Integrating Risk Assessment in Meat Hygiene Seminar on Modernisation of Sanitary Inspection in Slaughterhouses Lyon, 7-11 July 2008 Marta Hugas, Erini Tsigaridi, Tobin Robinson, Ernesto Liébana, Fulvio Barizzone, Michaela Hempen, Pietro Stella, Coralie Bultel, Luis Vivas-Alegre BIOHAZ UNIT 1 Contents The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA s role in the EU Food Safety Risk Analysis Framework. The Scientific Panel on Biological Hazard (BIOHAZ). BIOHAZ Panel work in the context of Meat Hygiene and Safety. Conclusions. 2 Background modern EU Food Law 80-90s Irradiation BSE GMO Dioxins 1997 Green Paper on Food Law EC; Reflective, Consultation. White Paper on Food Safety 2000EC; Strategic Priorities. 3 30
Regulation (EC) 178/2002 (a) General Principles of Food Safety: Comprehensive and integrated approach ( Farm to Fork ); Traceability; Responsibility of manufacturers; Public consultation and information; Precautionary principle; Risk Analysis. (b) Establishment of the European Food Safety Authority. (c) Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed. (d) Crisis Management. 4 EFSA's Mission Provide scientific advice and scientific and technical support for the Community s legislation and policies in all fields which have a direct or indirect impact on Food and Feed Safety. Provide independent information on all matters within these fields with a high level of openness and transparency; Risk Communication; Collaboration and Networking. 5 EFSA s organisational structure 6 31
The BIOHAZ Panel The Panel on Biological Hazards deals with questions on biological hazards relating to Food Safety and Food-borne Diseases, including: Food-borne Zoonoses; Food Hygiene; Microbiology; Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies; Associated Waste Management. 7 From the question to the answer European Commission European Parliament Question? Member States EFSA ( self mandate ) Opinion Consumers Media Industry Professionals Risk Communication Risk Assessment Risk Management 8 From the question to the answer Independent BIOHAZ Panel of Scientific Experts Working Groups of Scientific Experts EFSA BIOHAZ Staff BIOHAZ Scientific Secretariat BIOHAZ Administrative Secretariat 9 32
From the question to the answer Mandate SCINTIFIC Panel Working Group Opinion adopted Draft Opinion 10 Outcome of the opinions Publication in EFSA website. Communicated to originator of question (EC, MS, Parliament) and support for changes of legislation. In the opinion: Background and explanation of the ToR. Assessment (detailed report of the Working Group). Conclusions. Set of recommendations: Reduce data gaps and scientific uncertainty. Communicated to RM; Communicated to DG Research of the EC (DG RTD); Mostly advice for future research topics 11 Legislation driving BIOHAZ activities Specific Risk Assessment duties within the EU legislative framework - Hygiene Package (Reg. (EC) 852/2004, 853/2004 & 854/2004). Microbiological criteria (Reg. (EC) 2073/2005). Feed hygiene (Reg. (EC) 183/2005). Zoonoses and zoonotic agents (Dir. 2003/99) Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (Reg. (EC) 999/2001). Animal By-Products (Reg. (EC) 1774/2002). Evaluation of treatments/substances within the EU authorisation framework - Treatments applied to Animal By- Products for their safe disposal (EC Reg. 1774/2002). Efficacy of decontamination of carcass surfaces (EC Reg. 853/2004). Approval of TSE tests used within the EU monitoring program - EC Regulation No 999/2001 12 33
BIOHAZ work on Meat Hygiene Classical Meat Hygiene Inspection Microbiological Meat Hygiene Carcase treatments to reduce-eliminate hazards Specified Risk Materials controls 13 Classical Meat Hygiene Inspection Tuberculosis in bovine animals: Risk for human health and control strategies (EFSA-Q-2003-025; November, 2003). Pre-harvest measures and meat inspection practices ensure low risk. Meat Inspection procedures for lambs and goats (EFSA-Q-2003-027; April, 2004). Non disease suspect animals sourced from integrated systems. Importance of chain information. Benefits compared against risk of cross-contamination during palpation/incision. Importance of meat inspection from animal health perspective. Revision of Meat Inspection for beef raised in integrated production systems (EFSA-Q-2003-026B; December, 2004). Non disease suspect animals. Importance of chain information. Benefits compared against risk of cross-contamination during palpation/incision, but considering issues related to Mycobacterium bovis. Risk Assessment of a revised inspection of slaughter animals in areas with low prevalence of Cysticercus (EFSA-Q-2004-017B; January, 2005). Proposal of a risk profile framework for the evaluation of integrated veal calves production systems. Traditional meat inspection important in medium and high risk areas. 14 Potential benefit of serological cysticercosis tests. Classical Meat Hygiene Inspection Risk Assessment of a revised inspection of slaughter animals in areas with low prevalence of Trichinella (EFSA-Q-2004-017A; March 2005). In consideration of Trichinella-free farms. Importance of surveillance tools in place to detect increases in exposure. Consideration of piglets allowed outdoors before weaning. Feasibility of establishing Trichinella free areas, and if feasible on the risk increase to public health of not examining pigs from those areas for Trichinella spp. (EFSA-Q-2005-001; October 2005). Difficultness in establishing of true Trichinella freedom in geographical areas. Health risk associated with the adoption of a visual inspection system in veal calves raised in a Member State (or part of a Member State) considered free of tuberculosis (EFSA-Q-2005-239; May, 2006). Importance of surveillance of M. bovis in cattle both for animal and human health reasons. Considerations for the case of integrated production units and in officially 15 bovine tuberculosis-free herds. 34
Integrating risk assessment in legislation Risk-based meat inspection without incisions April 2004 Reg. (EC) 854/2004 of 29 April 2004 laying down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption. Between 2003 and 2005 Five EC questions to EFSA on meat inspection issues (small ruminants and veal calves). Between 2003 and 2006 EFSA adopts and publishes the requested Scientific Opinions. Source: NCSU Library Copyright free for non-commercial purpose. October 2007 Reg. (EC) 1244/2007 of 24 October amending Regulation (EC) No 2074/2005 as regards implementing measures for certain products of animal origin intended for human consumption and laying down specific rules on official controls for the inspection of meat. 16 Microbiological Meat Hygiene Effects of Nitrites/Nitrates on the microbiological safety of meat products (EFSA-Q-2003-026; November 2003). Difficult to correlate between in-going and residual amounts. Different inhibitory effects depending on product formulation and ph values. Consideration of maximum ingoing amounts. Microbiological criteria and targets based on risk analysis (EFSA-Q- 2005-296; March 2007). Self-tasking aiming to provide overview of different concepts and their use with special considerations to the applicability of microbiological criteria and targets in the food chain. Public consultation. Usefulness of microbiological criteria for validation and verification of HACCP-based processes. Food Safety Criteria and Process Hygiene Criteria. 17 Integrating risk assessment in legislation Nitrates and Nitrites February 1995 Council Directive 95/2/EC on food additives other than colours and sweeteners. July 2003 EC question to EFSA: (1) Correlation between in-going and residual amounts of nitrites and nitrates, (2) effect of the in-going and residual amount of nitrites and nitrates on the microbiological safety of meat products, in particular related to C botulinum and (3) lowest level of in-going or residual amount of nitrite and nitrates with protective effect? November 2003 Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards on a request from the Commission related to the effects of Nitrites/Nitrates on the Microbiological Safety of Meat Products, Thbe EFSA Journal (2003), 14, 1-34. July 2006, Directive 2006/52 of 5 July 2006 amending Directive 95/2/EC on food 18 additives other than colours and Modernisation of Sanitary Inspection in Slaughterhouses sweeteners Lyon, and 7-11 Directive July 200894/35/EC on sweeteners for use in foodstuffs 35
Carcase Treatments Suitability and details of freezing methods to allow human consumption of meat infected with Trichinella or Cysticercus (EFSA- Q-2004-002; December 2004). Cold sensitive and cold resistant Trichinella species. Freezing treatments for prevention and control of human taeniosis caused by T. saginata, T. saginata asiatica and T. solium. Carcase decontamination: Evaluation of the efficacy of peroxyacids for use as an antimicrobial substance applied on poultry carcasses (EFSA-Q-2005-106A; December 2005). Evaluation of the efficacy of L (+) Lactic acid for carcass decontamination (EFSA-1-2005-107A; March 2006). Evaluation of the efficacy of SAN-PEL for use as an antimicrobial substance applied on carcasses of chickens, turkeys, quails, pigs, beef, sheep, goats and game and in washing the shell of eggs (EFSA-Q-2006-010; April 2006). 19 Integrating risk assessment in legislation Trichinella in meat 1977 Freezing treatments. Council Directive 77/96/EEC of 21 December 1976 Freezing requirements. Jan 2004 - EC question to EFSA: Assess suitability of cold treatment to kill Trichinella parasites or cysticercus cists, taking into account cold-resistant Trichinella strains. Source: FAO, 1994. Manual on Meat Inspection for developing countries Copyright free for non-commercial purpose. December 2004 - EFSA Scientific Opinion: Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Biological hazards on the suitability and details of freezing methods to allow human consumption of meat infected with Trichinella or Cysticercus, The EFSA Journal (2004), 142, 1-50. December 2005 Reg. (EC) No 2075/2005 of 5 December 2005 laying down specific rules on official controls for Trichinella in meat. 20 SRM controls Assessment of the age limit in cattle for removal of certain specified risk materials (SRM) (EFSA-Q-2004-146; April 2005). Analysis of epidemiological and pathogenesis data EU 2001-2004. Consideration on prevalence and age of detection (minimum and average). Assessment of the likelihood of the infectivity in SRM derived from cattle at different age groups estimated by back calculation modelling (EFSA-Q-2006-002; April 2007). Consensus on a back calculation model not achievable. Analysis of epidemiological, pathogenesis and age/incubation data. Infectivity would be sub-detectable or still absent in CNS in cattle aged 33 months. 21 36
Integrating risk assessment in legislation Vertebral column as SRM Source - Canadian Food Inspection Agency Copyright free for non-commercial purpose From 2001 Bovines over 12 months. Opinion (s) from the EC Scientific Steering Committee. Reg. (EC) 999/2001. October 2004 EC question to EFSA: Review age limit for removal certain bovine tissues as SRM, taken into account OIE report. April 2005 EFSA Scientific Opinion: Opinion on the assessment of the age limit in cattle for removal of certain specified risk materials (SRM). The EFSA Journal (2005), 220, 1-7 January 2006 Bovines over 24 months. Reg. (EC) 1974/2005 January 2006 EC question to EFSA: Assessment of the likelihood of the infectivity in SRM derived from infected cattle at different age groups estimated by a back calculation modelling. April 2007 EFSA Scientific Opinion: Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) on the assessment of the likelihood of the infectivity in SRM derived from cattle at different age groups estimated by back calculation modelling. The EFSA Journal (2006) 476, 1-47. April 2008 Bovines over 30 months of age Reg. (EC) 357/2008 22 Conclusions EFSA provides scientific advice and scientific and technical support for legislation and policies in all fields which have a direct or indirect impact on food and feed safety. The BIOHAZ Panel deals with questions on biological hazards (including TSE agents) relating to Food Safety and Food-borne Diseases. The BIOHAZ Panel work in the field of meat hygiene falls within distinct areas, ranging from classical meat hygiene inspection, to microbiological issues and to the review of SRM related issues. EFSA s scientifically based risk assessments serve as a means for the identification of food safety risk control options, which are then reflected in EU legislation. 23 EFSA is committed to independency and transparency www.efsa.europa.eu luis.vivas-alegre@efsa.europa.eu 24 37