vivian iwar

Strengthening Regulatory Capacity to Enforce Food

Safety RegulationsVivian Iwar

Graduate Student,Walden University

3rd August, 2012

vivian iwar

Introduction Objective of Training Food Safety & Foodborne Diseases Sanitary & Phyto-sanitary (SPS) Provisions Challenges of Compliance with SPS Provision Regional Dimensions of Interventions Expected Outcomes of Capacity Building

Efforts Further Action Conclusion

Outline of Presentation

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ECOWAS1 is an economic community of 15 Member States in West Africa covering an area of 5.2 million sqm

Population: about 300 000 million2

Culture of street food vending of a variety of fried, roasted, grilled, cooked and uncooked foods; and drinks is common all over the region

Regional SPS standards and regulations exist, but do not seem to be enforced

Limited institutional and technical capacities seem to hamper enforcement efforts3

This exposes individuals and communities to environmental health hazards of exposure of such foods and drinks

Introduction

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Sensitize technical stakeholders on the existence of regional SPS standards and regulations

Facilitate the effective enforcement of SPS standards and regulations

Improve food safety standards of street foods and drinks distributed in the ECOWAS region

Increase consumer confidence in products distributed by street vendors, and thus improve incomes and reduce poverty

Reduce food safety related health problems, and therefore health expenses

Objective of Training

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1.8 million deaths are reported globally due to food contamination4

While documented evidence of foodborne disease is limited, the high diarrheal incidence (1.5 million deaths in 2004)indicates a problem in developing countries4

Up to 30 percent of disease is attributed to foodborne disease in developed countries4

76 million cases, 325 000 hospitalization, and 5000 deaths from foodborne diseases have been reported in the USA annually4

Foodborne diseases may be sporadic, but massive outbreaks were reported in the USA (224 000 affected due to Salmonellosis), and China (300 000 due to Hepatitis A) 4

Food Safety & Foodborne Diseases

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Foodborne disease may also be due to toxins, unconventional substances (prions), persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and physical agents (strands of hair)

Social and economic costs of foodborne diseases have been estimated at US$35 million annually, in addition to lost productivity in the USA4

Ghana, an ECOWAS Member State has reported 420 000 patients presenting with foodborne infections in emergencies, 65 000 annual deaths (25% children), costing the nation UD$59 million in 20125

Cholera has been reported in several ECOWAS MS including Sierra Leone, Mali, Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria; as well as contamination of beef with anthrax in Ghana, and scamfroid fish poisoning in Senegal6

Food Safety Contd

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Chapter IV, Article 25 of the ECOWAS Treaty mandates food safety & security……, for citizens1.

Three SPS regulations (C/REG.21/11/10, C/REG.22/11/10, C/REG.23/11/10), and one guideline (C/DIR.1/11/10) on the Safety of Foods, Management of Veterinary Drugs, Functioning of a Regional Veterinary Committee, and Guidelines on Veterinary Pharmacy1 respectively

The establishment of National SPS/Food Safety Committees in ECOWAS Member countries1

Prioritization of evidence-based decision making on food safety issues (risk assessment and analysis)

ECOWAS SPS Provisions

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Inadequate technical capacity to develop and implement SPS activities

Inadequate knowledge of stakeholders on SPS/food safety issues

Low participation in international standards setting processes, and therefore lack of ownership

Inadequate funding of SPS/food safety activities Lack of institutional collaboration and cooperation on

SPS/food safety issues Absence of infrastructure for standards and quality testing

Challenges of Compliance

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The spot market nature of food supply chains results in limited coordination of such transactions hampering traceability

Absence of strong institutions, weak public health systems, conflicting public health objectives and trade facilitation, lack of communication, and lack of surveillance and monitoring

Challenges Ctnd

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Cost savings on shared infrastructure Funds mobilization for institutional strengthening and

technical capacity building support Sensitization and dissemination of information to

decision makers and citizens on food safety issues Trade facilitation and regional legal frameworks on food

safety enabling further integration, a pillar of economic communities

Increased regional coordination and collaboration among Member States on environmental and food safety policies and strategies

Monitoring of implementation and adjudication where needed

Need for Regional Interventions

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Strengthen capacities to effectively enforce food safety/SPS provisions

Strengthen technical capacity in identifying hazards, and assessing/analyzing risks through surveillance efforts

Improve record keeping of food safety and foodborne incidences

Improve communication with stakeholders (food vendors, consumers, decision makers, others)

Encourage inter-agency cooperation and collaboration

Expected Outcomes

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Further regional training and sensitization activities Development of regional data base on food safety

and SPS Sensitization workshop for decision makers, and

other relevant stakeholders The establishment and strengthening of structures

for coordinating food safety/foodborne issues such as National Standard and Phyto-sanitary Committees

Training-of-trainer workshops to develop regional capacities

Future Actions

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Establishment of the regional technical advisory committees as provided for in the food safety/SPS regulations

Mobilization of funding for strengthening food safety infrastructure

Focus on farm-to-table approach in prevention of threats in the supply chain

Development and implementation of HACCP system for street foods, and educate vendors on this

Use of performance-based standards rather than command-control policies6

Future Actions

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Actions taken Sensitization workshop Creation/Strengthening of NSPSC Training-of-trainer Workshop

Future Actions • Further training and sensitization• Development of regional Surveillance strategy• Sensitization workshop for decision-makers• Strengthening of NSPSC

Future Development

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SPS measures, risk assessment and analysis are critical for food safety and security, and for trade facilitation

These outcomes are important for health and poverty reduction, and therefore worth pursuing

This requires vigilance and the meticulous application of skills, which must be developed through continuous capacity building

Conclusion

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Economic Community of West African States (2010). Harmonized Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Regulations. Sixty-fifth Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers-Final Report, ECW/CM LXIV/19. www.ecowas.int

Magalhaes, J. (2010). Regional SPS Frameworks and Strategies in Africa. Report for Standards

and Trade Development Facilities. www.standardsfacility.org/files/publications

Todd, E. C. D., & Narrod, C. (2006). Understanding the Links between Agriculture and Health: Agriculture, Food Safety & Foodborne Diseases. 2020 Vision for Food, Agric & Environment www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/pub/2020/focus/focus13

Yeboah, L. (2010). Foodborne Diseases on the Increase (Graphic Business). www.lucyadoma.blog-spot.com/2010

World Health Organization (2012). Food Safety and Foodborne Diseases. www.who.int/foodsafety/foodborne_disease/en retrieved 19/7/12

References

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Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for your kind attention

Courtesy