Over the last 100 years food production technology has changed considerably resulting in improved efficiency and productivity. It is expected that by midcentury the global food industry will have to produce food to feed at least 9 billion people. The technological advances in food manufacture and in the agricultural sector has emphasised the need for food safety programmes to keep pace.
A spate of recalls of food products in USA has spotlighted the issue of food safety. Major incidents in the recent years include the recall of peanuts produced by the Peanut Corp. of America due to Salmonella contamination, the recall of nearly 150 million lbs. of beef made by a company in the American Midwest and the recall of nearly 500 million eggs produced by a company in Iowa, USA.
Recalls highlight the potential danger to the consumer and also to the food industry. The media attention has raised consumer awareness. Following the initial recall of the peanuts, the Peanut Corp. ultimately filed for bankruptcy and liquidation of the business. Studies have shown that consumers are looking for safe, nutritious and affordable food, Consumer interest groups are demanding emphasis on food safety in modern food production and processing methods.
The consumer wants to be assured that the food he eats is produced in a responsible manner and is safe to eat. Food manufacturers have a vested interest in a safe and affordable food supply network and need to build consumer trust and confidence. Food safety is compromised when the food product is contaminated.
Some recent publicised examples of contamination include “melamine in milk, lead oxide in paprika powder, ethylene glycol in wine, recycled transformer oil in animal feed, reprocessing of spoiled meat and recanning of moldy apple sauce…”
Microbial Contamination
It is a major avenue of contamination of a food product. Foods contaminated with Listeria, Salmonella and E.Coli are among the leading cause of death due to foodborne bacterial pathogens. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in USA has estimated that foodborne pathogens cause approximately 76 million illnesses and 5,000 deaths each year in the United States alone. Food safety professionals have focussed on controlling the presence of foodborne pathogens.
Food Allergies
These also give rise to unsafe foods. It is estimated that in the United States alone between 5 and 10% of the population is allergic to one food component or the other. The most common food allergies are milk, wheat, soy, shellfish, peanuts, treenuts and eggs. The growth of the “gluten free sector” in North America and Europe is in response to the allergy/intolerance of people to gluten-wheat protein. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act-FALCPA- in the United States mandates that the most common allergens must be labelled on the food product. However the rules have a loophole since they sometimes exclude raw agricultural commodities. This has resulted in instances when allergens go unreported. HACCP procedures have helped in improved quality control in allergen contamination. The US Department of Health and Human Services has reported that whilst larger companies have been diligent in reducing exposure to allergens, midsize and smaller companies are still found wanting in allergen control. New legislation has attempted to put greater emphasis on developing processes for preventing cross contamination by allergens.
Agricultural Pesticides
These gained increasing importance and use after World War II. They have helped increase agricultural productivity through the control of insects and other pests. Since pesticides are inherently poisons to kill pests, there has been concern on their potential adverse effect on human health. It is felt that the human health effects of residual pesticides may be latent and the large-scale use of DDT and its negative effect on human health is an example. DDT is one of the best known synthetic pesticides and has been linked to a number of health problems. Since 1972, the use of DDT has been illegal in USA. There is a growing emphasis on management and control of pesticide use and monitoring of contamination of food products.
Antibiotics
They comprise another area of concern in ensuring human food safety. Antibiotics are used to treat humans with bacterial infections. The scientific and medical communities have advised in favour of the judicious use of antibiotics to ensure that they do not lose their effectiveness through evolutionary pressure. Every time an antibiotic is used bacteria evolves and thus its efficacy may diminish. Commercially antibiotics were used in animals for disease control.
During the 1960s, the use of antibiotics for growth promotion for weight increase in animals grew substantially. Antibiotics commonly used in humans like penicillin and tetracycline were increasingly used for feed efficiency and weight gain. There is increasing evidence of the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in animals and now in the humans that use the animals and animal products for food. The US FDA and other experts have expressed concern about this practice. However to date there has been no definitive action taken to control the use of antibiotics in animals and this is causing growing concern amongst health professionals. Unsafe food is inherently dangerous to the food consumer, but it can also be fatal to the supplier company and in some instances a whole sector of the industry.
Model programme
In 2006, it was reported that people in many states in the US became ill due to E.Coli contamination of spinach supplied by a particular company in California. Besides several hundred people getting sick there were also a few deaths traced to this contamination. Although the spinach was traced back to one particular company it was reported at the time that the entire “leafy green” industry in California had its reputation tainted and business severely impacted due to loss of consumer confidence. To counter the consumer backlash and gain consumer confidence, the California industry developed a model programme which had aspects with general relevance to the food industry.
Outline of the programme
1. The risks were honestly assessed through the reports of acknowledged experts
2. Food safety programmes were developed based on scientific principles
3. Proper documentation was developed and implemented
4. Compliance was ensured through verification procedures and mandatory audits
5. Corrective action was mandated if needed based on audits
6. Full transparency to the inspectors and the consuming public was initiated
Focus of the programme
The focus of this programme was prevention of contamination and transparency to the user. Due to numerous instances of food contamination and the resultant outcry by consumers, the US Congress has attempted to strengthen current safety requirements through the Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA) legislation. Till recently government regulatory authorities responded to instances of food contamination after the fact. This was akin to shutting the barn door after horse has escaped. The new legislation has changed the focus to developing a focus on prevention of contamination. These new regulations now stress the responsibility of food manufacturers to have stricter hazard analysis and to develop preventative measures. FDA has stepped up the frequency of inspection of food manufacturing facilities and they have also been mandated to improve the vigour of these inspections.
Recall
The “Recall” of a food product is detrimental to the survival of the consumer as well as the “guilty” commercial food operation. Prevention of a recall is the target to ensure health of the consumer and also the food industry. Implementation of a superior food safety programme is demonstrated by the development of HACCP, a system that “identifies, evaluates and controls hazards that are significant to food safety.” The HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points) programme is gaining increasing importance and helps identify potential safety risks and sets up pro-active control measures and is now a standard food protection programme internationally.
HACCP programme benefits
1. It defines the food product
2. It develops flow charts to identify all product-related activities including raw materials and preparation procedures
3. It identifies all production steps
4. It identifies all hazards biological, physical or chemical and the likelihood of contamination.
This methodology of identifying Critical Control Points (CCP) for safety hazards puts the emphasis on preventive action
For HACCP or any other programme to succeed the attitude of food producers is critical. Companies must not only have written HACCP plans but also make implementation a business priority. Companies which make safety part of the culture of the organisation have the best safety record. Food industry leaders have to understand and accept that safety is critical not only for the health of the customer but also for the well being of the business. Various sectors of the food industry within each country as well as internationally have to work together to improve and change the perception of the food industry and their role in the direction of food safety.
Critical aspect
Another critical aspect is the knowledge base of food technologists and food engineers. Till recently food safety was not an integral part of the training programme of food professionals. There is a need for formalised training of food professionals in food safety science. Investigations of the contamination of food by allergens have indicated that the lack of proper training often contributes to the inclusion of improper ingredients like allergens. Whilst the United States has a comparatively safe food supply, it is now recognised that with globalisation and the growth of global food industry it is necessary to work closely internationally. Food suppliers who export food products need to develop and accept international accreditation and certification using latest food safety standards and practices. Foreign suppliers of food products to USA now have their compliance systems more rigorously checked. At a recent conference in China, a US FDA official stressed that while consumers realise that food is not 100% risk free, a certain level of basic safety is expected. The increasing demand for “basic safety” has resulted in a boom in the food safety industry.
Some of the needs being serviced
a) Traceability of food supply through the use of electronic “smart labels.” The ability to trace ingredients through the supply chain is critical to the establishment of a superior safety programme.
b) Diagnostic products particularly for use in processing plants.
c) Sanitation services and products to prevent contamination. A vast majority of infections are transported by touch. Whilst myriad regulations attempt to improve food safety, often the basic contributory factor is the unsanitary condition in food processing facilities, warehousing etc. In the example of the Peanut Corp. of America incident, reopted above inspections revealed that there were mould, rodents and cockroaches present in the plant and evidence of rainwater leaking into the facilities.
D) Some companies in the food safety sector are attempting to develop products that may reduce the effect of contamination. One objective of such products is to protect against pathogens and extend shelf life. Bacteriophages may provide a natural, non-toxic, safe, and effective means for significantly reducing or eliminating contamination of foods with specific pathogenic bacteria, thereby reducing the magnitude and severity of foodborne illness caused by the consumption of foods contaminated with those bacteria. At the IFT Meeting held in Las Vegas in June 2012, one company introduced products that it claimed would function as a natural food wash and a natural antimicrobial. The concept is to develop synergistic complexes that would eliminate foodborne bacteria in food processing operation and remove contaminants like oil and pesticides.
High Pressure Processing
Another technology which is claimed to have promise in food safety enhancement is High Pressure Processing (HPP). The developers claim that this is a post-packing pasteurisation technique that can be used with high water content ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, seafoods, cheese etc. This application of high hydrostatic pressure to food even in the final packaging is claimed to have the potential to destroy foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms.
Whilst the issue of food safety in the developed world like USA and Europe has gained in importance, there has been a tendency in the developing countries to put emphasis on access to food supplies and acceptable nutrition.
Realisation in India
In India, as in many developing countries, there is now a growing realisation that the lack of proper food safety and the consequent foodborne diseases are a major impediment to good public health. Bad sanitation in food and other areas has resulted in the incidence of diarrhoea, hepatitis etc. India was one of the leaders in the developing world in enacting food safety legislation when the “Prevention of Adulteration Act” was passed in 1955. The objective was to control food safety by discouraging adulteration of food.
With the advent of globalisation of the food industry and the growth of the Indian economy, there is a greater demand for processed foods by the Indian consumer. A more proactive approach is called for and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was formed as a result of the Food Safety and Standards Act passed in 2005. FSSAI now has responsibility for protecting public health through food safety. It is generally agreed that the regulations and standards in India are fairly stringent and upto international standards. The challenge is in developing a safety culture both at the commercial and regulatory sectors and a rigorous implementation mechanism.
Food safety is a critical global issue with substantial public health concerns due to increasing international trade in food products. Internationally, the World Health Organisation-WHO and the Food & Agriculture Organisation-FAO have tried to integrate food safety systems worldwide. One example of co-ordination is the development of the Codex Alimentarius which has developed standards for international use.
This focus on international standardisation of safety standards has resulted in development of Global Food Safety Initiative - GFSI which aims to optimise safety systems including supply chain issues worldwide and GLOBALGAP whose target is to set worldwide farm certification procedures. Both are good examples of international collaboration.
The ultimate target is increased safety of the food supply worldwide and consumer satisfaction in terms of improved public health.
