Application of Food Safety Early Warning Systems: Industry Perspective

The emergence of new chemical and microbial risks in food, over the past twenty years, has led to profound changes in the way food products are manufactured and regulated. Major food fraud incidents, such as melamine, horse meat substitution for beef, and use of illegal food colorants, have led to urgent responses by regulatory authorities and manufacturers to protect consumers and the integrity of supply chains. While every single risk is difficult to foresee, it is possible to define a finite number of drivers associated with emerging risks. Understanding such drivers can help identify systemic risks in the food chain and can help to target action in the event of such risks being expressed. Factors influencing the emergence of new food risks include the growing complexity of the global food supply; differences in regulatory controls throughout the global supply chain; longer supply chains and more rapid distribution; fluctuations in commodity prices; developments in analytical science; consumer demands; differences in consumer vulnerability to foodborne hazards; growth in use of agricultural land for other uses (e.g., crops for biofuels, pharmaceuticals); climate change; and differences between risk perception by groups in society and scientists informed by risk assessment.

Early warning and rapid alert tools are now used in both the private and public sectors to detect and manage emerging issues. Tools include cross-functional communication technical networks, webscouting, vulnerability assessment of food chains, and rapid analytical screening technologies that can rapidly assess risk of the presence of undesirable agents. Such approaches have been shown to assist, greatly, in early management of issues; thereby, affording greater consumer protection. However, gaps remain in global coverage and in consistency of use of such tools.