Food safety

Question

This piglix contains articles or sub-piglix about Food safety

Answer 1

ATP (treaty)

ATP (formally, the Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on the Special Equipment to be used for such Carriage (ATP)) is a 1970 United Nations treaty that establishes standards for the international transport of perishable food between the states that ratify the treaty. It has been updated through amendment a number of times and as of 2016 has 50 state parties, most of which are in Europe or Central Asia. It is open to ratification by states that are members of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and states that otherwise participate in UNECE activities. "ATP" is derived from the French name of the treaty: Accord relatif aux transports internationaux de denrées périssables et aux engins spéciaux à utiliser pour ces transports.

ATP was concluded in Geneva on 1 September 1970 under the aegis of the UNECE. It was signed by Austria, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland. The treaty entered into force on 21 November 1976 after it had been ratified by five states. ATP was intended to replace the Agreement on Special Equipment for the Transport of Perishable Foodstuffs and on the Use of such Equipment for the International Transport of some of those Foodstuffs, which was concluded in 1962 but never received enough ratifications to enter into force.

ATP mandates that certain types of equipment be used to transport perishable food across borders and that such equipment will be regularly inspected. (For instance, equipment may need to be refrigerated, heated, or insulated.) ATP applies to transport by road and by rail, but it does not apply to transport within the borders of a single country.

As of 2016, the following 50 states are party to ATP:

Former state parties are Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and Yugoslavia. Russia ratified as the Soviet Union and Serbia ratified as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Switzerland signed the agreement but has not ratified it.

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Answer 2

Benzene in soft drinks

Benzene in soft drinks is of potential concern due to the carcinogenic nature of the benzene molecule. This contamination is a public health concern and has caused significant outcry among environmental and health advocates. Benzene levels are regulated in drinking water nationally and internationally, and in bottled water in the United States, but only informally in soft drinks. The benzene forms from decarboxylation of the preservative benzoic acid in the presence of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and metal ions (iron and copper) that act as catalysts, especially under heat and light.

The major cause of benzene in soft drinks is the decarboxylation of benzoic acid in the presence of ascorbic acid (vitamin C, E300) or erythorbic acid (a diastereomer of ascorbic acid, E315). Benzoic acid is often added to drinks as a preservative in the form of its salts sodium benzoate (E211), potassium benzoate (E 212), or calcium benzoate (E 213).Citric acid is not thought to induce significant benzene production in combination with benzoic acid, but some evidence suggests that in the presence of ascorbic or erythorbic acid and benzoic acid, citric acid may accelerate the production of benzene.

The proposed mechanism begins with hydrogen abstraction by the hydroxyl radical, which itself is produced by the Cu²⁺-catalysed reduction of dioxygen by ascorbic acid:

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Answer 3

Bernard L. Oser Award

The Bernard L. Oser Award has been awarded since 2000 by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). It is awarded to contributions to the scientific knowledge of food ingredient safety or for leadership in establishing principles for food safety evaluation or regulation. This award is named for Bernard L. Oser (1899-1995), a food science researcher who was involved in nutrition and food safety of ingredients. He also was IFT President in 1968-9 who the last surviving charter member of IFT in 1939.

Award winners received a USD 3000 honorarium and a plaque from the Bernard L. Oser Endowment Fund of the IFT Foundation.

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Answer 4

Boil-water advisory

A boil-water advisory or boil-water order is a public health advisory or directive given by government or health authorities to consumers when a community's drinking water is, or could be, contaminated by pathogens.

Under a boil-water advisory (BWA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that water be brought to a rolling boil for one minute before it is consumed in order to kill protozoa, bacteria and viruses. At altitudes above 2,000 meters (6,561 feet), boiling should be extended to 3 minutes, as the lower boiling point at high altitudes requires more time to kill such organisms.

BWAs are typically issued when monitoring of water being served to consumers detects Escherichia coli or other microbiological indicators of sewage contamination. Another reason for a BWA is a failure of distribution system integrity evidenced by a loss of system pressure. While loss of pressure does not necessarily mean the water has been contaminated, it does mean that pathogens may be able to enter the piped-water system and thus be carried to consumers. In the United States, this has been defined as a drop below 20 pounds per square inch (140 kPa).

John Snow's 1849 recommendation that water be "filtered and boiled before it is used" is one of the first practical applications of germ theory in the area of public health and is the antecedent to the modern boil water advisory. Snow demonstrated a clear understanding of germ theory in his writings. He first published his theory in an 1849 essay On the Mode of Communication of Cholera, in which he correctly suggested that the fecal-oral route was the mode of communication, and that the disease replicated itself in the lower intestines. Snow later went so far as to accurately propose in his 1855 edition of the work, that the structure of cholera was that of a cell. Snow's ideas were not fully accepted until years after his death in 1858.

The first known modern Boil Water Advisory notice based solely on germ theory and unfettered by extraneous and irrelevant advice was distributed in 1866 during the last of three major cholera outbreaks that ravaged London in the 19th century.

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Answer 5

CHILL-ON

Funded by the European Commission in the 6th Framework Programme for Research (FP 6) the CHILL-ON project aims to improve quality, safety, transparency and traceability of the chilled/frozen supply chain. To reach the goal, cost-effective technologies, devices and approaches for continuous monitoring and recording of relevant data and processing the data for information management throughout the entire supply chain are under way. As fish and poultry are very prominent in the European food market and belong to the most sensitive goods with regard to food poisoning, the chilled and frozen fish and poultry supply chain has been selected as test cases.

In 2004, the European Commission identified the need for development of new technologies to ensure safety and traceability in the food supply chain. They issued a call for projects under the topic “Integrating and Strengthening the European Research Area”, T5.4.4.1 Chilled and frozen supply chain (IP).

Acronym: CHILL-ON Title: Developing and integrating novel technologies to improve safety, transparency and quality assurance of the chilled/frozen food supply chain– test case fish and poultry.

Duration: 4 years (2006 to 2010)

Total budget: 15,6 Mio. €

EC contribution: 10,1 Mio. €

Funding scheme: 6th Framework programme for research (FP6)

Thematic priority: Food quality and safety

Instrument: Integrated Project (IP)

Food safety is a critical issue in the food supply chain in terms of its maintenance and monitoring – in particular for frozen and chilled food products which are especially sensitive to microbial spoilage. The primary objective of the European food policy is to improve the health and well-being of European citizens through higher quality food and improved control of food production and related environmental factors.

The consumption of chilled/frozen food products within Europe is growing above average as a consequence of socio-cultural changes (e.g. increased single households), whereas food safety and quality are of great concern for consumers.

Improved confidence in chilled food products, especially in the integrity of their supply-chain in terms of its ability to maintain product quality and identity along with its ability to detect potentially harmful and undesirable product changes is of high priority for all involved in food production and distribution, especially as requires traceability to be established at all stages of the food chain.

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Answer 6

Codex Alimentarius

Food safety

The Codex Alimentarius (Latin for "Food Code") is a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines, and other recommendations relating to foods, food production, and food safety.

Its name is derived from the Codex Alimentarius Austriacus. Its texts are developed and maintained by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a body that was established in early November 1961 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), was joined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in June 1962, and held its first session in Rome in October 1963. The Commission's main goals are to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the international food trade. The Codex Alimentarius is recognized by the World Trade Organization as an international reference point for the resolution of disputes concerning food safety and consumer protection.

As of 2012, there were 186 members of the Codex Alimentarius Commission: 186 member countries and one member organization, the European Union (EU). There were 215 Codex observers: 49 intergovernmental organizations, 150 non-governmental organizations, and 16 United Nations organizations.

The Codex Alimentarius covers all foods, whether processed, semi-processed or raw. In addition to standards for specific foods, the Codex Alimentarius contains general standards covering matters such as food labeling, food hygiene, food additives and pesticide residues, and procedures for assessing the safety of foods derived from modern biotechnology. It also contains guidelines for the management of official i.e. governmental import and export inspection and certification systems for foods.

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Answer 7

Codex Alimentarius Austriacus

Food safety

Codex Alimentarius Austriacus is a collection of standards and product descriptions for a variety of foods, established by the Austrian-Hungarian Empire in October 1891. The Codex Alimentarius Austriacus standards is primarily the product of a voluntary effort of experts in the food industry and universities. While the standards laid out in the codex were not legally enforceable, they were nonetheless used by the courts to determine the identity and quality of a variety of food products.

Until the Mid 20th Century, the Codex Alimentarius Austriacus was not well-known beyond the German-speaking countries of Europe. It subsequently lent its name to the international Codex Alimentarius Commission, the current international food codex collaboratively worked out by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. Consisting of three volumes, the Codex was finished sometime between 1910–1917 by O. Dafert. It lacked actual integration into Austrian law until 1975. The idea of a Europe-wide Codex Alimentarius based on the Austrian model was actively pursued by Hans Frenzel of Austria between 1954 and 1958. Frenzel's work culminated in the creation of the Council of the Codex Alimentarius Europaeus in June 1958, under the joint sponsorship of the International Commission on Agricultural Industries and the International Bureau of Analytical Chemistry. In 1975, the committee for the Codex Alimentarius Austriacus was reorganized to conform with Austrian food laws, which have a reputation of being some of the strictest food laws in the world.

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Answer 8

Cold chain

Food safety

A cold chain is a temperature-controlled supply chain. An unbroken cold chain is an uninterrupted series of storage and distribution activities which maintain a given temperature range. It is used to help extend and ensure the shelf life of products such as fresh agricultural produce,seafood, frozen food, photographic film, chemicals, and pharmaceutical drugs. Such products, during transport and when in transient storage, are called cool cargo. Unlike other goods or merchandise, cold chain goods are perishable and always en route towards end use or destination, even when held temporarily in cold stores and hence commonly referred to as cargo during its entire logistics cycle.

Mobile refrigeration was innovated in 1940 by Frederick McKinley Jones, who founded Thermo King.

Cold chains are common in the food and pharmaceutical industries and also in some chemical shipments. One common temperature range for a cold chain in pharmaceutical industries is 2 to 8 °C (36 to 46 °F). but the specific temperature (and time at temperature) tolerances depend on the actual product being shipped. Unique to fresh produce cargoes, the cold chain requires to additionally maintain product specific environment parameters which include air quality levels (carbon dioxide, oxygen, humidity and others), which makes this the most complicated cold chain to operate.

This is important in the supply of vaccines to distant clinics in hot climates served by poorly developed transport networks. Disruption of a cold chain due to war may produce consequences similar to the smallpox outbreaks in the Philippines during the Spanish–American War.

There have been numerous events where vaccines have been shipped to third world countries with little to no cold chain infrastructure (Sub-Sahara Africa) where the vaccines were inactivated due to excess exposure to heat. Patients that thought they were being immunized, in reality were put at greater risk due to the inactivated vaccines they received. Thus great attention is now being paid to the entire cold chain distribution process to ensure that simple diseases can eventually be eradicated from society.

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Answer 9

Colony picker

A colony picker is an instrument used to automatically identify microbial colonies growing on a solid media, pick them and duplicate them either onto solid or liquid media. It is used in research laboratories as well as in industrial environments such as food testing and in microbiological cultures.

In food safety and in clinical diagnosis colony picking is used to isolate individual colonies for identification. Colony pickers automate this procedure, saving costs and personnel and reducing human error. In the drug discovery process they are used for screening purposes by picking thousands of microbial colonies and transferring them for further testing. Other uses include cloning procedures and DNA sequencing.

Colony pickers are sold either as stand-alone instruments or as add-ons to liquid handling robots, using the robot as the actuator and adding a camera and image analysis capabilities. This strategy lowers the price of the system considerably and adds reusability as the robot can still be used for other purposes.

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Answer 10

CommNet

Food safety

CommNet is an informal network of communications managers from European Union-funded research projects. It focuses on food quality and safety.

CommNet was established in early 2005 based on an initiative from the Network of Excellence CASCADE. It is an informal network and started with Communicators from about 15 different Integrated Projects and Networks of Excellence. Later, more projects have been added, and the network now counts more than 20 Framework Programme 6 projects supported by the European Commission Directorate General for Research’s Food Quality and Safety Programme.

About 3000 scientists are fully or partly engaged in the consortia forming the CommNet. The members of CommNet address common issues related to the design and implementation of communication activities within European Union’s funded projects in the health and food sector.

CommNet members are responsible for managing communication of EU food and health research with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), authorities, and other policy-makers that are stakeholders in Community research, European Commission officials, science journalists, especially those with special interest in the biosciences, ongoing FP6 consortia, newly FP6 research consortia, planned European Union Framework Programme 7 (FP7) research consortia and other groups interested in the management of science–society issues or communication of the biosciences.

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