National Food Control Systems Research Articles

Trends and current food safety regulations and policies for functional foods and beverages containing botanicals.

Globally, the demand for functional foods and beverages has significantly increased due to socioeconomic changes, particularly in health consciousness to enhance their functionality. Functional ingredients derived from botanicals are widely used because of their phytochemical properties with health benefits. This study aims to (1) review the capabilities and challenges of botanical addition in functional foods, (2) review current policies and regulations for functional foods containing botanicals in the European Union (EU), Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand, and (3) provide recommendations on effective food safety control measures for better consumer trust and trade facilitation. This critical review was analyzed from online publications and available guidelines, regulations, and control measures published by food industries and governments in the EU and the four selected countries. The result confirmed that potentialities of botanicals arise from numerous bioactive compounds with varieties of sources. However, the usage may potentially raise health risks through hazardous substances in different species or plant parts, contaminants from environments and uncontrolled processes. Inadequate knowledge of botanical formulation and the maximum limit for daily consumption may elevate health risks through food-drug interaction or adverse effect incidents. Current policies and regulations show that varieties of measures are implemented influencing both economic growth and consumer awareness. The novel finding is that countries that provide a comprehensive national food control system influence not only the growth of the functional food subsectors but also build trust in food safety among trade partners and consumers.

International Standards for Regulatory Deference Relating to National Food Control Systems: More to Do?

AbstractThis paper describes how the development of texts on regulatory deference by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) addresses relevant recommendations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and supports Member countries of CAC in their negotiation and implementation of equivalence agreements. We consider the role and function of CAC within a rules-based multilateral framework, particularly in relation to the development and implementation of equivalence concepts. We then consider whether, through use of equivalence agreements, trade facilitation outcomes have been realised. Our hypothesis is that international standards on regulatory deference promote fair but aspirational standards and support fair practices in the trade of safe food – both vital outcomes for global food security and the achievement of many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We test this hypothesis against the framework provided by decisions of the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary Committee. We argue that the equivalence concepts and guidelines developed by CAC are appropriate but underutilised tools available for Member countries to strike a balance between their right to regulate to protect human, animal or plant life and health and to fulfil legitimate objectives whilst meeting their WTO obligations to avoid measures that constitute unnecessary barriers to trade.

Public health risks related to microbial contamination of foods: A literature review

Food safety has become an interesting public health issue for the general population globally. Countries might utilize risk analysis frameworks to evaluate the impact as well as manage the risk of foodborne diseases from consuming contaminated foods in the food market. It is essential to obtain general information regarding hazard identification in the risk assessment process. Therefore, this literature review was conducted to identify common public health risks related to microbial contamination of food. Published studies with quantitative, qualitative, or mixed research methods were searched from peer-review journals. The chosen full-text articles were analyzed using an emergent thematic analysis approach to find key concepts and main results and then synthesized each item. The results of the literature review imply that food safety still has a significant impact on the health of consumers. Therefore, strict national risk-based food control systems should be considered to protect the health of the public. Some recommendations need to assure the quality of food through the promulgation of national official requirements, enhance of laboratory testing system, and strengthening inspection of the food market.  

Food Safety Control as a Guarantee of Consumer Protection: Institutional Component

A serious challenge for modern society is the problem of ensuring food safety, which has reached the international scale. Despite the global scale of the food safety problem, its solution seems possible through the effective operation of relevant national institutions in the first place. The research objective was to determine the contribution of food safety control to consumer protection by the example of Ukraine and the experience of some foreign countries. The article covers the following issues: the current state of food security in Ukraine and some foreign countries; weaknesses and strengths of the national food control system and discussion of possible ways to improve; the most important regulatory decisions in the field of food safety and consumer protection; reforming the national food control system and developing general recommendations for the formation of an effective national food control system. The object of research is the institutional component of food safety control. 

Prevention and Control of Foodborne Diseases in Middle-East North African Countries: Review of National Control Systems.

Foodborne diseases continue to be a global public health problem with an estimated 600 million people falling ill annually. In return, international standards are becoming stricter which poses challenges to food trade. In light of the increasing burden of foodborne diseases, many countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have upgraded their food laws and undertaken changes to the organizational structure of their regulatory institutions to maintain or expand international export activities, tighten control on local and imported products, and protect consumers’ health. However, until this date, the published information on the regional health burdens of foodborne diseases is very limited and it is not clear whether the recent changes will serve towards science-based and effective preventive functions and the adoption of the risk management approach. In this review, we summarize the recent food safety issues and the national food control systems of selected countries in the region although we were challenged with the scarcity of information. To this end, we examined the national food safety systems in the context of the five essential elements of the FAO/WHO Guidelines for Strengthening National Food Control Systems. These five elements—food law and regulations; food control management; inspection services; laboratory services; food monitoring; and epidemiological data, information, education, communication, and training—constitute the building blocks of a national food control system, but could also serve as tools to assess the effectiveness of the systems.

Public health risks related to food safety issues in the food market: a systematic literature review

BackgroundFood safety in the food market is one of the key areas of focus in public health, because it affects people of every age, race, gender, and income level around the world. The local and international food marketing continues to have significant impacts on food safety and health of the public. Food supply chains now cross multiple national borders which increase the internationalization of health risks. This systematic review of literature was, therefore, conducted to identify common public health risks related to food safety issues in the food market.MethodsAll published and unpublished quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies were searched from electronic databases using a three step searching. Analytical framework was developed using the PICo (population, phenomena of interest, and context) method. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) version 2018. The included full-text articles were qualitatively analyzed using emergent thematic analysis approach to identify key concepts and coded them into related non-mutually exclusive themes. We then synthesized each theme by comparing the discussion and conclusion of the included articles. Emergent themes were identified based on meticulous and systematic reading. Coding and interpreting the data were refined during analysis.ResultsThe analysis of 81 full-text articles resulted in seven common public health risks related with food safety in the food market. Microbial contamination of foods, chemical contamination of foods, food adulteration, misuse of food additives, mislabeling, genetically modified foods (GM foods), and outdated foods or foods past their use-by dates were the identified food safety–related public health risks in the food market.ConclusionThis systematic literature review identified common food safety–related public health risks in the food market. The results imply that the local and international food marketing continues to have significant impacts on health of the public. The food market increases internationalization of health risks as the food supply chains cross multiple national borders. Therefore, effective national risk-based food control systems are essential to protect the health and safety of the public. Countries need also assure the safety and quality of their foods entering international trade and ensure that imported foods conform to national requirements.

The Vietnam's food control system: Achievements and remaining issues

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, food safety has become a societal issue that has received considerable attention in Vietnam. Cases of food intoxication are copiously reported in the press, while scientific reports show that the risk is imminent and is particularly underestimated due to lack of statistics and appropriate knowledge regarding the food chain. This crisis forced the Vietnam government to adopt structural solutions and construct its national food control system. In 2010, the Parliament approved the Food Safety Law, thanks to which the country started applying modern principles of administration. It implemented regular food safety controls, allocated and relayed the responsibility to decentralized public agencies, and required food information. This article discusses Vietnam's food control system after the promulgation of the Food Safety Law. We show that in addition to the inherent problems such as credibility of risk analysis, the main challenges arise from the daily implementation of control activities. Rule enforcement is weak because of the informal economy in agriculture and food supply sectors. Improvements in rule enforcement are urgently required in this fast changing economy in the middle run.

Investing in Food Safety for Developing Countries: Opportunities and Challenges in Applying Whole-Genome Sequencing for Food Safety Management.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has become a significant tool in investigating foodborne disease outbreaks and some countries have incorporated WGS into national food control systems. However, WGS poses technical challenges that deter developing countries from incorporating it into their food safety management system. A rapid scoping review was conducted, followed by a focus group session, to understand the current situation regarding the use of WGS for foodborne disease surveillance and food monitoring at the global level and identify key limiting factors for developing countries in adopting WGS for their food control systems. The results showed that some developed nations routinely use WGS in their food surveillance systems resulting in more precise understanding of the causes of outbreaks. In developing nations, knowledge of WGS exists in the academic/research sectors; however, there is limited understanding at the government level regarding the usefulness of WGS for food safety regulatory activities. Thus, incorporation of WGS is extremely limited in most developing nations. While some countries lack the capacity to collect and analyze the data generated from WGS, the most significant technical gap in most developing countries is in data interpretation using bioinformatics. The gaps in knowledge and capacities between developed and developing nations regarding use of WGS likely introduce an inequality in international food trade, and thus, relevant international organizations, as well as the countries that are already proficient in the use of WGS, have significant roles in assisting developing nations to be able to fully benefit from the technology and its applications in food safety management.

Improving the level of food safety and market access in developing countries

The EU has been implementing strict food laws and regulations that de facto constrain exports from Indonesia, particularly regarding agricultural products. This study uses the comparative law method and the FSO/ALOP framework to analyze how to design better strategies for Indonesia when dealing with the more stringent food laws and regulations of the EU, particularly in the case of shrimp and nutmeg. This study proposes that the choice of strategy should depend on the nature of the hazard, the existing national food control system, and the availability of the relevant international standard.

Evaluating elements of national food control system: Indian context

Food regulation in a country is established with the core objective to protect consumer health. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has proposed the guideline on "Strengthening national food control systems (NFCS)" and developing capacity in the country to achieve food safety. The components suggested by FAO guideline is analyzed by obtaining opinion of stakeholders having significant role in NFCS such as government bodies, laboratories for official control and food business operator to determine their applicability in Indian context. The questionnaire based survey is conducted. The aim of this paper is threefold i) to identify the factors in Indian context which significantly impact NFCS using principal component analysis, ii) to analyze the expert opinion based on role of organization in food control system using hierarchical cluster analysis and iii) to identify the weak areas by proposing a knowledge deficit model. A total of six factors identified from this study which include Official Food Laboratories, Food Safety Inspection and Communication, Food Control System, Food Safety Database Management, Food Safety Legislation and Resource management. The comparative analysis of clusters provides diverse perception of experts based on their role and function in food control system at items of interest. This study provides the critical factors for NFCS and proposes deficit model with recommendations for future capacity building initiatives harmonized with the international requirements. A knowledge deficit model proposed in this paper identifies area of risk based approach, legislations for complete food chain, and information sharing and competent resources as essential. The research study provides a comprehensive recommendations for designing the future course of action for strengthening Indian food safety system.

Key informants’ perceptions and attitudes towards national food control systems: Evidence from two countries of the Southern African Development Community

This study was carried out to assess perceptions and attitudes of key informants towards national food control systems (NFCSs) in developing countries. Two Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries were selected, namely Botswana and Mauritius. The methodology involved qualitative and quantitative techniques. The qualitative method was an in-depth interview of key informants to identify strengths, weaknesses and improvements relating to the NFCSs. The quantitative method involved the use of a 5 point likert scale where key informants were requested to express their level of agreement with attitude statements pertaining to the NFCS. The participants were twenty-two and twenty key informants from Mauritius and Botswana respectively. Specific and common issues emerged from the key informants’ evaluation of the NFCS in their respective countries. Strengths, weaknesses and improvements perceived by the majority of key informants in Botswana and Mauritius, were identified. Perceived strengths: regulations are based on international standards; analytical services use internationally recognised methods; participation in international meetings related to food control. Perceived weaknesses: the food laws do not cover primary production; food control laboratories are not accredited; food control administration activities are spread across a number of government ministries with overlapping responsibilities; the lack of code of practice and inspection manuals; implementation of HACCP is not required by the law. Proposed improvements: the law should cover primary production; accreditation of food control laboratories; development of enforcement codes of practice; setting up of a Food Control Agency; the law should make HACCP mandatory. The median of responses to attitude statements revealed common trends in key informants’ expressed attitude to most defined NFCS issues. In both countries, most key informants indicated agreement with negative attitude statements and disagreement with positive attitude statements. This research constitutes a starting point for further regional studies to drive harmonisation of NFCSs.

Key-risk factors on quality and safety of donated foods in the food aid supply chains: A theoretical framework

This article presents a theoretical framework that could be applied to provide an insight on the impacts of key-risk factors on quality and safety of donated food along the food aid supply chains. Donated food comes from various countries, produced for different purposes, stored and transported over the long chains to several locations under variable conditions and handled by numerous people often with restricted knowledge on proper food handling. Although there are various reports on the deficiencies in quality and safety of donated food, there is yet a restricted knowledge on where and how quality and safety of donated food could be affected. A technomanagerial approach has been used to develop a theoretical framework to give insights on the risk factors that could impact quality and safety of products along the food aid supply chains. History of donated food products, intrinsic product properties and characteristics of the national food control system were identified as the key-risk factors impacting quality/safety of donated food along the production chains in the donating countries; whereas food legislation, infrastructure and resources, and management and administration of the food control system are the major quality and safety influencing factors at points of receipt. Lastly, intrinsic product properties, qualities of the workforce, nature of the distribution infrastructure, and complexity of the supply chain were identified as the key-risk factors on quality and safety of food during distribution in the receiving countries. This theoretical framework could be used by food aid receiving countries to make informed decisions on the status of imported donated food products and provide relevant distribution and storage requirements to ensure that the intended recipients get quality and safe food products.

Food safety in Sri Lanka: problems and solutions

There is a growing concern about food safety issues in Sri Lanka with the expansion of the food industry along with urbanisation, increased trade in fresh and processed food, and more consumption of foods of animal origin. Food safety risk management is important for both public health and market development both domestically and internationally. An island nation in an important location, and rich in resources needs to take to essential steps to exploit the export potential of fresh food such as fish, vegetables and fruits, while managing the safety risk of these foods to meet international market requirements. Considerable development has been achieved in fresh and processed fish and fishery products exports along with vegetables, fruits and cereals during the last decade. Especially, fresh and processed fish and fishery products export processors are maintaining higher levels of quality and safety measures consistent with EU regulations and US Food and Drug Administration. Food safety issues remain a challenge to public health. Food borne illnesses show an increasing trend, but still many go unreported and public awareness on food safety and risk management procedures is at a low level in the domestic market. Formulating effective strategy to address food safety is not easy. Establishing food hazard analysis critical control point systems along with an effective national food control system, imposing a Sri Lankan standard for processed food, amending Food Act no. 26 of 1980, harmonisation of food regulations with other countries, and conducting public awareness programmes on food safety issues, would be productive measures in managing food safety risk. Still there are many areas needing improvement. Realistic food hygiene regulations for food handling in small food establishments and restaurants need to be established. Capacity building and technical assistance are required for routine pesticide, mycotoxin and antibiotic residues analysis.

Assessment of the food control systems in the Sultanate of Oman

National food control systems are vital tools in governing the safety and quality of food intended for human consumption. This study of the Omani system was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the current food controls in place for protecting, in particular, the public health from emerging biological and chemical hazards. In response to this situation, a survey was undertaken within the different food safety authorities in Oman to examine the different elements of the national food control systems in terms of their existing food control management, food legislation, food inspection, food analysis laboratories and information, education and communications. Officials from the different authorities were interviewed and results were captured in prepared questionnaires. Overall examinations of the challenges, strength and weakness of the existing system have been highlighted. The findings of the study indicate significant progress is being made and the creation by the government of a national Centre for Food Safety and Quality is a significant positive step.

Food additive control: a survey among selected consumers and manufacturers

Purpose– The aim of this paper is to explore consumer knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to food additives and to investigate manufacturers' attitudes and practices pertaining to food additives and their control.Design/methodology/approach– Questionnaire administered face-to-face interviews were conducted with 180 consumers from the population working at the University of Mauritius while an interview guide was used for in-depth interviews with 12 manufacturers.Findings– The results showed that 65 per cent of all respondents never checked food labels for additives. Overall, the respondents had poor knowledge on food additives. A significant relationship was established between level of education and knowledge rating based on percentage correct answers to food additive questions (p<0.05). The mean percentage correct answers for consumers with different educational levels increased in the following order: primary education; secondary education; tertiary education (p<0.05). The responses relating to attitudinal statements reflected indecision and certain misconceptions. In-depth interviews with local food manufacturers revealed positive attitudes and practices towards food additives. Several problems relating to additive control were mentioned, such as outdated regulations and weak enforcement.Research limitations/implications– Given the sample sizes, the consumer research should not be extrapolated to the Mauritian population while the exploratory manufacturer study should not be generalised to the whole food industry.Originality/value– These findings provide a factual basis for further investigations, review of current food legislation and development of education strategies for consumers, all aiming towards enhancing the effectiveness of the national food control system in Mauritius.

Strengthening national food control systems

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify global issues relevant to the strengthening of national food control systems with reference to the hospitality and food service sector. It is the second paper in a themed issue of Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes presenting international food safety management challenges and solutions.Design/methodology/approachLiterature review and semi‐structured interviews with food control officials and academics involved in the strengthening of national food control systems.FindingsThis paper finds that similar challenges are experienced by interviews in a range of countries. Food control management and information, education, communication and training are identified as key challenges for food control authorities. In addition, smaller and/or less developed businesses and particularly the hospitality sector, are highlighted as important.Practical implicationsThe paper will be of value to practitioners, researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders involved in the food industry.Originality/valueIn this paper, the experiences of individuals involved in the development and implementation of national food control policy are brought together for the first time.

Incorporating HACCP into national food control systems - Analyzing progress in the United Arab Emirates

Today governments and other parties involved in food control are under constant pressure to find more efficient and effective mechanisms to carry out their mandates for food control. This has led to international recognition of the importance of the HACCP system as a food control tool and guidance on the role of government agencies in the application of such a system has been developed. Based on this international guidance, four main elements identified as key activities have been used in this study to evaluate the progress of HACCP implementation in the UAE. The internal Strengths and Weaknesses, as well as the external Opportunities and Threats that the government is facing towards the implementation of a HACCP-based food control system have been identified. The analysis shows that the government’s dedicated role has been an essential driving force to encourage the implementation of a HACCP-based food control system. Some areas of difficulty, including the dependence on high levels of food imports, are highlighted.

Harmonisation of food consumption data format for dietary exposure assessments of chemicals analysed in raw agricultural commodities

In this paper, we present an approach to format national food consumption data at raw agricultural commodity (RAC) level. In this way, the data is both formatted in a harmonised way given the comparability of RACs between countries, and suitable to assess the dietary exposure to chemicals analysed in RACs at a European level. In this approach, consumption data needs to be converted to edible part of RAC (e-RAC) level using a RAC conversion database. To subsequently use this data in exposure assessments, both e-RACs and RACs analysed in chemical control programmes should be classified via a uniform system. Furthermore, chemical concentrations in RACs may need to be converted to e-RAC level using processing factors. To illustrate the use of this approach, we describe how the Dutch RAC conversion database was used to convert consumption data of four national consumption surveys to e-RAC level, and the use of the FAO/WHO Codex Classification system of Foods and Animal Feeds to harmonise the classification. We demonstrate that this approach works well for pesticides and glycoalkaloids, and is an essential step forward in the harmonisation of risk assessment procedures within Europe when addressing chemicals analysed in RACs by all national food control systems.

Assessment of the food control system in the State of Kuwait

National food control systems are a key element in the protection of consumers from unsafe foods and from other fraudulent practices. International guidance is available and provides a framework for enhancing national systems. However, it is recognized that before reaching decisions on the necessary improvements to a national system, an analysis is required of the current state of key elements in the present system. This paper provides such an analysis for the State of Kuwait. The fragmented nature of the food control system is described. Four key elements of the Kuwaiti system are analyzed: the legal framework, the administrative structures, the enforcement activity and the provision of education and training. It is noted that the country has a dependence on imported foods and that the present national food control system is largely based on an historic approach to food sampling at the point of import and is unsustainable. The paper recommends a more coordinated approach to food safety control in Kuwait with a significant increase in the use of risk analysis methods to target enforcement.

National food safety control systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does Uganda’s aquaculture control system meet international requirements

Stringent food safety requirements set by developed country markets, which require exporting countries to establish effective national food control systems (NFCS) that guarantee safety of the products to the market, pose a challenge to Sub-Saharan countries in development of aquaculture products as alternative exports following the decline of capture fisheries. In the study, four components of Uganda’s NFCS including legislation, competent authority, inspection services, and laboratory services were evaluated for compliance with FAO/WHO, European Union (EU), and the United States (US) market recommendations for guaranteeing aquaculture product safety. Using a checklist, component elements were benchmarked and scored, and components ranked for compliance with the recommendations. On a scale of 0–5, where 0 denotes none, 1 very low, 2 low, 3 some, 4 almost total, and 5 full compliance, only laboratory services had a barely acceptable score of 3.3 (some compliance). The rest including legislation which is central in setting the level of controls by the other three components scored below three, and the combined score for all components was only 2.2, indicating that Uganda’s NFCS was still short of the requirements to allow entrepreneurs to access markets in the EU and other developed countries. The low score is partly attributed to the dynamics of this country’s fledgling aquaculture industry and the rapidly evolving food safety requirements in the international markets.