CURRENT ACTIVITIES FOR
IMPLEMENTING CODEX STANDARD
IN CAMBODIA
Inception Workshop on Principle and Further
Activities for Codex Implementation.
Bangkok, Thailand, 17-19 Sept 2012
- Mr. Dim Theng -National Focal Point for GCP/RAS/280/JPN, MOC
- Dr. Chhoun Chamnan-Director of DFPTQ, MAFF
(Cambodian participants )
Topic for Discussion
1. National Food Control Systems Structure
2. Level of Codex Implementation
3. Process of Standard Setting Activities
4. System Data Collection
5. Capacity Building Needs
1-National Food Control System Structure
Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fishery(MAFF) :
Primary Production and Processing,
• Import licensing and registration
• Inspection and Verification of Compliance
• Export certification for meat /fish and plant products
• OIE and IPPC Contact Points
• Setting up policy and regulatory systems for
implementation.
1.1- Food Safety Agencies: Multiple Agencies System from
farm to table approach, which includes:
Ministry Industry Mine and Energy (MIME): Secondary
Processing
Factory registration and Certification of Food
Standard and Conformity Assessment Body (ISC)
Inspection and Verification of Compliance
TBT Contact Point
Setting up Policy and regulatory system for
implementation
1.1-Food Safety Agencies (cont.)
1.1-Food Safety Agencies (cont.)
Ministry of Commerce (MOC): Import and Export Inspection and Post Market Surveillance.
Policy and Regulatory systems for Consumer Protection (Fraudulence and Safety)
Inspection activities at the borders on behalf of the other policy agencies ( technical arms for the Customs) and on the markets.
National Codex Secretariat / NCCP
SPS Enquiry Point
WTO Notification Authority
1.1-Food Safety Agencies (cont.)
Ministry of Health (MOH): Food Safety at Consumer level
Policy and Regulatory Systems for Health and Hygiene
Standards for Restaurants and Catering service.
Food borne disease surveillance
Street Food
Restaurant Grading and Certification
INFOSAN / WHO Contact Point
Ministry of Tourism (MOT) Policy for food business at tourist sectors.
Hotel / Restaurant Licensing and Registration
Ministry of Economic and Finance (MOEF) - Customs
and Excise:
The only lead agency for Import and Export
Inspection.
Cooperate with other agencies to conduct joint
inspection for import food.
Take measure and implementing existing policies
and regulations based on risk management
approach ( ASYCUDA )
1.1-Food Safety Agencies (cont.)
1.2- Food Safety Law
Present Status:
No Specific Food Safety Law.
An Umbrella Law: The Law on the Management of Quality and Safety of Products and Services.
Covers the management of all regulated products including food but except pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.
Sets up legal aspects in relation to the enforcement of the Quality and Safety of Products and Commercial Frauds.
Gives power to regulatory agencies to set up technical regulations for food
Challenges:
• The law allows government agencies to adopt international standards as food technical regulations. However, the adoption of international standards is still facing with unreasonable disagreement among other agencies ( standard body)
1.3- Area in which standards developed
Government Policy:
.
Adopting the Codex Norms as Technical Regulations for Food
wherever relevant to Cambodia situation ( import and domestic).
The norms are including
• General Standards
• Commodities Standards
• Guidelines/ Recommended Code of Practices
3 Levels of adoption:
Integral adoption as Technical Regulation
Some parts taken to be technical requirements for food
Some other of RCP/ Guidelines as reference in the
regulation being endorsed as approved practices.
Existing Regulations related to Food Safety
No Description Area Numbers
1 Plant Inspection Plant Health 01
2 Animal and meats Inspection Animal Health 03
3 General Requirements for food
hygiene
Food Hygiene 01
4 Requirements of Specific Food
Commodities as (mandatory standard)
Food 06
5 Food Labeling Requirements Labeling 02
6 Chemical Substances Prohibited in
Food
Food Safety 01
7 MRLs for Pesticide in Fresh Fruits and
Vegetables (ASEAN)
Food Safety 01
2- LEVEL of CODEX IMPLEMENTATION
• National Codex Committee (NCC):
Established by Sub-decree in 2000.
Composition of NCC: 08 authorities including MOC, MIME,
MAFF, MOH, Council of Ministries, MOE, MOI, MOEF
Chair: Minister of Commerce and Minister of MIME as vice chair
Secretariat: CAMCONTROL Directorate General, MOC
4 TWGs which have the tasks as mirror committees for a certain
number of Codex Committees.
• Codex Manual:
No Country Manual have been developed or translated. .
Codex procedural manuals are available in English and French
version for all NCC members.
2- LEVEL of CODEX IMPLEMENTATION
• National Codex Website
Hosted by Camcontrol website: www.camcontrol.gov.kh
Linked to FAO/WHO Codex website.
• Participation of NCC:
At International level : Codex Committee meeting (5 committee
yearly, supported by Codex Trust fund)
At National Level: in 4 monthly based
2- LEVEL OF CODEX IMPLEMENTATION (cont.)
• Challenges:
Only participating in physical meeting of only 02-05 Codex
Committees deemed as prioritized interests for Cambodia and
with support from Codex Trust Fund.
Not being able to participating by sending comments on national
position to the work of Codex Committee at different steps of the
process.
Adoption of Codex Norms as national regulation is still in process
due to unreasonable disagreement on the methodology for
adoption.
•
LEVEL OF CODEX IMPLEMENTATION (cont.)
• Coordination in Codex Activities:
Coordination facilitated by CAMCONTROL as national Codex
Secretariat ,
Significance of the participation in Codex activities are balanced
among 04 main ministries i.e. MOC, MIME, MAFF and MOH
through assignment as chair of each working group to the
representative from each of those main ministry.
Private sector stakeholders seem lacking of experts.
• Laboratory Networking
• Need to be established and acquainted with technical matters
to deal with in the Networking .
2- LEVEL OF CODEX IMPLEMENTATION (cont.)
• Participation of NCC:
At International level : Codex Committee meeting (5 committee
yearly, supported by Codex Trust fund)
At National Level: meeting in 3 monthly based.
• Website:
No national codex website have been established.
Linked with Camcontrol website: www.camcontrol.gov.kh
• Codex Standards adopted at National Level:
Only a few standards have been adopted (05 commodities)
NCC has proposed a number of Codex Standards to be adopted
at Sub-decree level.
3-PROCESS OF STANDARD SETTING
• Lacking of appropriate technical capacity for carrying full
scheme of risk analysis.
• Prioritizing of hazards in risk management only at the
starting stage.
• Rare input from private sector stakeholders.
• Constituency: National technical regulations setting
based on adoption of Codex Norms selected ( by
exception approach) wherever mostly related to
Cambodia.
• CAMBODIA PRIORITY RISK MANAGER FOOD SAFETY ISSUES:
Pesticides: primary foods of interest are fruits, vegetables and
cereals. Concerns exist on use and misuse issues, focus on
organochlorine , organophosphates and carbamates.
Food Additives: misuse of preservatives in raw and processed
products, artificial sweeteners and coloring agents in drinks and
meat products.
Veterinary drugs :concerns with growth promoting agents, such
as Chloramphenicol in shrimp , Ractopamine in pig meat, Beta
agonist in pork.
Mycotoxins: Good agricultural practice needs. With aflatoxins
B1, concern with hepatitis.
Chloropropanols: Need guidance to assist producers in
production of low level chloropropanols in soya sauce.
• CAMBODIA PRIORITY RISK MANAGER FOOD SAFETY ISSUES:
Heavy Metals: Mercury in Sea Food and Arsenic in deep well
water.
Micronutrients: Primary concern is iron, vitamin A and iodine.
Pathogenic Bacteria: Primary concern with ready to eat food
Salmonella spp. (In sea food , raw vegetables, poultry, eggs.)
Vibrio spp. (bivalve, molluscs, shrimp)
E.coli (raw vegetables )
4. System for Data Collection
• No System for data collection
• Lack of scientific data
• Lack of coordination to achieve optimal results and
weakness in the implementation of law enforcement.
• Lack of capacity for data analysis
Food Safety Challenge
• Legislation:
Inadequate legislative system such as procedures for
inspection, certification; and approval standards.
• Human Resource :
Lack of knowledge to apply modern scientific risk based
approach
Lack of scientific skill .
•
5. Capacity Building Needs for effective
implementation of Codex standard
• Establishment of National Lab networking ( technical & practical
operation) including mechanism for streamlining the testing service
provided by existing laboratories.
• Understanding of and ability to apply Risk assessment for import
food control
• Data Sampling technology
• Applying risk analysis in real case.
• Establish the country codex manual and participation in Codex
work.
• Lab Training for the application of pesticide residues in fresh fruits
and vegetables.
• Training for food-borne surveillance system,