INTERNATIONAL FOOD SAFETY
By Alexandra Veiga, Ph.D.
Safe Food in a
Changing World
The entire global food supply chain shares in the challenges facing the food industry today
This is one in a series of
“P3FC” articles (People,
Planet, Prosperity and
the Food Chain), essays
and comments from
assorted authors. All
articles in the series will
address the challenges
of food production
to communicate best
practices in the industry
and encourage the
adoption of sustainable
policies. All authors
are food professionals
coming from diverse
employment sectors and
from around the globe.
The goal of P3FC is to
help create a global food
supply chain that takes
into account the well-
being and prosperity of
people and the planet.
If you are interested in
contributing an article
to the P3FC series,
please send an e-mail
to katherine.flynn@
safeconsortium.org.
ince the onset of the present international
economic crisis, particularly in some
European;countries,;I;have;been;wondering
how it will affect the efforts over the last
couple of decades to assure food safety and
promote;consumption;of;healthy;food.
In;the;1990s,;the;outbreak;of;“mad;cow;disease”
in the United Kingdom and some other countries,
together with the dioxin crisis in Belgium, awakened
European;governments;to;the;vulnerability;of;the;food
chain.;These;and;other;events;triggered;a;new;era;in
European;food;safety.;New;policies;were;drawn;up;in
all;European;Union;member;states,;more;demanding
legislation;was;imposed;and;national;and;European
agencies;responsible;for;assessing;and;communicating
food safety risks were set up in line with those in
Nordic;countries.;During;the;same;period,;there;was
an increased awareness that consumption of healthier
food;should;be;promoted,;resulting;in;a;trend;toward
healthier;consumption;patterns;in;some;demographics.
We;have;been;living,;however,;in;a;wealthy,;globalized
world;where;wide-scale;food;consumption;habits;have
changed, resulting in increased unhealthy food-related
diseases;such;as;obesity,;diabetes;and;heart;disease.
What is at risk of changing in the near future
defined;by;economic;uncertainty;and;talk;of
“austerity”?
For;consumers,;difficulties;in;managing;a;smaller
monthly;budget;will;lead;to;consumption;of;cheaper
foods.;For;some,;this;will;mean;less;variety;in;their
menu options at home or increased consumption of
fast food at work, when lunchtime is often too short to
S
prepare;a;meal,;and;because;there;is;a
misperception that fast food is cheaper
than;“slow;food.”;Variety;in;our;diet;is
very important, not only nutritionally,
but;also;because;small;amounts;of
contaminants, such as heavy metals, are
likely;to;be;present;in;some;foods;and
the;best;way;to;reduce;the;associated;risks
is;to;vary;our;diet;as;much;as;possible.
Small-;and;medium-size;companies,
particularly food producers or
restaurants,;may;be;tempted;to;eliminate
some;safety;procedures.;Auto-control
systems;like;Hazard;Analysis;and;Critical
Control;Points;are;important;to;avoid
the presence of pathogenic agents
in;food.;But;these;processes;can;be
expensive,;and;saving;money;by;relaxing
their;application;may;seem;appealing.
In;addition,;producers;may;be;attracted
to cheaper raw materials from countries
with;less;rigorous;food;controls.;The
presence of environmental contaminants
(heavy;metals,;dioxins;or;polychlorinated
biphenyls),;pesticides;or;even;chemicals
intentionally;added;to;food;for;financial
benefit;is;of;particular;concern.;Recent
history;records;some;troubling;cases.
In;China;in;2008,;melamine;was;found
in milk, infant formula and other
food materials, some of which were
distributed;internationally.;An;estimated
300,000;victims;were;reported,;with;6
infants dying from kidney damage and a
further;860;babies;hospitalized.;No;one
was;affected;in;Europe.;In;the;same;year,
sunflower oil from Ukraine was found
to;be;contaminated;with;high;levels;of
mineral;oil.;Responding;to;this;situation,
the;European;Food;Safety;Authority
issued a scientific;statement concluding
that;consumption,;although;undesirable
for;humans,;was;not;a;public;health
concern.;However,;given;that;the;source
of;contamination;had;not;yet;been
identified;with;certainty,;it;was;decided
to advise withdrawal from the market of
all products containing this oil—at a loss
of;thousands;of;euros.
