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| PEC/REP1 | Annex 3 |
Opening addresses
Opening address by András VonzaMinister of Agriculture and Regional Development Ladies and Gentlemen, The participants attending the FAO/WHO Pan-European Conference on Food Safety and Quality are cordially welcome on behalf of the Hungarian Government and Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development. I am delighted to greet Mr. Brinkhorst, Minister of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fishery of the Netherlands, the senior officials from FAO and WHO, both being the organisations of UN, and last but not least I am delighted to greet Mr. István Mikola, Minister of Health. I consider it a special honour to open this meeting, and I would like to use this opportunity for giving you a brief review of the status of food regulation and safety in Hungary. As in each and every economic and political system, the most important objective of Hungary is to protect man, the consumer and to provide the highest possible quality of life for him. The demand on foodstuffs, which are of good quality, safe for consumption and not constituting any health risks, is also maintained and gaining strength continuously on part of the Hungarian consumers. For decades, the output of the Hungarian food industry has been exceeding domestic demand, and a considerable part of this production is sold on the markets of the most developed countries. These markets also raise ever increasingly stricter requirements. It was during the second half of the nineteenth century that the first legislation on public and animal health was passed, and the order of official control was established. Since then these have been developing continuously, in an organic integration. The primary goal was to hinder any adulteration of foodstuffs, control their hygienic conditions, protect livestock from epizootic diseases which may cause remarkable damage to the national economy and prevent the contraction of any human diseases (zoonozis) of contagious origin and related to the epizootic diseases. Both the regulation and the control system have been developed continuously. Regulations on chemical contaminants in foodstuffs, pesticide residues in plant products, radioactive contaminants, the composition and harmful substances of animal feed have been continuously issued from the fifties onward. In relation to these, monitoring systems were established the sampling and laboratory background of which have also been continuously developed. When defining the specifications and systems of public health, animal and plant health, animal feed and food control, Hungary has never failed to observe the relevant international specifications. This country has actively participated in the work of all the competent international professional organisations for decades, which offers an opportunity for efficient and professional exchange of information, getting immediate knowledge of the latest specifications on test methods, and contributing to their establishment. It is of special importance in the field of food safety that we have a continuous and active participation in the work of FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius. By submitting an application for EU membership, Hungary has assumed the commitment to fully adopt and apply the acquis communautaire. Within this framework, the Hungarian Government and the policy makers have been continuously making efforts to have a fully developed and enforced system of food safety complying with the EU requirements by the date of accession. Accordingly, the establishment of a uniform system of legal framework and control concerning food safety is taking place continuously. From the second half of the nineties, the intensity of legal harmonisation and the further development of the institutions, which was partly implemented through the aid from PHARE, have increased. The Government uses the tools of economic policy to provide support for agricultural producers, the food processing and marketing sectors to comply with the increasingly stringent food safety requirements . EU food legislation has been incorporated into the Hungarian body of food legislation on the following three levels: The acceptance in Hungarian food law of the EU legal framework on food law has been integrated at three levels:
Legal harmonisation concerning foodstuffs started in the first half of the nineties and was practically finished by 2000. This was possible, because as a consequence of the advanced status of our food industry and our active participation in the international organisations, a remarkable portion of the Hungarian specifications had been up-to-date before the harmonisation started. The only outstanding task in connection with Hungary’s accession is to adopt new legislation, which is happening continuously. In accordance with the prevalent practice of member States, amendments to EU regulations become applicable in Hungary within half a year following publication. Clearly, the same holds true for food safety regulations as well. During the screening of the animal health legislation and the related technical consultation with EU experts, the parties established that a substantial part of the EU acquis on animal health had been adopted. For the most part, bringing into force was accomplished in 2002. Exceptions are the provisions with direct relevance to the Single European Market. The application of these will is only become possible after the date of accession . The publication of the ministerial decree providing for a full-scale harmonisation of the plant health acquis is expected to take place in the first half of 2002 with bringing into force being on the date of accession. Hungarian legislation on animal feed have been partly harmonised. . Most of the specifications are to be adopted within the framework of Codex Pabularis Hungaricus. The incorporation of the directives on ingredients, animal feed additives, composite animal feed , complementary animal feed and animal feed produced for special purposes will be accomplished during this activity The Government’s general co-ordinating tasks in relation with food safety are primarily assisted by interdepartmental committees, such as the ‘Advisory Body on Food Safety’ and the ‘Interdepartmental Committee for the Accomplishment of Food Control Co-ordination Tasks. The Hungarian Government is planning to have the work of any domestic institutions engaged in food safety co-ordinated and controlled by an institution of nation-wide competency, the Hungarian Office for Food Safety, which is to be established in 2002. The responsibilities of this institution will be similar to the responsibilities of the European Office for Food Safety , and will work in close co-operation with that. The institution will, among others, provide a synthesis of the findings of tests and inspections concerning food safety, make proposals for decisions following their assessment and analysis, and ensure the co-ordination of a system of quick response in this field . Since a substantial part of hazards in food safety cannot be directly observed by consumers, in addition to the means of governmental food regulation and the practice of sanctioning, the risks could be moderated primarily through the continuous development of a consumer’s pool of knowledge. Like in other countries, the launch of the communication programs for consumers has been started in Hungary in recent years. In these programs an outstanding role is given to the issue of marking foodstuff. Raising the level of food safety is playing an increasing role in determining competitiveness in the food market. An evidence to this is that an HACCP system is becoming a basic requirement. Hungary has made considerable efforts to introduce HACCP. The joint 1999 decree by the Ministries of Agriculture and Health made it mandatory for food -producers to apply the five principles of HACCP from 1 January 2002. As of 1998 the Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development has been providing producers with an aid covering 50% of the costs of the introduction. Until now, more than 2000 food producers about 30% of the companies in operation have introduced the HACCP system. Since these are mostly large- and middle-size plants, this means that about 80% of the outcome of Hungarian food production is marketed with the application of the HACCP principles. With the continued financial support, small businesses are expected to introduce the system during the coming years. The development in 2003 is expected to be implemented with the contribution of the SAPARD programme. What I have intended to show you with this brief review is that Hungarian food regulations are aimed at ensuring food safety and thereby their market success through continuous adjustments to the recommendations of FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius and the specifications of European Union all the time. Before I finish, I would like to express my thanks to the Dutch Government, who initiated this conference, as well as the specialised organisations of the UN (FAO, WHO) and the professionals preparing the work materials, for their co-operation in arranging and implementing this conference. Furthermore, I would also like to thank the organisers both on part of FAO and the host country who have spent months on preparing this conference. I hope that we do manage to provide the appropriate conditions for your work this time again. I wish you a fruitful work, useful professional meetings and successful workshops. I believe that your efforts will considerably contribute to increasing the standard in food safety of this region and thereby protecting the consumer’s health and also improving the quality of life. Finally, I wish every honourable participant good work and a pleasant stay in Budapest. Opening address by István Mikola, M.D.Minister of Health Distinguished Delegates, ladies and gentlemen, It is a great pleasure and honour for Hungary to be host country for the Pan-European Food Safety Conference organised by the Food and Agricultural Organisation and the World Health Organisation. Food safety in the past was often, but not always, addressed as a public health issue. In recent years, because of a chain of events comprising large-scale food related crises of various degrees of severity, public confidence in the safety of our food supply has been shaken and the issue of food safety has come to the forefront all over the world. However, the real burden of disease arising from food presents an even more important issue. According to the latest data of the World Health Organisation, the incidence of diseases associated with food consumption is increasing globally. Most food-borne infections are zoonotic throughout the world. However, in addition to the well-known and frequently occurring diseases, there are also some new types of food safety threats. We are all concerned about the new type of human spongiform encephalopathy associated with ‘mad cow disease’ in cattle, the health risks of new technologies as for example in genetically manipulated foods, and the long-term health impacts of chemicals (e.g. dioxins, pesticides, mycotoxins) that find their way into the food chain. We highly appreciate efforts by the World Health Organisation, the Food and Agricultural Organisation, as well as the European Union in addressing food safety issues. It is important to observe that food safety is closely associated with nutrition. Ensuring the protection of public health is not restricted to the chemical, biological and physical safety of food. It should also aim at ensuring the intake of essential nutrients while limiting the intake of other elements in order to avoid adverse health effects, including anti-nutritional effects. Scientific information has shown that an adequate and varied diet is a very important factor in maintaining good health and overall well-being. This is particularly true now that new types of products are appearing on the market with modified nutritional value, which can influence the behaviour and well-being of consumers either favourably or unfavourably. In addition, the information which would allow the consumer to make the correct choices is not systematically available in a clear and accessible way. The WHO and European Union action plans cover both topics. In Hungary the Ministry of Health has worked actively on food safety and nutrition for almost one hundred years. Through the Medical Officer’s Service, the public health sector has always been participating in the control of food production and distribution in Hungary. The National Public Health and Medical Officers’ Service is an organisation of nation-wide powers that performs state tasks and has the broadest authority. The Public Health Service exercises supervision over the public health and epidemiological conditions of the country, including the supervision of food safety. It is an organisation committed to the improvement and protection of public health and thus is independent of economic interests. The food safety and nutritional health duties falling within the competence of the Ministry of Health are specified by Act CLIV of 1997 on Health. In addition to providing other functions, this Act empowers the Ministry to establish microbiological, chemical and radiological limits for foods and the public health requirements for food production and distribution, and to ensure the prevention and investigation of food-borne toxins and infections. The notification of food-borne toxins has been compulsory in Hungary since 1952, and since 1960 processed and summarised data have been available. Such toxins and even the suspicion thereof must be reported by the observing physician and the manufacturer or distributor of the food containing the toxin. After the investigation, data are sent through a well-structured and regularly operated registration and reporting system to the National Institute of Food Hygiene and Nutrition. This public health institution is the contact point of the WHO Surveillance Programme for Control of Food-borne Infections and Intoxications in Europe, and forwards the data to the WHO at regular intervals. According to the statistics, the number of food poisoning occurrences has shown a gradually increasing pattern from the beginning of the nineties to the end of the last century. Most food poisoning events occur in private households, but the highest occurrence was observed among people using mass catering, particularly children. Most deaths occur because of the consumption of poisonous mushrooms. The majority of food infections are caused by zoonotic (animal-to-man) pathogens, mainly salmonella and campylobacter. Recently the number of salmonella infections has declined, but the number of intestinal infections of unknown etiology has shown an increasing trend. For food-borne infections and toxins, a rapid hazard alert system is also in operation and certain especially important events must be reported immediately through the rapid system to the specified contact points. The Hungarian system of reporting and registration of food-borne toxins is reliable even by European standards. The Hungarian Ministry of Health is well aware of the importance of food safety to public health and has taken important initiatives in this regard. In 2001 the Ministry of Health prepared and the Government approved a comprehensive national programme, the "For a Healthy Nation Public Health Programme for 2001-2010". The programme includes food safety and nutrition aspects that can be implemented under the co-ordination of the health administration. To this end the short-term program has set the goal of reducing the incidence of food infections and food poisoning, promoting education and training, and improving authority activities under ministerial control. To start the long-term activity program, the elaboration of a comprehensive national food safety program – based on the ‘from farm to table’ principle – is proposed, in order to address not only the need to reduce the occurrence of food infections and food poisoning, but also the handling of new challenges such as the diagnostics for new pathogens, the health impacts of new technologies, the supervision of genetically manipulated foods, etc. Improvement of the authority’s food safety control activities forms a major part of the program, as well as the integration of food safety data – now performed by different ministries – in a common monitoring and surveillance system. To improve the health status of the population through promoting food safety, needs a range of multisectorial and multidisciplinary actions, and a holistic approach from production to consumption. However, it must not be forgotten that the main goal of all measures and programmes is to ensure the health of the population. This is the reason why human health institutions have to have a major and determining role in food safety, in co-operation with the other concerned parties. I hope that the Pan-European Food Safety Conference will enhance this good co-operation and will serve as a solid basis for further effective and efficient activity. I wish to every participant a productive and interesting conference. Thank you for your kind attention. Introductory Remarks by Mr. Hartwig de Haen, Assistant Director-GeneralEconomic and Social Department Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to this Pan-European Conference on Food Safety and Quality. On behalf of FAO, and together with our sister agency, the WHO, I would like to thank the Minister of Agriculture and Regional Development of Hungary, for his Government's kind offer to host this important Conference here in Budapest. I am very happy to see so many high-level delegations from countries of Western, Central and Eastern Europe present. This, indeed, is a Pan-European Conference. I am particularly glad that a large number of private sector organizations are also represented. Your broad attendance affirms that food safety and quality are matters of concern of all stakeholders in the food chain – from "farm and fisher boat to fork". It is our hope that this Conference - a first in Europe - will send a strong signal to all involved in the food chain for the benefit of the consumers in the region. Obviously, the Conference comes timely as many countries are in the midst of reforms and as the EU Food Authority has just been created. Key issuesLadies and Gentlemen, The access to safe food of good quality for all people in Europe is certainly an important objective with which this Conference will deal. But, currently, the region is struggling with a number of constraints that hamper this goal. In my view, there are three key challenges confronting the European region. First, we must recognize that, in spite of great progress in many parts of the region, all countries face some serious food safety risks which their consumers wish to see resolved. Secondly, the countries of the region need to find ways how to maintain the diversity of their food production systems and consumption habits while seeking to harmonise as far as adequate their food safety control systems. And finally, there is a pressing need for better Pan European co-operation in research, information exchange and effective response to food safety risks. 1. Food safety concerns across Europe Ladies and gentlemen, Today we know better than ever how to control the safety and increase the quality of food. I dare say that food has never been safer than it is today in Europe. However, this should not lead us to complacency. Through improved monitoring and reporting we are finding more and more cases of people suffering and even dying from food-borne diseases. This is unacceptable. Several food emergencies have shocked European producers and consumers in recent years. WHO data indicate that as many as one person in three in industrialised countries may be affected by food borne illness each year, resulting in human suffering and even death in some instances. The economic cost runs into billions of dollars each year. To mention just a few examples; not only is the spread of BSE in Europe an enormous burden on the industry. The difficulty of controlling Salmonella contamination and the pollution of food and drinking water from dioxins and pesticides are also a continuous threat to human health. The ways how the systems can be improved are currently under review in many countries of the region and you are gathered here to exchange experience and ideas in this respect. The traditional way to control the safety of food has often been to examine the finished product. However, concentrating on just the last link in the chain has sometimes been rather costly when food was found to be contaminated and had to be rejected or disposed of. To save costs and prevent contamination, food safety must begin with good agricultural practices. There seems to be growing agreement that food safety needs to be ensured through approaches ‘from farm to fork’. We in FAO agree to this and we are just finalizing guidelines on it. In practical reality, national policies and regulations on food safety and quality are still very diverse in Europe. Food safety control systems in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in Central Asian Republics are very different from the EU. They also vary among each other and many need improvement. European consumers demand transparent and unbiased guarantees about the safety and quality of their food. Likewise, producers and processors require standards and best practices that meet the demands of consumers, while remaining competitive regionally and internationally. 2. European diversity and harmonisation of food standards The second issue confronting Europe is the desire of European countries to maintain diversity in food systems while seeking to promote higher standards of food safety and facilitate trade. Europe is certainly not aiming for a single standard diet. The challenge is: harmonisation in diversity. Europe’s cultural diversity is reflected, inter alia, in its variety of foods and diets. Local dietary traditions are highly valued by consumers. Food is and will remain an important element of cultural identity and diversity of Europe. European countries account for more than one-half of international agricultural trade world-wide. Moreover, three-fourth of the trade of European countries represents exchanges between European countries themselves. Many Central and Eastern European countries participate only marginally in this trade at the present time. But they have excellent potential for agricultural exports within the European region if they can establish and demonstrate the efficacy of their food control systems. We note that the SPS Agreement of the WTO allows countries to have stricter safety standards than others provided these are based on acceptable risk assessments. But I would submit that common standards can help significantly to facilitate trade, both within Europe and with the rest of the world, while safeguarding food quality and safety. 3. Pan-European co-operation as tool for development The third issue is co-operation. Food safety and quality is a shared responsibility, not only between parties in the food chain but also between countries. Europe needs to discover ways of co-operation within the region to make food safer and to make food safety and quality more acceptable and transparent for the consumers all over the region. The European Union, for example, has a Rapid Alert System to warn countries if there is a food safety emergency. Many Eastern European countries are not yet participants in this system or still do not have an alternative system for rapid alert. But co-operation and exchange of experience can and should not be limited to Europe. The recent decision to temporarily stop imports of shrimp and a few other food items from China is a good example to underline the importance of science based and efficient food safety control systems everywhere. This was exactly the theme of the Global Forum in Marrakech last month. Lessons from the Global Forum for Food Safety Regulators The Forum made it very clear that food safety should no longer be treated as a luxury of the rich but as a right of all, in developed as well as developing countries. There is considerable scope to reduce food borne illnesses in the world through adoption of more efficient food regulation systems. It became also evident that the regulatory process must involve all stakeholders, including the consumers. Moreover there was agreement that developing countries need urgently assistance in capacity building to improve their food safety control systems, and this in the interest of their own consumers as well as their exports. Higher quality and safety of food imported from developing countries is also in the final interest of the consumers in countries of Europe. I do hope that this Pan-European Conference will build on the results of the Global Forum and go into more details with regard to particular problems of the European region. Conclusion In conclusion, from FAO’s point of view, I would suggest that this Pan-European Conference might wish to examine the following points in further detail:
Ladies and gentlemen, FAO and WHO have jointly convened this first Pan-European conference to provide you a platform to discover the most appropriate ways to improve the safety and quality of European food supply. The Conference Papers and Room Documents submitted to the Conference, illustrate some of the opportunities that may be taken: cooperation in food policy development, networking in science and research and the harmonisation of emergency warning systems across Europe. Before closing, I wish to reconfirm our organisation’s willingness to assist you in meeting your common objectives. Through our advice and technical assistance, various expert advisory bodies and by providing the Secretariat for the Codex Alimentarius Commission, we stand ready to assist the countries of the European region in their objective to have science based food control systems in place so as to ensure safe and high quality food for all. Let me also use this occasion to draw your attention to FAO: WFS-five years later in June in Rome this year. This will be another occasion to draw the attention of highest political leaders to the need to give food safety top priority in all countries. I wish you success in identifying common policy priorities and inspiration in identifying opportunities of Pan-european cooperation. Opening statement by Mr. David NabarroExecutive Director On behalf of Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General of the World Health Organization, I welcome you at the opening of this first ever Pan-European Conference on Food Safety and Quality and join my colleagues from FAO in thanking the Government of Hungary for hosting us in this beautiful and charming city. It is right that they are at a major meeting to agree ways to lessen the harm that food can cause to people who eat it. 70% are represented by Health Ministries. Between the 1950s and 1980s, we saw tremendous improvements in the safety of the food eaten in industrialized countries. But there has also been a substantial increase in the public's interest in, and concerns about, its food. This is particularly the case in Europe. Why? In Western Europe we have recently witnessed a series of well-publicised crises related to food. Public perception about the safety of food supply has been shaken. That is why, in Europe, people want answers to their questions about the food they intend to eat. Might it harm us, or members of our family? How can we reduce the possibility that we will be harmed? How is our government helping us to eat food that is not harmful? Have we the information we need to make choices about our food? Will someone else decide the information which we can access, or can we decide what we need to know to make our decisions about food? If we look beyond the newspapers - to the results of epidemiological studies and surveillance - we find that the problem may run deeper. We should not just be worried about the spectacular outbreaks for food-related suffering, but also the vast number of sporadic cases and small outbreaks. Many of these don't make it into reporting systems. They certainly do not make the headlines. Epidemiology also tells us that unsafe food is a global concern. Food borne illness directly affects people's well being: it also imposes strains on health systems and reduces economic productivity. Very recent estimations from the USA suggest an annual cost to that society of more than 6 billion dollars. You will be discussing the micro-organisms that can make food dangerous. You will also examine possible chemical contaminants of food, such as dioxins and pesticide residues. Both causes are important: the statistics have already been presented by Mr De Haen. If the consumer is lucky, an episode of food-borne illness may result in some discomfort for a day or two. He or she could end up with a long time away from work and incapacity, or dead. This indicates that food systems are not always responding well to new microbiological and chemical hazards, to shifting food consumption patterns, to urbanization, to new production methods, to new technology and even to the globalization of the food trade. The "farm to fork" chain is longer than ever. In addition, new techniques are not subject to detailed study before widespread introduction. Had this happened, BSE might have been prevented, and the public would be better informed on the risks and benefits of bioengineered foods. That is why this Conference is important. WHO is the world's inter-governmental agency that specialises in human health. It helps governments, civil society, consumer groups, private entities, the media, and others with an interest, to access the best possible evidence about the possibility that foods can cause harm, and ways in which that harm can be minimised. This includes ensuring that policy responses are properly informed through surveillance systems and risk analysis, and helping to plan the right mix of information campaigns, legislation, or changes in the safety culture and systems within the food industries. WHO adds value by helping to integrate different systems for surveillance of illness. One approach is the "network of networks" on infectious diseases: through this,WHO studies all, but concentrates on key pathogens like salmonella and campylobacter. Another approach is the Global Environment Monitoring System, or GEMS, which yields information from more than 80 countries on chemical food contaminants and human exposure. Modern food systems seek to reduce the risks that food causes harm, through responding to risk assessments. FAO and WHO have assessed the risks of chemical contamination in recent years, and the two organizations have now started on global level assessments of microbiological risk. This is a first: its initial foci are Listeria in ready-to-eat foods, Campylobacter in poultry, Vibrio in seafood, and Salmonella in eggs and poultry. What about new technologies? There is increasing use of modern bio-technologies in food systems. The challenge is to ensure that we all benefit from their positive features - such as boosting nutrients, decreasing allergenicity, or improving production efficiency. But we must also avoid any possible negative effects. They need to be evaluated before being taken to scale, and the evidence needs to be reviewed by a large range of groups within society. It is sometimes said that the problems of public perception about the application of biotechnology to food result from consumers' inabilities to understand the issues. "They cannot compare risks between biotechnology and more traditional foods", or "They are just wrong". This line of reasoning is unwise. We should be very careful about commenting adversely on the capacity of those we serve, to think, especially if there is no supporting evidence. Instead, we should involve all interested parties, including consumers, in risk analysis processes from the start. It must not be made too complicated for consumers, and it is up to us to improve our communication efforts - quickly. We need clear and well-accepted standards against which new technologies can be assessed: this is becoming possible through the Codex system. The standards will help us initiate studies to analyse benefits and risks: as far as possible we should work with consumers as we do this. Colleagues WHO's strategy for promoting food safety calls for new, evidence-based, preventive strategies in order to lower the risk that food will cause harm. The strategies can be pursued throughout the whole food production chain. Interdisciplinary collaboration all the way from farm to table is encouraged. The strategies use an open framework for risk analysis, and an ultimate emphasis on food systems that have the same objectives as public health. This regional Conference on Food Safety and Quality supported by WHO and FAO working together. Why? Because we need to look at the issues from a multi-disciplinary perspective. For this to work, different authorities and different organizations will have to coordinate their efforts. We wonder whether some of the high profile problems in the last decade have been the result of lack of collaboration between different national authorities. We hope that the WHO-FAO link will inspire collaboration at national level between agriculture and health. ConclusionNow is a good time to scale up our collective efforts on food safety - to win back consumer confidence through concentrating on the evidence, implementing effective responses, initiating evidence collection and country-level surveillance, and ensuring that the issue is high on the political agenda. Now is the time for partnerships between European countries to harvest experience, and learn and develop best practice. This is where the Pan-European Conference comes in. We have most of Europe's experts in food safety here today. We need to share our experiences - good and bad - so that future food safety systems can improve and leap-frog over past mistakes. I wish you a successful conference, and look forward to the outcome of your deliberations in this critical area of public health. Thank you.
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