2

Jacques CAZOR

General Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control

Noix du

Périgord Noix de

Grenoble

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EU food safety and hygien regulations

and wallnuts

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Food Law ( Regulation 178/2002 Field of application)

• Foodstuffs and animal feeds

• All stages of production, processing and distribution of foodstuffs

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Food Law ( Regulation 178/2002 Field of application)

• Food imported into the Community is to comply with the general requirements laid down in Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 or satisfy rules that are equivalent to Community rules.

• These Regulation defines certain specific hygiene requirements for food imported into the Community (e.g: level of aflatoxins in certain nuts or dried fruits from certain countries)

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178/2002 General Principles

• transparency• justification (risk analysis)• safety• precaution

principles of

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178/2002

Setting up of

•EFSA: European Food Safety Authority

•The EU’s Rapid Alert System

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178/2002 general recommendations

• Security• Conformity (import, export)• Responsibility of professionals • Responsibility of the relevant

authorities• Checks• Traceability• Withdrawal from market• Information from inspection

services

Regulation 852/2004 food hygiene

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• All necessary steps to guarantee the safety and hygiene of foodstuffs

• The necessary measures and conditions to control risks and guarantee that a foodstuff is fit for human consumption if used in the prescribed manner

Food HygieneFood Hygiene

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852/2004 Field of application

•The entire food-processing chain, including primary production and related activities

•All risks

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852/2004 Field of Application

•Primary production

•Processing, packaging

•Storage

•Wholesale stage

•Transport

•All forms of distribution

•Catering, including collective social services catering

•Imports

•Exports

All the managers of agri-food All the managers of agri-food businesses, at every stage:businesses, at every stage:

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Biological hazards

Bactéries (E. Coli…), virus

Chemical hazards

TOXIC NATURALhistamine,

mycotoxins RESIDUES pesticides Environnemental (polluant or toxics factory fumes, water…)

Physical hazards

FOREIGN BODIES:

Glass, metal, needles, fragments of bone

ALLERGENS

All hazards: pathogens of a biological, chemical or physical nature likely to present a problem for public health

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852/2004 Principles

•Professionals have front-line responsibility for food safety

•Food safety must be guaranteed at every stage, from primary production onwards

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852/2004 Strong Points

• Compliance with Good Hygiene Practices

• Compliance with the cold chain• HACCP (except primary production and

related activities)• Guide to Good Hygiene Practices

(including primary production) and application of HACCP

• Staff training• Declaration and registration of

establishments

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• Collates recommendations specific to a given family of food products, OR if possible at a stage that allows regulatory health objectives to be met

• Referring to relevant codes of practice of Codex alimentarius

• Is based on a HACCP-type approach

• Is validated from a scientific and technical point of view

GUIDES TO GOOD PRACTICES

CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE PREVENTION AND REDUCTION OF AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION IN TREE NUTS

Walnuts – as others tree nuts as hazel nuts, pistachio nuts, almonds… – are at risk of contamination by aflatoxins,

which are considered to be genotoxic carcinogens;

In order to protect public health, to keep these contaminants at levels which are toxicologically

acceptable

maximum levels of contamination have been set in several countries for different foodstuffs: tree nuts, groundnuts,

dried fruits (figs…), cereals…

CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE PREVENTION AND REDUCTION OF AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION IN TREE NUTS

e.g European Union Commission has set at a strict level* in 2006 (rglt 1881 modified 2010) for certains tree nuts

wallnuts: 2,0 µg/kg for aflatoxin B1

4,0 µg/kg for sum of B1, B2, G1 and G2

Walnuts shall not be placed on the market when they contain aflatoxin at a level exceeding this maximum

level.

*In the edible part of the fruit.

CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE PREVENTION AND REDUCTION OF AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION IN TREE NUTS

E.U. commission considers that is reasonably achievable by following good agricultural, and manufacturing

practices.

The CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE PREVENTION AND REDUCTION OF AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION IN

TREE NUTS

elaborated in 2005 by Codex alimentarius provided uniform guidance for all countries to attempt to control and manage contamination by various

mycotoxins, specifically aflatoxins.

CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE PREVENTION AND REDUCTION OF AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION IN TREE NUTS

This Code of Practice applies to all varieties of tree nuts of commercial and international

concern, including walnuts (Juglans spp.).

CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE PREVENTION AND REDUCTION OF AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION IN TREE NUTS

Only by effective control at all stages from the farm through to processing can excellent quality of the final product be assured.

However, the complete elimination of mycotoxin contaminated commodities, including tree nuts,

is not achievable at this time.

What are the mycotoxins?

Mycotoxins, and particularly aflatoxins, are secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungus (Aspergillus

flavus/parasiticus)

found in soil, air and all plant parts On groundnuts

growing in warm, humid conditions.

Ecology of Aspergillus flavus/parasiticus

Fungi in the Aspergillus species are rapidly growing hyaline molds that are common opportunists found in the soil and

on decaying matter;

cannot grow or produce aflatoxins at water activities less than 0.7; relative humidity below 70% and temperatures

below 10ºC.

Under stress conditions such as drought or insect infestation, aflatoxin contamination may increase;

Improper storage conditions can also lead to aflatoxin contamination after crops have been harvested.

Why are they dangerous for health?

There are a number of different types of aflatoxin,

Which can be toxic to human and animals through consumption of contaminated food and feed entering into

food chain.

Particularly aflatoxin B1 have been showed toxigenic effects: it can cause cancer by reacting with genetic

material.

HOW TO REDUCE THEM?

Procedures used to reduce and prevent aflatoxin production include:

- (1) selection of resistant varieties, if practicable, - (2) minimize the presence of insects and other pests in

the orchard during the growing phase, - (3) minimize physical damage to nuts during harvesting

and transportation, - and (4) ensure that nuts are properly cleaned, dried and

labelled when placed in a storage facility equipped with temperature and moisture controls.

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Thank you for your attention