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Good Agricultural Practices

Inge Neessen

16 May 2006

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Program

• Introduction GAP

• Background food safety

• Background HACCP

• Market demands on food safety

• Food safety in Netherlands – best practices

• Examples Food safety Eastern Europe

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Q-Point: mission and products

• Q-Point is an independent advisory organisation, specialised in food safety, traceability, marketing and quality systems in agri-business

• Customers: growers/farmers, suppliers, traders packers, processors, retailers, government, product boards, transporters

• HACCP, ISO 9000, BRC, IFS, EUREPGAP, QS

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Introduction GAP

• GAP means Good Agricultural Practices• All efforts that producers (growers/farmers)

perform to optimise production by good use of soil, fertilisers, manure, crop protection products, energy, water, hygiene etc and minimizing the effect on the environment and assure health and welfare and social circumstances.

• Input => output: has to be transparant and measurable => Quality Assurance

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Introduction GAP – example dairy

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Introduction GAP

• Techniques on production methods e.g. soil, water, fertilisers, climate, integrated crop protection, pest control, feed, health and welfare (animal and human)

• Food safety and hygiene (guides to good practice, hygiene measures)

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Background food safety

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Forces for change

• BSE / GMO

• Consumer Environmental Awareness

• Pressure / Lobby groups

• Media

• Environmental / Food Safety Legislation

• New EU member states

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History

• International developments (WTO, Codex)

• Lack of harmonisation

• Crises (BSE, Dioxin)

• Repair consumer trust

• Guarantee high level of protection of consumer health

• White Paper

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EU food scandals

• Olive oil in Spain• Glycol in Austrian

wine• Shrimps, Shigella-

bacterie/Asia• Growth stimulators• Dioxin in milk• Salmonella in

chicken

• Nutricia baby food• Hygiene in meat

production• BSE• CCC pears• dioxin in chicken• CCC in carrots• MPA in pigs• Residues in F&V

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Response

• Public: Food safety high on political agenda of EU

• Private: increase of private standards for food safety and quality (by retail)

• Consumers: concerns after scandals; and increase in labelling and branding

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EU food safety plan

Goals:

• Guarantee the protection of consumer health

• Repair consumer trust in food safety

• White Paper Food Safety (84 actions)

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White Paper on Food Safety

84 enforcement actions:

• General Food & Feed Law (No 178/2002)

• Hygiene Package (No 852/2004, No 853/2004, No 854/2004)

• Food & Feed control

• Feed hygiene

• Etc.

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General Food & Feed Law

• Directive 178/2002 – framework for harmonisation of food safety; general principles and requirements of food and feed law

• Establishing EFSA: European Food Safety Authority

• Traceability (active per 1 january 2005)• EU hygiene regulations (active per 1 january

2006)

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General Food & Feed Law

• GFL is applicable to all stages of production, processing and distribution of food and feed (also including primary production)

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Tracking & Tracing

Downstream Tracing

Growers

Trader

Distribution Centre

Retailer

Foodprocessor

Upstream Tracing

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Structure hygiene-packageFrom 16 directives to 3 regulations:852/2004 General rules of hygiene for foodstuffs (H1)

853/2004 Specific rules of hygiene for foodstuffs of animal origin (H2)

854/2004 Organisation of official controls on product of animal origin intended for human consumption (H3)

H4 Official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules

H5 Repealing old directives

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852/2004 … H1

“Regulation of the European Parliament and of the council on the

hygiene of foodstuffs”

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Article 1 Scope

• Food business operator is responible for food safety• Whole chain (starting with primary production)• Maintain cold chain• General implementation of procedures based on

HACCP• Guides to good practice: good instrument• Risk assessment as a base for microbiological and

temperature control requirements• Imported goods: same or equivalent standard

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Scope

Not applicable to:

a) Primary production for private domestic use;b) Domestic preparation, handling or storage of food for

private domestic consumption;c) Direct supply, by the producer, of small quantities of

primary product to the final consumer or to local retail establishments directly supplying the final consumer.

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Article 2: definitions

Some important definitions:• Food hygiene• Competent authority• Equivalent: in respect of different systems, capable

of meeting the same objectives• Potable water• Wrapping• Packaging

• But also definitions of No 178/2002 apply

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‘Food hygiene’

– The measures and conditions necessary to control hazards and to ensure fitness for human consumption of a foodstuff taking into account its intended use

Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport

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Article 3 en 4

• Art 3: General obligation• Art 4: General and specific hygiene

requirements.– Primary production: Annex IA – Other (production, processing, distribution: Annex II– Microbiological and temperature requirements– Procedures– Cold chain– Sampling and analyses

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Primary production (Annex 1)

• Part A: General hygiene provisions - incl. transport, storage, handling of primary

products - incl. record keeping

• Part B: Recommendations for guides to good hygiene practice

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Article 5: Hazard analyses and critical control points

• Implementing HACCP principles by food business operators

• Only for stages of production, processing and distribution of food after primary production and those associated operations listed in Annex 1.

• Record keeping for an appropriate period

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Article 6: Registration and approval

• Cooperate and registration with competent authorities

• Approval by the competent authority

Article 7: Guides to good practice• Development and dissimination

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Article 8: National guides

In consultantion with relevant parties• Codex Alimentarius• Primary production: follow recommendations

Annex 1BExisting guides shall continue to apply

Article 9: Community guides• No community guides untill now• Initiative has to come from EC

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Article 10 en 11:imports and exports

• Relevant requirements of food law referred to in Article 11 and 12 in No 178/2002 shall include the requirements laid down in Article 3,4,5 and 6

Article 12:• Implementing and transitional arrangement in

accordance with committee procedure

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Article 13

• Amendment and adaptions of Annexes I and II– Need to revise recommendations in Annex 1 B– Experience from HACCP-implementation– Technological developments– Scientific advice– Microbiological and temperature criteria

• Exceptions on Annex II– Traditional methods of production– Geografical constriants

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Article 14

• Committee procedure

Article 15• Consultation EFSA

Article 16• Report to EC and EP

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Article 17:

• Repealing directive 93/43/EEC• Art 3/3 and art 10 of 93/43 stay in force• Nationale microbiological requirements

based on 93/43 stay in force untill new requirements are developed

Article 18: • Applies no earlier than 1 January 2006

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Annex II• General hygiene requirements for all food business

operators (except when annex 1 applies)• Layout and design to premises and risks:

1. General requirements for food premises (other than those in Chapter III)

2. Specific requirements in rooms where foodstuffs are prepared3. Movable and/or temporary premises4. Transport5. Equipment6. Food waste7. Water supply8. Personal hygiene9. Provisions applicable to foodstuffs10. Wrapping and packaging11. Heat treatment12. Training

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Background HACCP

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Why (now) HACCP

Consumer: sensitive/ emancipated/ healthy/easy food – More critical (informationtechnology);– Changed way of life/eating; “convenience food”

(faster, fresh, healty, no additionals etc.) – Immunity/allergies);– Emotions (by affaires, loss of confidence);– Ageing

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What is HACCP ?

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points

A system to guarantee safe food

(in other words: what do you have to do to prevent that a consumer gets ill)

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HACCP seven principles

1. Conduct a hazard analysis

2. Determine the Critical Control Points (CCPs)

3. Establish critical limit(s)

4. Establish a system to monitor control of the CCP

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HACCP seven principles

5. Establish the corrective action to be taken when monitoring indicates that a particular CCP is not under control

6. Establish procedures for verification to confirm that the HACCP system is working effectively

7. Establish documentation concerning all procedures and record appropriate to these principles and their application

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Hazards in food

A danger in food is described as a microbiological, physical or chemical property that can make food unsafe for consumption.

Diseases caused by consumption of food:– food infection (by micro-organism)– food poisoning (by toxic matters)– but also injuries

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Microbiological hazards

Food infection:• Depending on how

many micro-organism you get down

• Growth of the micro-organism in your body

• Symptom of disease/illnes

Food poisoning:• Taking of a toxic

matter/material (like toxine)– present by nature in

food– produced by micro-

organism inside the human body

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Examples of causes of diseases

• Parasites (tapeworm; scabies)

• Moulds (producing toxic matter)

• Bacteria (boil)

• Virus (jaundice)

• Prions (BSE = mad cow disease)

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Direct contamination of human to human

• Talk, sneeze, cough

• Shake hands

• Dust

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Indirect contamination

• Dust particles• Contaminated cleaning cloths/rags (toilets)• Contaminated food• Polluted water• Excrements (faeces) and urine

Cross contamination and recontamination is often a problem without noticing this!!

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From contamination to risk

• Contamination source plus opportunity• Most pathogens (agents of disease) react

to:– food– temperature– moisture– time

• Sometimes is a living host necessary (parasites, virus and prions)

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Contamination cycle Salmonella

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Prevention microbiological hazards

• Wash hands (after use of toilet, eating, blow one’s nose etc.)

• Disposables towels/roller-towel• Separated cleaning rags and regular refreshing of

cleaning rags• Clean clothing and daily showering• No loose hanging long hair (tied)• Cover up wounds• No pets/animals • No sneezing/coughing above the products• Wear no jewelry• Contaminating disease have to be reported

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Examples of physical hazards

• Jewelry

• Watches

• Bandage or plasters

• cigarette or –end

• Knives or other sharp material

• Pieces of glass

• Wood and splinters

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Prevention physical hazards

• No jewelry (except a plain wedding ring)

• No smoking or eating

• Use of plasters with striking colour (blue)

• Control on used tools

• Make appointments with regard to control on glass breakage, boxes (for products), etc.

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Examples of chemical hazards

• Residues of crop protection products (pesticides)

• Cleaning agents

• Other chemical residues (acids, cooling fluid, lubricants)

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Prevention chemical hazards

• Use of suitable cleaning agents and agreements on cleaning schedule

• Agreements on maintenance of machinery and equipement

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Market demands on food safety

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What do retailers want from producers?

• Transparency!!

• Insight in production process

• Traceability

• Product liability

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Global Food Safety Initiative

• Mission: strengthen consumer in food they buy in retail outlets– Enhance food safety– Ensure consumer protection– Strengthen consumer confidence– Benchmark requirements of food safety

management schemes– Improve cost efficiency throughout the

food supply chain

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Global Food Safety Initiative

• Objectives are facilitated by: implementing and maintaining a scheme to benchmark food safety standards for mutual recognition

• Co-ordinated by CIES

• Schemes benchmarked and accepted by GFSI at this moment: dutch HACCP, BRC, IFS, SQF

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GFSIPre-farm gate

•EUREPGAP•Q&S (Germ.)•Agriconfiance (France)•SQF 1000 (Aus/USA)•etc.

Post-farm gate

•HACCP•BRC•IFS•EFSIS•SQF 2000, 3000•ISO 22000•etc.

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Relations between systems

Grower packer Exporter Importer wholesale supermarket

EUREP-

GAPHygiënecode

HACCPBRC

IFSHACCP

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What is EUREPGAP?

Good Agricultural Practice:• Framework with minimum standards for

horticultural products

• EUREPGAP is an accredited set of normative documents for international certification.

• The documents are developed by representatives from all stages of the food chain world-wide.

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BRC and IFS

Market oriented systems

• BRC: British Retail Consortium Technical Standard: HACCP/ISO

• IFS: International Food Standard: German and French retailers (HACCP/ISO)

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Conclusions

• Food safety top priority for EU

• Certification ongoing trend

• Export to EU: EUREPGAP (growers) and HACCP (BRC/IFS) (packers): – Most important and widely supported food

safety schemes in Europe– Also exporters to EU should take it

seriously!

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Case: Situation agro- and food sector in Bulgaria

• SWOT:– Strength– Weaknesses– Oppertunities – Threats

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Case - discussion

• Why should food safety and GAP a priority in Bulgaria?

• How is public response (government)?• What is the reaction of private food companies?• And growers/farmers/cooperatives?• Who has to take a leading role in implementation?• Should there be support and by whom?• Do you think companies can comply and why?• What is necessary in your country?

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Food safety in Netherlands – best practices

Examples, discussion and questions

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Current developments GAP

• In Netherlands almost all producers are working with GAP:– For F&V: EUREPGAP– Feed and combinable crops (grain, corn etc): GMP+– Potatoes: VVA (food safety certificate)– Flowers and ornamentals: MPS GAP– Dairy (milk): KKM– Eggs: IKB eggs– Poultry: IKB poultry– Pigs: IKB Pigs– etc

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Current developments GAP

• Retailers (Dutch, English a.o) already demand EUREPGAP certified fresh produce (F&V) and MPS GAP for flowers

• Retailers announced deadline of 1-1-2008 for animal produce (meat, milk, eggs etc)

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Current developments GAP

• Benchmarking of national schemes with EUREPGAP IFA (Integrated Farm Assurance):– VVA is benchmarked– IKB Pigs is benchmarked against modules

All farm base, Livestock base module and Pig module and the General Regulations

– GMP+ for feed is benchmarked

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= Audit Process Flow = EUREPGAP Specific Module

=No EUREPGAP CPCC Module = EUREPGAP Specific Module

Combinable crops

Fruit and Vegetables

Poultry

Pig

Cattle & Sheep Diary

Crops base

Live-stockBase

AllFarmsBase

Live-stockTrans-

port

STAGES IN PRODUCTION COVERED BY EUREPGAP IFA CPCC AND AUDIT/INSPECTION

ex-farm

EUREPGAP Recognition of external standards for:FEED, FORAGE, VETS, TRANSPORT

1.0

2.03.0

4.0

5.0

6.0 7.0

8.0

9.010

process/slaughter

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Food safety in practice – examples in Eastern Europe

Examples, discussion and questions

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Case – discussion:

• Are there any national Certification Body (CB’s) in Bulgaria?

• Do you think you need CB’s?• What is necessary for setting up a CB in your

country?• Who must take the lead (government,

universities, institutes, private companies)? • Which measures should be taken?• Knowledge infrastructure?