Codex Principles for Traceability/ Product Tracing as a Tool within a Food Inspection

and Certification System at

Mr. Atsuhiro MENO FAO Regional Office for the Asia & the Pacific

E-mail: Atsuhiro.Meno@fao.org

FAO Training Workshop on Food Recall and Traceability -Application in National Food Safety

Control (15 -17 February 2013,Chiang Mai, Thailand)

SCOPE of Codex Principle

To assist competent authorities in utilising traceability/product tracing as a tool within their food inspection and certification system

To contribute to the protection of consumers against food-borne hazards and deceptive marketing practices and the facilitation of trade on the basis of accurate product description

TRACEABILITY:DEFINITIONS

The ability to follow the movement of a food through specified stage(s) of production, processing and distribution

(Codex Definition adopted in 2004)

“Ability to follow the movement” in this definition

refers to tracing both directions; trace forward

and trace back.

“Movement“ can relate to the origin of the

materials, processing history, or distribution

Background and History • Traceability/product tracing were explicitly or implicitly

recognized in a number of adopted Codex texts, despite the fact that there was no official Codex definition.

• In most cases it was linked to product identification and recall

procedures, such as in: General Standard for the Labelling of Pre-packaged Foods(CODEX STAN 1-1985) and in the Code of Practice -General Principles of Food Hygiene(CAC/RCP 1 –1969)

• The FAO’s Melbourne Conference on International Food Trade

Beyond 2000 agreed that traceability was an important control factor in the production of foods.

• Developed by the 20thSession of the CCGP (2004) and adopted by the 27thSession of the Commission

Purpose of traceability Protecting the health of consumers: A tool of risk management

•Help to identify, trace and effectively and rapidly remove unsafe foods at any stage of the food production and distribution chain.

•Facilitate identification of the source of the food safety problem.

Ensuring fair practices in the food trade :

•Help to protect consumers against deceptive practices and fraud in the market place

(Labeling of country of origin, geographic indication)

•Specific quality or product differentiation

( organic, irradiation, GMO)

Advantages/Constraints of product tracing

Advantages

i) helps to stop distribution/recall of incriminating products effectively and efficiently

ii) pinpointing/identifying particular batch/lot will minimize damage (avoid unnecessary recall)

iii) Helps to find out the cause of the problem so that future preventive control measures can be adopted

iv) Contribution to higher business efficiency and consumer's confidence

Constraints

i) Increased cost of implementation, education, training

ii) Maintaining adequate records and internal traceability

PRINCIPLES Context

•An importing country should consider that a food inspection and certification system without a traceability/product tracing tool may meet the same objective and produce the same outcomes as a food inspection and certification system with traceability/product tracing.

•It should not be mandatory for an exporting country to replicate (i.e. establish the same) the traceability/product tracing tool as used by the importing country, when applicable.

PRINCIPLES Rationale

•A tool that when applied in a food safety context does not in itself improve food safety outcomes unless it is combined with appropriate measures and requirements.

•Should be justified within the context of the food inspection and certification system and the purpose, objectives and specifications of the traceability/product tracing tool clearly described. The scope and extent of application of the tool should also be consistent with the described need.

PRINCIPLES Design

• May apply to all or specified stages of the food chain (from production to distribution), as appropriate to the objectives of the food inspection and certification system.

• To identify at any specified stage of the food chain (from production to distribution) from where the food came (one step back) and to where the food went (one step forward)

•Should be transparent and made available to competent authorities of the exporting country upon request (objectives, scope and related procedures)

PRINCIPLES Application

Should take into account the capabilities of developing countries

If in the context of a traceability/product tracing tool an importing country has objectives or outcomes of their food inspection and certification system which cannot be met by an exporting country, the importing country should consider the provision of assistance to the exporting country, and especially in the case of a developing country.

PRINCIPLES

Application

Should not be more trade restrictive than necessary

Should be practical, technically feasible and economically viable within a food inspection and certification system.

Traceability law in some countries Japan

Cattle Traceability Law; (Law No.72, 2003) The Law for Special measures Concerning the Management and Relay of Information for Individual Identification of Cattle“

To prevent the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopath (BSE), promote the provision of information for interests of consumers

Rice Traceability Law; (Law No.26, 2009) The Law for Keeping Transaction Record and Relaying Place of Origin Information of Rice and Rice Products

To prevent distribution of rice and rice products that do not meet the safety standard

Traceability law in some countries EU

Regulation (EC) 178/2002 on General Food Law

All food and feed businesses will be required to:

Identify the suppliers of food, feed, food-producing animals and ingredients to their businesses.

Identify the businesses to which products have been supplied.

Maintain appropriate records and ensure that such information is made available to competent authorities on demand.

U.S.A.

Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) (January 2011)

Product Tracing Pilots

Recordkeeping Requirements for High Risk Foods

Thank you

Any questions?