ICMSS 2015 Round Table Session INTERNATIONAL PRACTICES IN BIVALVE SANITATION PROGRAMME March 18, 09.00 to 10.30 Venue: Salon Tronador Chairpersons: Iddya Karunasagar and Marisa Caipo, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Background Bivalve molluscs are an important commodity in international trade, however, very few countries are able to access international markets due to stringent requirements. These filter feeding animals tend to concentrate microorganisms, toxins and chemicals from the environment. Thus, ensuring consumer protection requires adherence to stringent sanitary measures. The Codex Alimentarius Commission has developed a Standard for Live and Raw Bivalve Molluscs and Section 7 of the Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products deals specifically with the Processing of Live and Raw Bivalve Molluscs. It provides overarching guidance to national competent authorities on what is needed to protect consumer health. This includes information on the prerequisite programs, the classification of shellfish growing areas and the sanitary surveys and biotoxin monitoring programmes that are required to produce bivalves meeting the Codex Standard. The problem Codex guidance, due to its global nature is very broad and does not specify the precise manner in which classification is to be established and monitored. As a result, many countries have developed different approaches to manage the public health risks from consumption of bivalve shellfish. Globally, two different approaches have dominated, one based on the United States ‘National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) and the other based on the European Union (EU) Food Hygiene Regulations. Both systems are intended to ensure that bivalve shellfish are safe to eat but differ in their means of achieving this aim, thus, countries wishing to access both US and EU markets must satisfy the requirements of both. This has had substantial resource implications, resulted in complex shellfish sanitation programs and prevented some countries, which would otherwise benefit from trading to both markets, from exporting. Furthermore, the existence of different approaches means that it is often not clear to countries wishing to establish a shellfish sanitation program for the protection of their own consumers the best route to follow. The way forward This problem has been recognized by numerous fora, including an International Conference on Bivalve Sanitation involving 15 major bivalve producers, the Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products and the FAO Committee on Fisheries Sub-Committee on Fish Trade, and the need to develop technical guidance to support the implementation of the Codex Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products proposed as a way forward. FAO/WHO have initiated work to develop such guidance. A core Expert Advisory group has been established and a first meeting of this group was convened in Rome in November 2014. This meeting identified the key elements to be addressed in the Technical Guidance for a bivalve mollusc growing area food safety programme” Aim of the Technical Guidance 1. To support the development of a growing area food safety program that is not driven by an existing program, but reflects the best science and technical information currently available; 2. To provide adequate information on the key principles that such a program could be implemented to meet different needs e.g. protect local consumers or expand opportunities for trade or a combination of these; 3. To revise some of the terminology associated with shellfish sanitation programs. The key components to be addressed in the guidance include: • Risk Profiles; • Growing Area Assessment; • Growing Area Monitoring; • Growing Area Classification; • Growing Area Management; • Review of the Program. The guidance will be developed in the course of 2015 and subsequently pilot tested. This round table session provides a first opportunity to introduce the approach being taken in developing these guidelines and get feedback from a broader stakeholder group on the proposed direction and content of the guidelines. Agenda Introduction of panel 1. Background and need for technical guidance on shellfish sanitation programmes – Iddya Karunasagar 2. Problems faced by developing countries in implementing shellfish sanitation programmes. – Mr. Tobias Kuugongelwa (Namibia), Dr. Tran Bich Nga (Vietnam), Dr Sandra Arcamo (Philippines), Ms Nada Bougouss (Morocco), Ms Diana Garcia Bonilla (Peru) 3. Current status of the Technical Guidelines and plans for their further elaboration Brian Roughan, Specialist Advisor (Seafood), Ministry for Primary Industries, New Zealand and FAO/WHO core expert Advisory Group 4. Challenge to be addressed in developing the guidelines - Ronald Lee, Principal Shellfish Hygiene Scientist, Center for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), United Kingdom and FAO/WHO Core Expert Advisory Group 5. Questions, discussion and feedback on proposed approach 6. Summary of feedback and close of session Participation This Session is open to all ICMSS participants. The session will aim to be as interactive as possible to provide optimal opportunity for input to the guideline development process. Many members of the FAO/WHO core expert Advisory Group will also participate. For further information please contact: Iddya Karunasagar, FAO Fisheries Consultant ([email protected]) Sarah Cahill, FAO Food Safety Officer ([email protected]) Marisa Caipo: FAO Regional Officer for Food Safety ([email protected])
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