International Food Safety Standards Research Articles

Assessing the Effectiveness of Local and International Food Safety Standards in Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises (SMEs) of Pakistan

Pakistani small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) have an important role and contribute less than other countries, yet their significance cannot be denied. The SME sector is confronted with multiple problems, including export issues because of the trust factor and least knowledge of the latest food safety standards, which have made it difficult to contribute to the GDP of the nation. Various standards such as Food Safety, HACCP, GGAP YUM GAP, MacDonald’s GAP, ISO 9001, and ISO 14001 are being implemented in Pakistan for decades. This study was designed to highlight the critical issues of Pakistani SMEs in adopting management systems, i.e., food safety management systems. Data from 107 SMEs from different fields (beverages, baking, meat, postharvest processing, etc.) of Pakistan were collected through a detailed questionnaire and fed to SPSS V 26.0 for statistical illustration and articulation of the results. In this study, SME company profiles were analyzed and showed that 43% had 6–20 employees, 78.5% were manufacturers, and 68.2% were in business for 7–15 years. The focus was on sales growth (35.5%), profit growth (38.3%), return on assets (42.1%), gross revenues (47.7%), net cash flow (46.7%), customer satisfaction (47.7%), and customer satisfaction relative to competitors (46.7%). A total of 21.5% of SMEs implemented local standards, 23.4% implemented international standards, and 54.2% implemented both local and international standards. Certification benefits included establishing an effective system (62.6% agreed), understanding roles and responsibilities (76.6% agreed), and more efficient documentation (60.7% agreed). However, 29.9% and 24.3% of respondents found international standards such as FSSC 22000 and BRC challenging to apply in local organizations due to language and cost barriers. Above all, the current study implies the dire need for the development of Pakistan’s food safety management system (PFSMS) standard. The PFSMS should be easy to understand, low in cost, and highly applicable in different sectors of the SMEs in Pakistan.

Advances and challenges in animal source food inspection legislation for Brazilian small-scale and artisanal producers.

The strict sanitary inspection legislation of animal source food has been considered a trade barrier for smallholder farmers and small-scale producers in Brazil. In this sense, law flexibilization is suggested to facilitate national trade of these products. We conducted a social and sanitary analysis, presenting the current Brazilian conjuncture and difficulties for animal source food Brazilian inspection law flexibilization. By discussing inequalities, human rights issues, animal source food legislation, and international food safety standards, we evidenced critical barriers for legislative reform in Brazil. Among these barriers, the main ones are social inequalities; high zoonotic risk of animal source food products; the Brazilian political structure and its reflection on different inspection practices among country jurisdictions; and the lack of inspection services in most Brazilian municipalities. At the same time, we present positive updates in the normative framework, and point out game-changers to modify the actual safety and trade situations of Brazilian small-scale and artisanal animal source food products, including policies to strengthen state and municipal inspection services and harmonization initiatives based on international standards and national legislation. We also suggest policies to implement inspection services in municipalities, whether by municipal action or by a consortium, as well as policies to strengthen technical assistance and rural extension for small-scale and artisanal producers. These policies aim to reduce technical and sanitary education inequalities and build a fairer animal source food system.

Survey of dermestid beetles using UV-light traps in two food industry facilities in the Czech Republic: One year field study

There is a growing interest in stored product Dermestidae species due to their capacity to damage and contaminate stored products of animal and vegetable origin. Limited published information is available on surveys of these pests in museums, grain commodity storage facilities, and mills, with a noticeable absence of surveys in the food industry. Notably, information on dermestid monitoring using a colour or UV light sticky traps, which are required as part of international food safety standards and ISO pest control procedures for food facilities, is lacking. This study represents the first report on dermestid surveys conducted in a beverage and a food packaging facility premises using traps that combine UV light with yellow sticky plates in central Europe. A total of 1031 dermestid beetle individuals were captured in the two facilities during a one-year survey period. During the sampling period, there was a seasonal trend with the maximum captured individuals from spring to early autumn, and no individuals during winter. These population fluctuations followed a similar pattern in the two facilities. In total, 13 species belonging to five genera were identified. The highest cumulative captures were found for Reesa vespulae and Anthrenus verbasci found in both facilities, followed by Trogoderma glabrum, which occurred in high numbers in the food packaging facility. Our data indicate that R. vespulae (an invasive species) is attracted to UV light + yellow traps, and its high frequency and abundance suggest that since its first isolated detection in the Czech Republic in 1987, it has proven to be a significantly spreading pest species.

Determinants and impacts of contract farming: evidence from cultivation of onion, okra and pomegranate in Maharashtra, India

PurposeThis study investigates the impact of contract farming in onion, okra and pomegranate production on profits of smallholder farmers in India. It also investigates the determinants of farmers’ participation in contract farming. The study is based on a survey of 1,131 farmers from Maharashtra, India engaged in the cultivation of these three crops.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses instrumental variable regressions and quasi-experimental methods to decipher the impact of contract farming.FindingsThe study reveals that contract farming ensures higher returns for smallholders, enables their access to high-end markets and brings in risk-sharing with protection during price fluctuations. Farm size and farmers’ risk perceptions are significantly associated with their participation in contract farming.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based on cross-sectional data, which presents limitations on considering unobserved farmer-level individual heterogeneity.Originality/valueThe study shows that contracts highlight the functioning of the contractor/integrator on both the input and output sides of the market. By providing better-quality inputs on credit and at discounted prices and by providing training, the integrator helps small farmers meet international food safety and quality standards, a historically difficult challenge for smallholders in India.

First report of Colletotrichum fioriniae causing anthracnose fruit rot on Vaccinium corymbosum in Chile.

Vaccinium corymbosum L. is the most cultivated blueberry species in Chile. Chilean fruits typically take up to 50 days to reach oversea markets; therefore, controlling post-harvest pathogens is of outmost importance to maintain international food safety and quality standards. In February 2019, the Microbial Genetic Resources Bank at INIA received fruits of V. corymbosum cv. 'Brigitta Blue' from Mariquina (-39.567869, -72.992461), located in the southern Chilean blueberry production zone, for post-harvest disease diagnosis. Asymptomatic fruits were incubated in moist-chambers at 25 °C with light/darkness cycles of 12 h. After 5 d, some fruits showed sunken areas and small surface wounds that exudated orange masses of conidia; under the epidermis, gray acervuli were also detected. After 15d, these fruits became dehydrated, mummified, and covered by mycelia, all characteristic symptoms of anthracnose (Wharton and Schilder 2008). In Chile, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides has, thus far, been the only causal agent of anthracnose reported in blueberry (Lara et al. 2003). Conidia exudated from the diseased fruit were inoculated on potato-dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25 °C for 7 d. The resulting colony was predominantly cottony with gray aerial mycelium, displaying masses of pale orange conidia; on the reverse side, the colony was a pink-reddish color. Under a microscope, conidia were hyaline, fusiform to elliptic in shape, and displaying guttulate of 12.2±1.2 × 4.17±0.3 μm (n=30), characteristics coinciding with those described for Colletotrichum fioriniae (Pennycook 2017; Shivas and Tan 2009) (Supplementary Figure 1). The isolate was deposited in the Chilean Collection of Microbial Genetic Resources (CChRGM) as RGM 3330. Genomic DNA extraction of RGM 3330 and phylogenetic analyses were carried out according to Cisterna-Oyarce et al. (2022). A multi-locus sequencing analysis was carried out using five genetic markers. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS), glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh), actin (act), and chitin synthase 1 (chs-1) were PCR-amplified following Damm et al. (2012) and beta-tubulin (tub) following Glass and Donaldson (1995). Sequences were deposited in GenBank (ON364141 for ITS and ON369167-70 for tub, act, chs-1, and gapdh, respectively) (Sayers et al. 2021). A BLAST analysis carried out in SequenceServer (Priyam et al. 2019), using a custom database of sequences retrieved from Damm et al. (2012) and Liu et al. (2020), showed that all genetic markers were 100% identical to those of C. fioriniae CBS 128517T (ITS (540/540 identities), gapdh (249/249), act (245/245), and chs-1 (274/274)), except for tub, which shared 99.8% of its identities (416/417) with this species. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic estimation clustered RGM 3330 with C. fioriniae strains CBS 128517T and CBS 126526 with 100% bootstrap support (Supplementary Figure 1). Koch’s postulates were carried out with asymptomatic fruits of V. corymbosum cv. 'Brigitta Blue'. Prior to inoculation, fruits were surface-sterilized for 10 s in 70% ethanol, 3 s in 1% NaOCl, 10 s in 70% ethanol, rinsed three times with sterile distilled water, and subsequently placed in moist-chambers. Two groups of three repetitions of 20 fruits each were sprayed with 9 × 106 conidia/mL of RGM 3330 for the first group and with sterile distilled water for the control. After 5 d at 25 °C with light/darkness cycles of 12 h, only fruits sprayed with the conidial solution developed symptoms of anthracnose and the re-isolated fungi were identical in morphology to RGM 3330. This is the first report of C. fioriniae in blueberry in Chile.

Metal pollution and potential human health risk assessment in major seafood items (fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods)

Global seafood consumers are increasingly concerned about and prefer safe, high-quality, and hazard-free seafood products. This study investigated various Pakistani processing plants supplying the international market and explored commercially important seafood species (fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods) for metal content, contamination, and potential health risks. The results showed that the metal concentrations differed significantly among species. The metals loads were as Fe > Cu > Zn > Mn > Pb > Ni > Cd > Hg. Contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), and metal pollution index (MPI), verified negligible contamination of seafood. As assessed by the estimated daily intake, target hazard quotient, hazard index, and carcinogenic risk, the potential human health risks associated with the contaminated seafood were lower than the perceived threat. In conclusion, seafood processing plants export products that meet international food safety standards and are safe for consumers worldwide.

Processed food exports from developing countries: the effect of food safety compliance

AbstractThe study investigates the impact of developing countries’ ability to comply with international food safety standards on processed food exports, based on the structural gravity modelling framework and a novel dataset from 2002 to 2018. The constructed variable on international food safety compliance is derived from import refusal records from the US Food and Drug Administration. The findings indicate that international food safety compliance is a significant factor in explaining inter-country differences in processed food export performance. The ability to meet international food safety standards matters for processed food exports from developing Asia to developing country markets and the USA, but it has a limited influence on Asian processed food exports to the European Union.

Structural Equation Modeling of Food Safety Standard in the Cassava Industry in Thailand

Food safety is becoming more important in Thailand, especially when the country officially joins the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in the year 2015. In this study, key food safety factors and their associated items were mainly extracted from the two international food safety standards: the HACCP and the GMP standards. The questionnaire survey was used to collect data from cassava manufacturers for the exploratory factor analysis and the structural equation modelling. The analysis results revealed seven key factors in enhancing food safety standards: 1) Management, 2) Man, 3) Environment, 4) Material-Related, 5) Method, 6) Machine, and 7) Raw Material. The structural equation modelling results revealed causal relationships among the seven key factors. It was found that the Management factor is the most important factor in enhancing food safety standard in Thailand as it influences all other factors, both directly and indirectly. Management should, hence, set up realistic food safety policies, assign appropriate safety responsibility to the lower levels, and provide adequate necessary resources to improve food safety in the cassava industry.

What Drives Africa’s Inability to Comply with EU Standards? Insights from Africa’s Institution and Trade Facilitation Measures

Over the years, there have been a significant number of Africa’s food exports rejected at the European Union (EU) borders due to their non-compliance with EU food safety standards. This paper, therefore, provides an in-depth investigation of the potential causes of the non-compliance of Africa’s food exports to EU food standards and the subsequent rejection of such food exports at its borders. We contribute to the literature by investigating the roles played by trade facilitation measures and institutions in food export rejections and also exclusively provide a more detailed analysis and specific evidence at the product level. Our results indicate that poor trade facilitation measures, particularly inefficient border and food logistics procedures in African countries, increase the incidence of food rejection at the EU border and add to Africa’s challenges in accessing EU markets. Thus, non-compliance with EU food safety standards can be addressed by African governments through the strengthening of their domestic institutions and trade facilitation measures, with policies that improve logistics and border procedures as well as measures that align their food standards to international ones. This will ensure an efficient food supply chain that meets international food safety standards and facilitates food trade.

Habilitation of date factories to international food quality and safety standards

Egypt produces more than 1.6 million tons of dates. It is considered one of the first countries in the production of dates. However, the export of Egyptian dates does not exceed 5% of the total production. This is due to several reasons, including the low quality of some varieties, the perishable of some other varieties. Also, the low quality of dates due to not application of good agricultural practices completely in the small farm during harvest and after harvest. The application of quality and safety standards for dates in date factories, such as prerequisite programs, good hygiene practices for workers inside the food establishments, and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system are among the most important factors for the success of the date marketing. This article will present the basics of the quality and safety of dates in factories in terms of infrastructure, factory workers and some technical aspects of date products from the beginning of receipt to the marketing of these products.

Peranan Petani Milenial mendukung Ekspor Hasil Pertanian di Indonesia

<p>A variety of <em>start-ups</em> and agricultural applications show that there has been an increasing interest in agriculture. Using information and communication technology to make agricultural products distribution and marketing more effective and efficient, millennial farmers are expected to improve the agricultural product export. However, exporting agricultural products is a challenge. Agricultural products are perishable and the exporters have to meet international food safety standards. The farmers deal with regulations, lack of facilities and infrastructures for production process, as well as the standards of <em>Good Manufacturing Practices</em>. This article aims to assess potentials of millennial farmers pioneering agricultural product export in Indonesia and to analyze the impact of various government policies to millennial farmers. They need appropriate technology to improve agricultural product value added and support for development potential of various agricultural start-ups. Required government supports include farm practice, export procedure training, and export market survey using internet, as well as conducive regulation easy access to financial service provider institution. Those supports will boost the millennial farmers’ spirit along with Ministry of Agriculture’s program of three-fold agricultural product export.<strong></strong></p>

The problems of investment support of innovative development of agriculture

The article examines the main problems facing the development of competitive agriculture, given the dynamism of investment in the industry and investment in the current environment of increasing globalization, as the introduction of innovative products is the basis for effective development of the enterprise, region and country. The analysis of the main indicators that characterize the level of investment support of enterprises of Lviv region, in particular the volume of capital investments and the volume of foreign direct investment. The volumes of agricultural output in enterprises and households of the population, and, accordingly, the possibility of attracting investment by these categories of producers are considered. The main problems of agricultural production are characterized and the directions of intensification of investment and innovation activity are offered, taking into account the support of the state, foreign economic potential of the region, its border location and export-oriented production. Innovative development of agriculture, expanding the ways of its investment are among the factors that play a crucial role in ensuring the balanced development of the region, building strategic prospects for its economic growth, identifying internal problems and obstacles to this process, and adequately assessing the potential of local resource levels. It is considered that the priority in today's conditions is the introduction of technologies for environmentally friendly cultivation of crops and the development of organic production, development of infrastructure for storage and distribution of agricultural products by attracting investment projects. It is important for agricultural producers to adapt to international food quality and safety standards and to produce agricultural products that meet EU requirements and standards. The model of strategic goals of innovative development of agriculture is offered, which aims to promote effective optimization of agricultural production, development of production infrastructure on the basis of state assistance and support, taking into account the stimulation of investment projects and attracting foreign funds.

In situ measurement of cesium-137 contamination in fruits from the northern Marshall Islands

Radioactive contamination of fruits in the northern Marshall Islands, resulting from the US nuclear weapons testing program in the 1940s and 1950s, is still a human health concern, in particular pertaining to island population resettlement and the economic benefit from farming. Over 200 fruits, primarily coconuts and pandanus, were collected on 11 islands from four atolls in the northern Marshall Islands in 2017. The energy spectra from nuclear gamma decays were measured on a research vessel for each fruit in situ. From these recordings, the level of cesium-137 (137Cs) contamination was determined for individual fruits. Comparisons of the results are made to past studies and international food safety standards. There is a broad distribution of values, ranging from below detectable radiation levels to relatively high levels; safety concerns are largest for Bikini Island. A noticeable fraction of fruits from Bikini have significantly higher levels of 137Cs contamination compared with those from all other measured islands.

The Management of Compounds that Influence Human Health in Modern Winemaking from an HACCP Point of View

The undesirable effects of some hazardous compounds involved in the different steps of the winemaking process may pose health risks to consumers; hence, the importance of compliance with recent international food safety standards, including the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards. In recent years, there has been a rise in the development of new technologies in response to the hazardous effects of chemical compounds detected during the winemaking process, whether naturally produced or added during different winemaking processes. The main purpose was to reduce the levels of some compounds, such as biogenic amines, ethyl carbamate, ochratoxin A, and sulfur dioxide. These technological advances are currently considered a necessity, because they produce wines free of health-hazardous compounds and, most importantly, help in the management and prevention of health risks. This review shows how to prevent and control the most common potential health risks of wine using a HACCP methodology.

Značaj i uloga privatnih standarda bezbednosti hrane

Private food quality and safety management standards are, as a rule, voluntary standards. However, as it is necessary to verify the competence of certification bodies (those controlling producers and participants in the food supply chain) by the accreditation bodies and the standard owners, this is not a case for self-regulation. A modern regulatory state, which is not an exclusive market regulator, recognizes the importance and role of private standards. In the past two decades, a specific public-private partnership has emerged between the public authorities, the owners of standards and mediators in the certification process. The purpose of this paper is to portray the role of international private food safety standards in the field of risk protection, as well as to draw attention to the basic requirements for effective implementation of those standards.

Decoupling from international food safety standards: how small-scale indigenous farmers cope with conflicting institutions to ensure market participation

Although inclusion in formal value chains extends the prospect of improving the livelihoods of rural small-scale producers, such a step is often contingent on compliance with internationally-promoted food safety standards. Limited research has addressed the challenges this represents for small rural producers who, grounded in culturally-embedded food safety conceptions, face difficulties in complying. We address this gap here through a multiple case study involving four public school feeding programs that source meals from local rural providers in the Bolivian Altiplan. Institutional logics theory is used to describe public food safety regulations and to compare them to food safety conceptions in the local indigenous Aymara rural setting. We identify a value-based conflict that leads to non-compliance of formal food safety rules that jeopardizes the participation of small farmers in the market. These include: (1) partial adoption of formal rules; (2) selective adoption of convenient rules; and (3) ceremonial adoption to avoid compliance. Decoupling strategies allow local actors to largely disregard the formal food safety regulations while accommodating traditional cultural practices and continuing to access the market. However, these practices put the long-term sustainability of the farmers’ participation in potentially favorable opportunities at risk.

Microbiological Profile of Three Commercial Poultry Processing Plants in Colombia

Poultry meat production in Colombia has significant growth potential to fulfill national demands and to become an important global exporter. Entering export markets requires compliance with international food safety standards and the support of a rigorous national inspection system. To support the development of national standards, information about the microbiological profiles of poultry operations is needed, and no official microbiological baseline is currently available. A total of 480 chicken carcass rinses and 64 fecal samples were collected at different process sites from three commercial poultry processing establishments located in different regions of Colombia. Samples were analyzed to determine the prevalence of Salmonella and the levels of Escherichia coli in chicken rinse. Six steps were selected for sampling in the slaughter, evisceration, and chilling processes. The overall Salmonella prevalence after water immersion chilling at the three establishments was 12.5% (73 of 584 samples). E. coli levels were 1.2 to 2.2 log CFU/mL (mean, 1.65 log CFU/mL) after the chilling process. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were found for E. coli levels among the processing sites at the three establishments; however, there were no significant differences in the distribution of Salmonella-positive samples through the sites at each plant. These results can be used as reference data for microorganisms in chicken meat facilities in Colombia and will help the poultry industry and regulators in the design of new prevention programs and food safety management systems.

Chinese Apples and the Emerging World Food Trade Order: Food Safety, International Trade, and Regulatory Collaboration between China and the European Union

China is among the world’s largest producers of apples. It has a potentially large export market around the world. However, differences in food safety standards, for example concerning pesticide residues, often pose serious challenges to Chinese exporters. Focusing mainly on Chinese exports of fresh apples to the European Union (EU), this article analyses these opportunities, related legal obstacles, and the increasingly successful strategies, both domestic and international, used by the Chinese government to meet these challenges associated with them. It considers the gradual alignment of Chinese standards with international standards, the Chinese export strategy based on government support for selected elite export companies, and the conclusion by the Chinese government of new bilateral agreements to open major new markets for Chinese businesses. In doing so, it traces interconnections between international, EU and Chinese food safety standards, China’s post-WTO-succession international trade strategies, the modernisation of Chinese agriculture, relations between public and private standards, the 16 1 arrangement between China and the Central and Eastern European Member States (CEECs) of the EU, China’s One Belt, One Road initiative (OBOR), and the development of a China-centred global food economy for apples. The result is an unusual form of regulatory collaboration between China and the EU. These factors are among the main drivers of transnational legal and economic relations in the international food trade today. They represent an emerging world food trade order.

The food safety culture in a large South African food service complex

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess elements of food safety management and food safety culture within a prominent South African entertainment, hotel and food service complex.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper a qualitative case study approach was used. Following a comprehensive literature review, based on factors known to be important in developing a food safety culture, in combination with national and international food safety standards, an interview guide was constructed and utilised in a series of semi-structured interviews. The interviewees represented different management levels involved in food delivery but did not include board level managers.FindingsMany of the factors considered important in good food safety management, including the presence of a formal food safety policy and the creation and maintenance of a positive food safety culture, were absent. Although a formal system of internal hygiene auditing existed and food safety training was provided to food handlers they were not integrated into a comprehensive approach to food safety management. Food safety leadership, communication and support were considered deficient with little motivation for staff to practise good hygiene.Originality/valueFood safety culture is increasingly recognised as a contributory factor in foodborne disease outbreaks and is the focus of increasing research. However, although every food business has a unique food safety culture there are relatively few published papers concerning its analysis, application and use within specific businesses. This case study has identified food safety culture shortcomings within a large food service facility suggesting there was a potentially significant food safety risk and indicates ways in which food safety could be improved and the risk reduced. The results also suggest further work is needed in the subject of food safety culture and its potential for reducing foodborne disease.

INTERNATIONAL REGULATION AND STANDARDS IN FOOD SAFETY

The food production in the past period was mainly quantity-oriented. Nowadays the food production is transformed into an international System of Quality, implying production of food that has preserved its identity. This change has been caused by often incidents (Salmonella, BSE, E. coli O157:H7, dioxin), and these incidents were caused by interruption of food-safety chain. International organizations (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations - FAO, World Health Organization - WHO, Office International des Epizooties - OIE, Codex Alimentarius Commission - CAC, International Organization for Standardization – ISO), on the basis of latest science acknowledgements, submitted new recommendations and standards of food-safety, with emphasis on integrated approach in development and applying of standards of food-safety as opportunity to access to global world market. By the other hand, high requests from developed countries could result in perplexity ‘standards as barriers’ and ‘standards as catalysts’ in the context of food safety standards in international trade in agricultural and food products. This paper explores the food safety concept through international regulation and food safety standards.