CURRENT ACTIVITIES FOR

IMPLEMENTING CODEX STANDARD

IN CAMBODIA

Inception Workshop on Principle and Further

Activities for Codex Implementation.

Bangkok, Thailand, 17-19 Sept 2012

- Mr. Dim Theng -National Focal Point for GCP/RAS/280/JPN, MOC

- Dr. Chhoun Chamnan-Director of DFPTQ, MAFF

(Cambodian participants )

Topic for Discussion

1. National Food Control Systems Structure

2. Level of Codex Implementation

3. Process of Standard Setting Activities

4. System Data Collection

5. Capacity Building Needs

1-National Food Control System Structure

Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fishery(MAFF) :

Primary Production and Processing,

• Import licensing and registration

• Inspection and Verification of Compliance

• Export certification for meat /fish and plant products

• OIE and IPPC Contact Points

• Setting up policy and regulatory systems for

implementation.

1.1- Food Safety Agencies: Multiple Agencies System from

farm to table approach, which includes:

Ministry Industry Mine and Energy (MIME): Secondary

Processing

Factory registration and Certification of Food

Standard and Conformity Assessment Body (ISC)

Inspection and Verification of Compliance

TBT Contact Point

Setting up Policy and regulatory system for

implementation

1.1-Food Safety Agencies (cont.)

1.1-Food Safety Agencies (cont.)

Ministry of Commerce (MOC): Import and Export Inspection and Post Market Surveillance.

Policy and Regulatory systems for Consumer Protection (Fraudulence and Safety)

Inspection activities at the borders on behalf of the other policy agencies ( technical arms for the Customs) and on the markets.

National Codex Secretariat / NCCP

SPS Enquiry Point

WTO Notification Authority

1.1-Food Safety Agencies (cont.)

Ministry of Health (MOH): Food Safety at Consumer level

Policy and Regulatory Systems for Health and Hygiene

Standards for Restaurants and Catering service.

Food borne disease surveillance

Street Food

Restaurant Grading and Certification

INFOSAN / WHO Contact Point

Ministry of Tourism (MOT) Policy for food business at tourist sectors.

Hotel / Restaurant Licensing and Registration

Ministry of Economic and Finance (MOEF) - Customs

and Excise:

The only lead agency for Import and Export

Inspection.

Cooperate with other agencies to conduct joint

inspection for import food.

Take measure and implementing existing policies

and regulations based on risk management

approach ( ASYCUDA )

1.1-Food Safety Agencies (cont.)

1.2- Food Safety Law

Present Status:

No Specific Food Safety Law.

An Umbrella Law: The Law on the Management of Quality and Safety of Products and Services.

Covers the management of all regulated products including food but except pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

Sets up legal aspects in relation to the enforcement of the Quality and Safety of Products and Commercial Frauds.

Gives power to regulatory agencies to set up technical regulations for food

Challenges:

• The law allows government agencies to adopt international standards as food technical regulations. However, the adoption of international standards is still facing with unreasonable disagreement among other agencies ( standard body)

1.3- Area in which standards developed

Government Policy:

.

Adopting the Codex Norms as Technical Regulations for Food

wherever relevant to Cambodia situation ( import and domestic).

The norms are including

• General Standards

• Commodities Standards

• Guidelines/ Recommended Code of Practices

3 Levels of adoption:

Integral adoption as Technical Regulation

Some parts taken to be technical requirements for food

Some other of RCP/ Guidelines as reference in the

regulation being endorsed as approved practices.

Existing Regulations related to Food Safety

No Description Area Numbers

1 Plant Inspection Plant Health 01

2 Animal and meats Inspection Animal Health 03

3 General Requirements for food

hygiene

Food Hygiene 01

4 Requirements of Specific Food

Commodities as (mandatory standard)

Food 06

5 Food Labeling Requirements Labeling 02

6 Chemical Substances Prohibited in

Food

Food Safety 01

7 MRLs for Pesticide in Fresh Fruits and

Vegetables (ASEAN)

Food Safety 01

2- LEVEL of CODEX IMPLEMENTATION

• National Codex Committee (NCC):

Established by Sub-decree in 2000.

Composition of NCC: 08 authorities including MOC, MIME,

MAFF, MOH, Council of Ministries, MOE, MOI, MOEF

Chair: Minister of Commerce and Minister of MIME as vice chair

Secretariat: CAMCONTROL Directorate General, MOC

4 TWGs which have the tasks as mirror committees for a certain

number of Codex Committees.

• Codex Manual:

No Country Manual have been developed or translated. .

Codex procedural manuals are available in English and French

version for all NCC members.

2- LEVEL of CODEX IMPLEMENTATION

• National Codex Website

Hosted by Camcontrol website: www.camcontrol.gov.kh

Linked to FAO/WHO Codex website.

• Participation of NCC:

At International level : Codex Committee meeting (5 committee

yearly, supported by Codex Trust fund)

At National Level: in 4 monthly based

2- LEVEL OF CODEX IMPLEMENTATION (cont.)

• Challenges:

Only participating in physical meeting of only 02-05 Codex

Committees deemed as prioritized interests for Cambodia and

with support from Codex Trust Fund.

Not being able to participating by sending comments on national

position to the work of Codex Committee at different steps of the

process.

Adoption of Codex Norms as national regulation is still in process

due to unreasonable disagreement on the methodology for

adoption.

•

LEVEL OF CODEX IMPLEMENTATION (cont.)

• Coordination in Codex Activities:

Coordination facilitated by CAMCONTROL as national Codex

Secretariat ,

Significance of the participation in Codex activities are balanced

among 04 main ministries i.e. MOC, MIME, MAFF and MOH

through assignment as chair of each working group to the

representative from each of those main ministry.

Private sector stakeholders seem lacking of experts.

• Laboratory Networking

• Need to be established and acquainted with technical matters

to deal with in the Networking .

2- LEVEL OF CODEX IMPLEMENTATION (cont.)

• Participation of NCC:

At International level : Codex Committee meeting (5 committee

yearly, supported by Codex Trust fund)

At National Level: meeting in 3 monthly based.

• Website:

No national codex website have been established.

Linked with Camcontrol website: www.camcontrol.gov.kh

• Codex Standards adopted at National Level:

Only a few standards have been adopted (05 commodities)

NCC has proposed a number of Codex Standards to be adopted

at Sub-decree level.

3-PROCESS OF STANDARD SETTING

• Lacking of appropriate technical capacity for carrying full

scheme of risk analysis.

• Prioritizing of hazards in risk management only at the

starting stage.

• Rare input from private sector stakeholders.

• Constituency: National technical regulations setting

based on adoption of Codex Norms selected ( by

exception approach) wherever mostly related to

Cambodia.

• CAMBODIA PRIORITY RISK MANAGER FOOD SAFETY ISSUES:

Pesticides: primary foods of interest are fruits, vegetables and

cereals. Concerns exist on use and misuse issues, focus on

organochlorine , organophosphates and carbamates.

Food Additives: misuse of preservatives in raw and processed

products, artificial sweeteners and coloring agents in drinks and

meat products.

Veterinary drugs :concerns with growth promoting agents, such

as Chloramphenicol in shrimp , Ractopamine in pig meat, Beta

agonist in pork.

Mycotoxins: Good agricultural practice needs. With aflatoxins

B1, concern with hepatitis.

Chloropropanols: Need guidance to assist producers in

production of low level chloropropanols in soya sauce.

• CAMBODIA PRIORITY RISK MANAGER FOOD SAFETY ISSUES:

Heavy Metals: Mercury in Sea Food and Arsenic in deep well

water.

Micronutrients: Primary concern is iron, vitamin A and iodine.

Pathogenic Bacteria: Primary concern with ready to eat food

Salmonella spp. (In sea food , raw vegetables, poultry, eggs.)

Vibrio spp. (bivalve, molluscs, shrimp)

E.coli (raw vegetables )

4. System for Data Collection

• No System for data collection

• Lack of scientific data

• Lack of coordination to achieve optimal results and

weakness in the implementation of law enforcement.

• Lack of capacity for data analysis

Food Safety Challenge

• Legislation:

Inadequate legislative system such as procedures for

inspection, certification; and approval standards.

• Human Resource :

Lack of knowledge to apply modern scientific risk based

approach

Lack of scientific skill .

•

5. Capacity Building Needs for effective

implementation of Codex standard

• Establishment of National Lab networking ( technical & practical

operation) including mechanism for streamlining the testing service

provided by existing laboratories.

• Understanding of and ability to apply Risk assessment for import

food control

• Data Sampling technology

• Applying risk analysis in real case.

• Establish the country codex manual and participation in Codex

work.

• Lab Training for the application of pesticide residues in fresh fruits

and vegetables.

• Training for food-borne surveillance system,