FutureChallengesfortheEUFoodSafetySystemandtheRoleoftheRASFF

GeorgeGeorgallas HeadofHealthServices RASFFNationalContactPoint MinistryofHealth,Cyprus MrsCommissioner,distinguishedguestsandcolleagues. Iamdelightedtoparticipateinthecelebrationsforthe30thAnniversaryofRASFFandIammost honouredtobeinvitedtospeakatthishighlevelconferenceonthefuturefortheEUfood safetysystemandtheroleoftheRapidAlertSystemforFoodandFeed. MayItakethisopportunitytocongratulatetheEuropeanCommissionfororganisingthis conferenceonsuchacriticalandcurrenttopic.Itisnotjustanimportanttopicforthe consumersandproducersintheEuropeanUnion,butalsoanincreasinglyimportanttopicfor thirdcountriesimportingorexportingfoodstuffsfromandtotheEU. AttheoutsetIwanttowishaHappy30thAnniversarytoRASFF,andcongratulationstothe membersoftheRASFFteamandmanythankstothemfortheircontinuoussupportandhelp. Theworldhasseenmanychangessince1979.Itwasadifferenttime,perhapsevenatime whenwehadyettolearnaboutfoodscares.CDshadjustbeeninvented;therewasno internet,noIPODs,emails,FacebookorTwitter;wesentletterstoeachother;wemadephone callstoofficesnottopersons.WewereinthemiddleoftheIranhostagecrisis;Europe launchedthefirstArianneRocket.EuropehadonlynineMemberStates,butIsraelmanagedto wintheEurovisionsongcontestandaboyfromGary,IndianaMichaelJacksonreleasedhis firstmillionsellingalbum. ComingfromoneofthenewerMemberStates,sincewejoinedtheEUin2004,Cyprushas takenstepstofullyintegratetheRASFFsystem.Wehavebeenrewardedbyafruitful cooperationbothbytheRASFFteaminBrusselsandbythefoodauthoritiesoftherestofthe MSaswellaswiththeEuropeanCommission. IwillnotrefertothehistoricevolutionofRASFF,asCyprusisonlyapartofitforamere5years, butwecancertainlyacknowledgetheimportanceofthesystem. TheusefulandeffectivenessofRASFFandTRACESsetupbyEuropeanCommissionispossibly bestillustratedbytheactionsofWHO,oneofthemostauthoritativevoicesonfoodsafetyin

theworld,whichhasfollowedtheexampleofoursystemthroughtheestablishmentof INFOSAN.Awarenessoffoodsafetyissuescannowspreadfasterthantheproblemitselfthanks tomoderncommunicationchannels.Newsofafoodscareinonepartoftheworldcanbe immediatelytracedontheinternetontheothersideoftheworld. Asweallknow,itwasthewelldocumentedshockstopublicconfidenceinthefoodsafety systeminthe1990snamely,thebovinespongiformencephalopathy(BSE)anddioxincrises whichledtoafundamentalreviewoffoodsafetyinEurope.TheredevelopmentoftheRASFF systemwasacriticalpartofthatreview.WhilewemaytaketheRASFFforgrantednow,itwill remain,inmyviewandintheviewofCyprus,asanessentialtoolforfoodbusinesses, regulatorsandconsumersindealingwithrealorpotentialfoodcrisis. CHALLENGESANDDEVELOPMENTSINFOODSAFETY InEurope,thereremainmanychallengestofoodsafety.Thecontinuingandrapid globalizationoffoodproductionanddistributionmeansthepotentialforinternationalpublic healthscaresinvolvingfoodcontaminatedwithpathogensorchemicals.Evenifthereareno newscares,theglobalisationofthefoodanddrinksectorsmeansthatrecallsandoutbreaks required,affectalargenumberofcountriesandpeopleasthefoodsupplychaingrowslonger andlonger. Whileitmaynotbesopopularnowadays,thereremainsongoingconcernsofthepossibilityof bioterrorismandeconomic/chemicalterrorismthatwouldhaveahugeimpactonfoodsafety onaglobalscale.Ourrapidalertsystemswillthereforehavetogrowtoencompassmorethan justtheMemberStatesoftheEU. Newfoodproductiontechnologiesalsopresentnewchallenges.Asexamples,wemaylist nanotechnology,cloning,genomicsandproteomics(thestudyofproteins)justtonameafew. Thechallengehereisalsotoupgradeexistinganddesignnewriskassessmentpracticestokeep upwiththepaceofscienceandinnovation.TheRASFFwillhavetodeveloptotakeaccountof theserisks.However,sometimes,itisalltooeasyortemptingtofocusonrisksalone.Ibelieve abiggerchallengeinthefuturewillbetobeabletoconsiderhealthbenefitsaswellaspossible negativehealthimplications.ThismaywellbethecasewithGMOs. Anotherareaofinterest,whichisboundtoaffecttheRASFF,isthatofanimalcloning,an emergingtechnologyintheEU,althoughalreadymoreestablishedintheUS.Howweareto respondinEuropeonbehalfofconsumershasyettobefullyresolved. Ofcourse,climatechangeisanotherhugechallengeasitisexpectedtochangeplantand animaldiseasedistributionandindirectlytheuseofagrichemicals.Ithasimplicationsonfood production,foodsecurityandfoodsafety.Inparticular,climaticinfluencessuchastemperature

andhumidityaffecttheoccurrenceofsomediseases.TheRASFFcouldbeonewaytoshare informationaboutchangesinourecosystems. OneareaofexchangeofinformationwhichIbelievewillcontinuetogrowrelatestoallergen labelling,orratherincorrectallergenlabelling.ItisworthnotingastudyfromReadingScientific ServicesLtd(RSSL)publishedinJanuary2009,whichhighlightedincorrectallergenlabelling (ratherthanfoodsafetyquality/safety)asthemostcommoncauseoffoodrecallsintheUKand theUS.AnalysisofdatapublishedbytheUKFoodStandardsAgency,theUSFoodandDrug AdministrationandtheUSFoodSafetyandInspectionServicefoundthat50%ofrecallsinboth countriesduring2008werecausedbypackagingthatfailedtoalertconsumerstothepresence ofoneormoreallergensincludedinaproduct. Iwonder,therefore,ifRASFFshouldconsiderintroducinganewcategoryofalert,theAllergy Alert,andmakingspecificinformationonallergyissuesavailableonthewebsite. Asfoodsafetypractitioners,itisnoharmtoremindourselvesthatweareherenotjustto protectconsumershealth,butalsotheirinterests.Bearingthatinmind,weshouldnotforget thatcounterfeitingisanothermajorproblemintheglobalfoodindustry.Foodfraudis predictedtoincreaseinlinewithfoodpricerisesandeconomiccrisis.Also,fraudisanareathat isconstantlyevolving.ItisestimatedthatfraudulentactivityisvaluedatUS$50bneachyear (accordingtotheMichiganStateUniversitysFoodSafetyPolicyCentrein2008).OurRASFF systemhasproveditsworthoverthepastthirtyyears,andIthinkweshouldgivesometimeto considerhowtoadoptittodealwithfoodfraudissues. Inconclusion,colleagues,onceagain,IwouldliketocongratulatetheCommissionforthe RASFFsystemwhichservesusallsowell.Thiseventgivesusagreatopportunitytothinkabout howwecanenhanceandimprovethatsystem. IbelieveitisimportanttopromotetheuseofRASFFsystemstootherregionsoftheworld,help developingcountriestosetupasystemequivalenttooursandmostimportantlytoconnect thosesystemstogether.Inthisway,wecanofferenhancedprotectionnotjusttothecitizensof Europe,buttoconsumerseverywhere. Thankyou.