Agenda Item 4.5 Conference Room Document 2
English only

FAO/WHO Second Global Forum for food safety regulators

Bangkok, Thailand, 12-14 October 2004

Strengthening Official Food Safety Control Services: Risk Management Approach
- Imported Food Control - A Success Story

(Paper prepared by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan)

1. Introduction

Following Jordan’s accession to the WTO in April 2000, fundamental restructuring was undertaken in food safety domain, namely issuing the first Food Act and adopting risk management approach within Jordan’s strategic framework; Recognizing that the domestic food market very much depends on imports, a risk management approach was primarily to be implemented on food imports, arriving via the port of Aqaba where over 75% of imports are admitted to Jordan. The traditional imported food control system imposed a 100% sample collection and laboratory analysis on all food imports to Jordan regardless their health hazard, with no systematic product traceability nor recorded history on importers performance. The system was completely in a manual form, time consuming and without measurable tools to administer the official staff performance and trader’s complaints and violations track. Minimal information was collected on handwritten sheets without any structured template forms to be filled out or electronically stored data for further statistical analysis for risk managers and policy makers.

2. Risk Based system Concept

Monitoring of imported food for compliance with national/international safety and quality standards and other requirements is based upon a risk management approach of control. The system places emphasis on those products determined to be high-risk food products in terms of human health based upon known and potential food hazards associated with these foods. Monitoring of lower risk or no risk food products will be maintained at a surveillance level to assure consistent compliance by importers, shippers and exporting enterprises. Such Risk Based System allows for some refinements and improved effectiveness to the food control process. It calls for an assessment of the risks associated with the known or potential hazards of food. This process takes into consideration before the control measures are applied, the nature of the hazards, and the impact on the consumer in terms of severity, which results in a clear idea of what should be examined for which types of hazards based on a priority system associated with the severity of the risk to the consumers. It allows for the allocation of resources to be clearly devoted to the most important areas of consumer protection. It enhances the effectiveness of the control measures by having a predetermined automated plan of what consignment entries will be sampled and what they will be tested for, while not spending scarce resources on entries which have little to no impact on the health of the consumer.

Recognizing Jordan’s limited financial resources to undertake a full lengthy risk assessment, instead, a thorough benchmarking study was carried out referencing to various international organization researches and government risk assessments. The literature was studied by a national specialized team, designed and structured with some refinements based on practical experience, climatic and further cautious criteria to acquire public acceptance.

Criteria based on the public health risk associated with various foods or other compliance or procedural factors were utilized to select food entries for appropriate monitoring, where food products have been categorized into three groups; High, Medium and Low–risk groups. Control is exercised electronically through the computerized Selectivity Module of the Automated System for Custom Data (ASYCUDA) which was massaged into a closed cycle to adapt food categories and their selectivity criteria. Food entries entered into the ASYCUDA system are identified by their Harmonized system-HS code for clear and accurate management by food control officials and importers throughout the clearance procedures.

For archiving and tracking purposes, a Food Import Management Information System (FIMIS) was engineered, programmed and deployed successfully on September 2002 as an information electronic archiving database to assist food officials in identifying risk areas and analyzing raw data utilizing Online Analyses Processing (OLAP) into a meaningful policy decisions, regarding the safety of imported food products.

The system will provide information useful in communicating and coordinating Jordanian activities with international efforts to improve the overall safety and quality of food trade, particularly in the region.

2.1 Food Categories Classification

Foods categories include those of high level of public health risk, those that represent a moderate level of risk and those that represent a low level of risk. High-risk foods will be monitored (sampling and analysis) at the highest level of surveillance, while moderate risk products will be monitored at a lower level of surveillance. Low risk products will be monitored at the lowest level of surveillance.

Food items have been classified for Health & Safety Control purposes in three categories based on the possible health risk associated with each food category. As demonstrated below; the first food category includes foodstuff items with the highest risk and exposure to contamination and the third food category includes foodstuff items with the lowest risk and exposure to contamination.

A) High risk food products:

  1. Frozen novelties; Dairy and Milk and milk by-products; Fluid and Dried
  2. Cheeses from pasteurized milk and Cheeses from un-pasteurized milk
  3. Frozen Dairy products; Ice-cream and Processed Eggs; Liquid, Frozen and Dried
  4. Products containing eggs; Mayonnaise
  5. Bakery; Frozen and Ready to serve (i.e. Bakery & Cakes containing milk & eggs)
  6. Yellow Cheeses; Cooked
  7. Meat (incl. Poultry) products; Cooked, Dried, Smoked, Salted, Cured and Fermented.
  8. Infant cereals, cereal-substitutes & Baby formula
  9. Special food products; Dietary purposes
  10. Nuts and nut products, Coconut; Flaked and Dried
  11. Sesame, Sesame paste (Tahineh) and Peanut butter
  12. Raw Vegetables; Pre-cut, Packaged
  13. Raw, fresh Vegetables and mushrooms (e.g. tomato, eggplant; Preserved in oil.
  14. Low acid foods; Retorted (e.g. Mortadella)
  15. Acidified Low acid foods; Aseptic processing, modified atmosphere packaging
  16. Low acid foods; preserved and semi-preserved (e.g. Exotic foods)
  17. Marine products; Pickled, Spiced and Marinated (salted)
  18. Ground raw Meat products (e.g. Sausages and hamburgers)
  19. Marine products; Salted, Dried, Smoked, Cured & Fresh chilled, Frozen & Cooked
  20. Meat (including Poultry) products; Raw fresh chilled & Frozen – including offal

B) Medium risk food products:

  1. Chocolate; primary manufacture (from cocoa beans)
  2. Bakery products; Ready to serve (i.e. not containing milk & eggs as dried crumbs)
  3. Mineral, spring water; Bottled and Malt beverages
  4. Chocolate (including all types) and Cocoa and cocoa derivatives
  5. Milk and milk by-products; Liquid Condensed and Evaporated
  6. Jams and Sugar Confectionary (i.e. Candies, Ha’loum and Halawa)
  7. Food Supplements and Frozen novelties (non-dairy)
  8. Coffee whiteners, whips and creams
  9. Fruits fresh; Processed or Dried
  10. Vegetables; Fresh, Dehydrated and Dried
  11. Spices and Soups; Dried and Yeast and bacterial cultures
  12. Mixes and bases; Dried (e.g. Cake mixes, Jelly, Custard and Caramel)
  13. Eggs in shell (table serve) and Butter
  14. Fillings and Toppings and Gelatine desserts and puddings; Dried
  15. Flour and Starch, Chips and Breakfast cereals (e.g. Corn flakes)
  16. High Acid foods; Retorted or hot filled or Aseptic processing (e.g. Ketchup & Mustard)
  17. Biscuits, Wafers and Cakes and Chewing gum (all types)
  18. Fruit Juices and Concentrates and Fruits; Dried (e.g. Dates and dry figs)

C) Low risk food products:

  1. Carbonated Beverages
  2. Coffee and Tea (all types and shapes)
  3. Dairy products; Jameed
  4. Sugar and sugar syrups, Honey and black honey and Molasses
  5. Oils, Fats, Margarine and Butter blends
  6. Fruits; Fresh and Frozen
  7. Grains and grain derivatives (except flour)
  8. Salt and Vinegar
  9. Vegetables; Frozen and Beans
  10. Alcoholic drinks and Distilled Liquors
  11. Carbonated beverages concentrates, Flavour extracts and Food Additives
  12. Pasta, spaghetti and couscous
  13. Dried Herbs (e.g. mint & oregano)

* In cases where an imported food item is not listed in the above food categories, it shall be treated as a food item falling in the high risk category until a final classification is determined.

2.2 Selectivity Criteria and Levels of Inspection

Clearance of such foodstuff items will be carried out ONLY after compliance with conditions of document review, inspection and laboratory analysis results stating fitness for human consumption.

2.3 Incentives and Penalty scheme

Incentives for foodstuff consignments in compliance with health & safety requirements:

Whereas, where a foodstuff consignment was not found to be in compliance with health and safety requirements, then benefits given shall be withdrawn and the consignment will be subject to the regular risk-based food control inspection levels until evidence of compliance is proved for the next successive five shipments.

3. Implementation Phase-Action Plan

The risk–based food control system has been discussed and investigated thoroughly among all related national line authorities since September 2000 where the final approval of the system was issued by the National Food Council in July 2001.

A comprehensive, time bound implementation plan was prepared and accomplished covering the following main themes:

The risk based imported food control system was officially launched at Aqaba port of entry on 20 May 2002 and extended to the rest of Jordan Borders of entry during 2004

4. Performance Assessment

5. Results and Conclusions

With the implementation of such a risk management approach for imported food control program, Jordan was able to:

Jordan believes that risk management approach is the gateway towards a fair, transparent and merit-based treatment in the International food trade while maintaining science based decisions towards improved Consumer Safety & Quality Protection measures.