Maya Pineiro, Ph.D.Officer in Charge AGNSp

Summary of Activities prepared April 2006

Why fruits and vegetables?Why fruits and vegetables?

• a main part of a healthy diet,healthy diet,valuable source of vitamins, minerals and fibre, essential for nutrition, and helps to prevent against disease

• frequently eaten raw or lightly cookedraw or lightly cooked, pathogens that are generally not removed by washing are often not killed before eating, increasing the food safety risks

Why fruits and vegetables? Why fruits and vegetables?

• a driving force for poverty reduction and food poverty reduction and food securitysecurity. Millions of people around the world depend on the production, processing and marketing of fresh produce for their livelihoods, income and food security

• expanding production of FFV offers opportunities to create

employment, raise households’ incomeshouseholds’ incomes and

generate foreign exchange earningsforeign exchange earnings through exports

Developing countries have increased their participation in this trade by as much as US$4.5 billion from 1992 to 2001

(FAO, 2003)

Why fruits and vegetables? Why fruits and vegetables?

• globalization and increasing trade is exacerbating the risks and challenges faced

rejection of consignments of FFV have been reported mainly due to the use of non-permitted pesticides or the excessive use of permitted ones and/or contaminantscontaminants, mandatory labeling omitted, misleading or failing to bear the required nutrition information, filth contamination and post-harvest deterioration due to both physiological and pathological factors.

Need to reduce risks associated with Need to reduce risks associated with product quality decay and contamination product quality decay and contamination through out the fresh fruit and vegetables through out the fresh fruit and vegetables

chainchain

Several workshops carried out in Latin America Several workshops carried out in Latin America and other regions highlighted:and other regions highlighted:

• the need for more integrated practical approaches to addressing food safety and quality issues along the entire post-harvest handling chain • strong emphasis needs to be given to the application of Good Agricultural Practices and Good Good Manufacturing PracticesManufacturing Practices at primary production stages of fruits and vegetables

BIOLOGICABIOLOGICALL

CHEMICALCHEMICALPHYSICALPHYSICAL

Safety & Quality Safety & Quality programmesprogrammesimplementation, at the implementation, at the primary level, relies on the primary level, relies on the identificationidentification of of

hazardshazards, and definition , and definition of the measures/practices of the measures/practices appropriate for their appropriate for their

preventionprevention andand

controlcontrol, , while benefiting while benefiting thethe environmentenvironment and and worker’s healthworker’s health

Practices to prevent food quality and safety hazardshazards,

while benefiting the environmentenvironment and worker’s healthworker’s health

Environment Environment

Agricultural inputs

Cropping Practices

Facilities associated with

crop

Equipment, tools, utensils

Harvest & Transportation

Transporting

Equipment, machinery,

utensils.

productproduct

Product handling

Package and packaging

Storage

Establishment

On-Farm activitiesOn-Farm activities

Identify associated hazards throughout the commodity chain

National National supportsupport to strengthen the institutional capacity to strengthen the institutional capacity for food S & Q program implementation, throughout the for food S & Q program implementation, throughout the food chain, on:food chain, on:

• Policy advice, principles (GAP/HACCP, risk analysis)Policy advice, principles (GAP/HACCP, risk analysis)• Strengthening food control systems• LLaboratory infrastructure, lab analysis, etc.• Review and updating of food legislation• Harmonization of food regulations and standards with Codex and other international regulatory instruments• Training (workshops, seminars)• Tools (development and dissemination of manuals, •guidelines, training materials, etc.)

Project PFL/INT/857

""Global Inventory, Reference Materials Global Inventory, Reference Materials and Food Safety Training Programme and Food Safety Training Programme

for Improving the Quality and Safety of for Improving the Quality and Safety of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables”Fresh Fruits and Vegetables”

ACTION PROGRAMME FOR THE PREVENTION OF FOOD LOSSES (PFL)

increase global free trade and economic opportunities for the fresh fruit and vegetables sector. Capacity buildingapacity building and information information exchangeexchange for improving quality assurance

and safety of fresh fruits and vegetables will contribute to achieving this

• Quality and safety as anQuality and safety as an Integrated ConceptIntegrated Concept

• Quality & safety assurance applying aQuality & safety assurance applying a ““HACCP based approachHACCP based approach””

• Environmental and worker’s healthEnvironmental and worker’s health considerations in production considerations in production practices implemented to ensure quality and safe productspractices implemented to ensure quality and safe products

• Multi-stakeholderMulti-stakeholder andand inter-institutionalinter-institutional involvementinvolvement

• FollowingFollowing CodexCodex -guidelines, code of practices, etc.-guidelines, code of practices, etc.

• Food chainFood chain approach to Q & Sapproach to Q & S

OBJECTIVEOBJECTIVE

The workshop’s main objective is to strengthen, the public and private

institutional capacity of member’s countries, to implement fresh fruit and vegetables

quality and safety programmes, throughout the application of principles and practices of

GAP, GMP and HACCP

Ecuador

Guatemala

Guyana

Saint Kitts & Nevis

Surinam

Antigua & BarbudaDominica

Santa LuciaBarbados

Saint Vicente & The GrenadinesGrenada

Trinidad & Tobago

HaitiBahamas

JamaicaEl Salvador

NicaraguaCosta Rica

Panama

Honduras

Mexico

Dominic Rep

Cuba

Colombia

Venezuela

Peru

Bolivia

Brazil

Chile

Paraguay

Uruguay

Argentina

Belize

Sub-Regional Workshops

• Southern Cone Southern Cone CountriesCountries• Central Central American & the American & the Caribbean Spanish Caribbean Spanish speaking countriesspeaking countries• Andean Andean Countries Countries •Caribbean English Speaking Countries•Asian Countries

PFL/857 “PFL/857 “Train the trainersTrain the trainers”” using the training tools preparedusing the training tools prepared

• Promoting the Promoting the integration and coordination amongintegration and coordination among institutions and institutions and between the public and private sector. Key aspect to success! between the public and private sector. Key aspect to success!

Participants to Sub-regional Workshops

Ministeries and Secretaries of

Agriculture50%

Ministries of Health and Trade

3%

Research Centers12%

National institutions dealing with safety

issues11%

Producer Associations and Individual Farmers

10%

Marketing Boards 2%

Public & Private Training

Institutions 8%

Setting standards/regulatory

framework, other services

2% Universities2%

Manual on Improving the Quality and Safety of Manual on Improving the Quality and Safety of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: a Practical Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: a Practical Approach (3 languages, hardcopy and CD-Approach (3 languages, hardcopy and CD-Rom)- validated through sub-regional Rom)- validated through sub-regional workshopsworkshops

• Power point presentations for lecturers- (CD-Power point presentations for lecturers- (CD-Rom)Rom)• Photo Gallery (from course field visits)- (CD-Photo Gallery (from course field visits)- (CD-Rom)Rom)• Reference documentsReference documents• Recommended readingsRecommended readings• ActivitiesActivities• HandoutsHandouts• Complete documents (Fully displayed)Complete documents (Fully displayed)• Internet linksInternet links

The manual technical content is divided in The manual technical content is divided in fivefive sections: sections:

• Strategies to be implemented, in order to overcome some of the difficulties for successful implementation of FFV quality and safety initiatives at the national level.

• Plan for the national training courses (# of courses, beneficiaries, length, training materials to be produced, etc.)

to train professionals from governmental agencies, universities, industry, research institutions and local NGOs, on the principles and practices of GAP,GMP, HACCP approach of the fresh fruits and vegetables chain.

Outcomes:

• several quality and safety ProgrammesProgrammes implemented (entrepreneurial, local, national, governmental level).

• introduction of these issues in university courses.

to aid policy makers, planners and project leaders working to improve the safe production, harvesting, handling, storage, transport and marketing of raw fruits and vegetables in:

• identifying optionsoptions for technology, policy and institutional development;• obtaining access to reference informationreference information; • accessing toolsaccessing tools for training, extension, and awareness creation

http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/fv/ffvqs?m=catalogue&i=FFVQS&p=navhttp://www.fao.org/ag/agn/fv/ffvqs?m=catalogue&i=FFVQS&p=nav

      In preparation: 4 case studies of specific FFV value chains analysing the incentivesincentives and disincentivesdisincentives that influence the adoption of safety assurance techniques by farmers and other supply chain actors

As useful examples to inform and enhance policies to expand the use of quality and safety assurance schemes  

• expanding the programme: Sub-regional workshops ( Asia, Africa, Near East regions) and activities to develop and implement national fresh fruit and vegetable Action Plans.

• technical cooperation projects (TCP) in a number of countries including Thailand, Benin, Thailand, Benin, Senegal and China.Senegal and China.  

capacity building activities and technical assistance projects implemented at the global, regional and national level Some examples:

Good practices in prevention of biological, chemical and physical hazards

GAPs in pesticide use (prevention of chemical hazards)

• China TCP - Strengthening testing capability for food safety/FFV•IRAN TCP- Pest. & drug and chemical residues in foodstuffs

GAPs in prevention and control of biological contamination

• Global-Improvement of coffee quality through prevention of mould formation (Ochratoxin A) (7 countries+3 TCPs+4)- IRAN TCP- Analysis and Management of mycotoxins in foodstuffs (5)- Thailand,Benin,Senegal TCPs- Quality and Safety in FFV (3)- HACCP TCPs GAP based

Many Thanks

For More Information Visit Our Web Site:

http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/food/food_fruits_en.stm

http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/sitemap_en.stm#

food-quality@fao.org