Scotland - Pool bug outbreak fuels call for tough water rules
22 Dec 2007
The Scotsman - Frank Urquhart
Strict new water quality regulations are, according to this story, needed for public swimming pools, according to a long-awaited report into a serious outbreak of a stomach bug at a council-owned facility. The story says that a total of 50 suspected cases of cryptosporidiosis linked to the Eastwood Pool in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, were reported to health officials in September and October 2003. The illness is caused by the cryptosporidium parasite, which can survive for long periods in water. It can lead to vomiting, fever, stomach cramps and diarrhoea. The report also pointed out that swimming pools throughout Britain are currently only subject to guidelines issued by the Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group. The authors recommend that new swimming pool and spa regulations – enforceable under updated health and safety legislation – should be established in keeping with other European countries.

Turkey – Istanbul - Hygienic slaughterhouses for feast
27 Nov 2007
Today's Zaman
A “National Sacrifice Feast Initiative” has, according to this story, been drawn up by a number of civil society organizations to prevent unhygienic scenarios in the approaching Eid-ul Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice or Kurban Bayrami). Clean slaughterhouses consistent with good standards of hygiene will be set up during the Feast of the Sacrifice. The measures to be taken under the initiative include setting up clean slaughterhouses consistent with hygienic standards. The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality will establish temporary slaughterhouses this year as well. The measures in the initiative were determined at a “Sacrifice Workshop,” held jointly on Monday by the EU Veterinary Platform and the Public Health Research Center. The initiative noted that long-term solutions should be sought to address the issues of animal health, animal rights and the environment instead of short-term solutions as in the past. Meanwhile, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality will put seven slaughterhouses into service during the feast. Only certified butchers will perform slaughters at these temporary sites.

Five years on, EUROPEAN Food Safety Authority EFSA looks to the future
23 Nov 2007
Drinks Media Wire
The Summit on Food Safety organised today in Brussels by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), jointly with the Portuguese Presidency and the European Commission, marks the first five years since the agency was created. EFSA brought together decision makers from European institutions, EU Member States and stakeholders to debate the future of food and feed safety in Europe. The Summit closed a week’s activities kicked off by a Scientific Forum covering scientific issues from chemical and biological risks to nanotechnology. Since EFSA’s foundation, much has changed in food and feed safety. The Summit provided an opportunity for key decision makers and actors in the EU food safety system, to reflect on experience gained over the past five years and to consider a number of recommendations for the years ahead. Europe’s food safety watchdog is in a strong position to assist risk managers in developing co-ordinated policies regarding food and feed safety. EFSA provides independent scientific advice and clear communications to all interested parties on existing and emerging risks. EFSA aims to deliver the best science at the right time and in the most appropriate manner. This can only be achieved through effective pooling of the wide scientific expertise available in Europe and beyond. EFSA’s workload is on the increase. EFSA’s scientific co-operation strategy with Member States will further enhance both the quality and the efficiency of the EU risk assessment system. EFSA’s goal is to become globally recognised as the European reference body for risk assessment in food and feed safety, animal health and welfare, nutrition, plant protection and plant health. To this end, EFSA is pursuing its international outreach and has signed an information exchange agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to facilitate co-operation. The Authority intends to follow this approach with other organisations beyond the EU, such as Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Assisted by some of the best scientific minds in Europe, EFSA will carry on providing advice arising from its core work, including food additives and food contact materials, biological hazards, contaminants, GMOs, nutrition, animal health and welfare, plant protection and plant health.
EFSA is also geared up to prepare for future challenges and emerging risks, working closely with national food authorities and sharing information with stakeholders and international partners beyond Europe’s borders.
And it is with an eye to the future that EFSA is taking on new scientific tasks in 2008 to support the European Commission in the field of nutrition. EFSA will provide scientific advice on nutrition and health claims to ensure that these are based on sound science. This advice will help risk managers protect consumers in authorising claims which are both meaningful and accurate. Among those opinions, EFSA demonstrated its vigilance by providing swift advice on the safety of goat meat and milk following the first, and what proved to be the only case, of BSE in a goat in 2005. As an independent source of scientific advice and communications, EFSA looks forward to strengthening its outreach to EU citizens through close co-operation with all actors involved. For more background information about the European Food Safety Authority, go to: http://www.efsa.europa.eu

United Kingdom - New scheme to improve local food safety and enhancing community nutrition
26 Oct 2007
NHS Network
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a new awards scheme for local authorities, to acknowledge the important role they play in improving local food safety and standards and in enhancing community diet and nutrition. The ‘Food Champion’ scheme will ask local authorities across England and Wales to submit applications detailing the initiatives put in place. Winning local authorities will have demonstrated good practice and a shown commitment to making the local community a better place to live. The Food Standards Agency will give feedback as part of the application process which can provide valuable information for future improvements.


European Union - EU says may ban BRAZIL meat over health concerns
09 Oct 2007 Reuters
European Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou was cited as telling members of the European Parliament Tuesday that the European Union may resort to a ban on Brazilian meat imports if the South American agricultural giant does not improve food safety standards, adding, "We do identify weaknesses in Brazil and we have put pressure on Brazil to respond. If the situation does not improve in the timeframe, which is by the end of the year, we will take whatever measures necessary, including the possibility of a ban." Irish farmers have been pressing the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, to get tough with their competitors in Brazil for what they say are substandard conditions. The Brazilian government and the country's farming industry deny the claims of use of illegal growth hormones and say Brazil is implementing the recommendations of EU animal health officials who visited the country in March.

Using Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA) in Food Safety Management
07 Oct 2007
ILSI Europe - Anna Lammerding
Guidelines and principles for microbiological risk assessment (MRA) have been elaborated through the role of the Codex Alimentarius Commission as the recognised standard-setting body for safe foods in international trade. The focus of the workshop reported on here was to build up a good understanding (i) of the variety of microbiological risk assessment (MRA) approaches developed by different risk assessors since this methodology began to evolve (mid-1990s) and (ii) of the purpose and context of individual MRAs. Based on that understanding, the workshop intended to discuss two aspects that are important for an MRA to be useful: utility (related to the usefulness regarding the purpose an MRA has been developed for) and validity (the trueness or correctness of an MRA). The workshop was held using a format of presentations in plenary sessions, providing case examples of different approaches to MRAs and different contexts/purposes for the development of MRAs, and breakout group discussions on specific aspects of utility and validity.


United Kingdom - Bad hygiene ratings at sixty food outlets
06 Oct 2007
RSS News - Marc Meneaud
Food hygiene standards at more than 60 catering outlets across Bradford district, UK, have, according to this story, been graded very poor and their staff had "little or no appreciation of food safety." The results released and posted on the website www.scoresonthedoors.org, give each outlet a grading of between none and five stars. They show that of 1,694 inspected altogether, including residential homes and schools that serve food, 62 have been given a no star' rating.
Ratings for all the catering outlets the inspectors visited are available at www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk

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