Food Protection Trends - November/December 2023 - 512

IVAN PARKIN LECTURE (continued)
review of available data and this assessment allowed
this gap to be addressed within one year.
Similarly, when addressing the issue of
Enterobacter sakazakii in the early 2000s,
which was causing severe illness and mortality
in infants, a process of revising the relevant
international standards was by investment in
collection of relevant data and information to drive
risk assessment. These instances exemplify how
science facilitates the standard-setting process
when there is a collective willingness to reach an
agreement. However, such alignment of wills is not
always guaranteed and there are areas such as
the establishment of MRLs for growth promoting
substances in food producing animals where
assessment of the risk to human health has not
been sufficient to bring members to consensus.
Expected impact
While the goal of these standards is always safe
food, consideration of their impact, in particular
unintended consequences or impacts is necessary.
This was recently illustrated in the development
of Maximum Levels (MLs) for aflatoxins for stable
foods where in the course of discussions it was
indicated that the proposed MLs would at least in
the short term impact the availability of supplies for
food aid interventions. The intention of any food
safety standard is to support access to safe food
rather than negatively impact access. However, time
required to comply with such standards may lead to
this. In considering this dilemma, a risk assessment
was conducted to evaluate the impact of short-term
exposure to different levels of aflatoxin with the goal
of facilitating access to foods that would not pose
a food safety risk during their period of use. This
goal differed from the more common approach to
mycotoxin risk assessment which considered risk
associated with lifetime exposure. Extensive and
challenging discussions led to the establishment
of two different MLs, one for staple foods on the
open market and one for foods that were distributed
through food aid programmes for limited time
periods, with a commitment for review in three
years, when consideration of the impact will be key.
Patience
As the saying goes, patience is a virtue which
holds true in multilateral and multistakeholder
endeavors. These processes invariably demand
time and diligence. Providing a convening space
wherein diverse views and concerns can be brought
forth and subsequently addressed is critical. The
512 Food Protection Trends November/December
Codex Alimentarius Commission also serves
this function, recognizing that while the ultimate
objective remains the establishment of standards,
the creation of a conducive environment for
deliberation holds equal importance.
Implementation of standards
To affect systematic structural and sustainable
change in a country so that food safety is ingrained
in policy and actions require significant investment
of time and effort but is essential to providing a safe
food supply. In 2023 Bangladesh announced that
it had harmonized its national food standards with
those of the Codex Alimentarius, 10 years after
adopting the Food Safety Act which put in place the
structure and noted the capacity needed to achieve
this. Similarly in 2023, the Kenyan government
backed a Food and Feed Safety Control Bill which
established an oversight function for food safety in
the country, continuing to build on and strengthening
existing food safety related laws. Such endeavors
are the result of many years of preparation, but
the alternative is not being ready when food safety
crises occur which can have devastating effects.
For example, in the late 1990s, Uganda's fish
sector faced a severe setback when its major export
market, Europe, rejected products from Lake Victoria
on three consecutive occasions over a four-year
period resulting in estimated losses at approximately
USD 36.9 million (2). In response, the Ugandan
government turned to standards, specifically Codex
standards such as those addressing food hygiene
and HACCP (3), as a pivotal part of its strategy to
regain access to the European market, and through
a comprehensive approach reinstating confidence
in Ugandan fish products and achieved compliance
with international food safety standards.
Approximately 15 years ago, melon-related
Salmonella outbreaks resulted in product recalls
that adversely affected cross-border trade in
melons, particularly in the Americas. This drove
the development of specific guidance for melons,
within the Codex Code of Hygienic Practice for
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (1). Honduras, one
of the countries significantly impacted by trade
restrictions and the absence of international
guidance, embraced these new Codex guidelines.
Three years after the adoption of the Codex text,
reports indicated remarkable growth in melon and
watermelon exports, increasing by 3-fold and 30fold,
respectively (7).
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