legislative developments
• of EC 178/2002 (EU food law)
• review process of Regulation 91/414/EC
• Further lobbying work on MRLs
• Dissemination of information regarding pesticides
  from an industry perspective
• Potential focus on sustainable use of pesticides.

14
Conclusions

• EU food law is more complex than ever
• Greater compliance with law sought
• Communication of the issues can be misleading
• Liaison with national and European organisations
• Does government do enough? and
• SA PIP as step in the right direction.

15
Program Components Projects
Info
Info/Comm.
Network
Analysis
Regulation
Research
SA PIP
Trials
Agric. P.
Training
Capacity
Survey
Visits
16
Stakeholders of SA PIP
Info/Comm.
Regulation
Agric. P.
Capacity
17
Thank you for listening !