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tinue to develop and fine-tune the food control
system assessment tool. To date, the tool has
been tested in 8 countries. The experiences
and feedback from the first field testing is being
used to improve and update the tool. To facilitate the more widespread use of the FAO/WHO
Assessment Tool, training is envisaged to develop a pool of reliable facilitators.
Whole Genome Sequencing: FAO/WHO/OIE
jointly organized a side event during last year's
session of Codex Alimentarius Commission
entitled "WGS and food safety: potential relevance to the work of Codex" on 28 June 2016 at
FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy. The final report
is available at http://www.fao.org/3/a-bp080e.
pdf. A side event is organized at this year's
session of Codex CAC at WHO HQ in Geneva,
Switzerland. Other technical reports available for
meetings in Singapore and Washington.
WHO IHR and emergency preparedness and
response: The INFOSAN Secretariat responded
to 38 international food safety emergencies in
2016, facilitating rapid communication among
INFOSAN members. INFOSAN members'
knowledge and capabilities to participate actively in the Network has been further developed
through the delivery of awareness webinars,
an 8-part Technical Webinar Series and online
emergency simulation exercises.
Scientific advice. JEMRA work is currently
focussing on STEC and clean water. STEC: 2
source attribution studies are currently underway as well as the development of a paper on
hazard characterization of STEC, as a means
to support food safety management on STEC.
These will be considered at an expert consultation in September this year. On clean water:
concerns how to operationalise the Codex
guidance of using clean water defined as water
which should not compromise the safety of the
food in the context of its use. Focus is on 3
specific areas - water for horticulture/produce -
(farm level and post-harvest), post-harvest water
use in the fishery sector including on board and
water re-use within processing facilities.
Fish and seafood related issues. FAO and
WHO completed work on Toxicity Equivalent
Factors for biotoxins in seafood (see http://www.
fao.org/3/ai5168e.pdf). Some emerging and
re-emerging issues that we are now starting to
look into include the Issue of nanoplastics and
Ciguatera - an expanding problem due to climate change.
Other resources: Global Food Consumption
Databases prototype (http://www.fao.org/
gift-individual-food-consumption/en/); Chronic
Individual Food Consumption Summary
Statistics platform (http://www.who.int/foodsafety/databases/en/. Food loss and waste (http://
www.fao.org/food-loss-and-food-waste/en/);
FAO/WHO Diagnostic Tool for Assessing Status
of National Codex Programmes (in English,
Spanish, French and Russian) at http://www.fao.
org/documents/card/en/c/9e9bc818-0622456ab673-01a878061579/; FAO Food Labelling

to Protect Consumers Handbook: http://www.
fao.org/3/ai6575e.pdf. FAO Enhancing Early
Warning Capabilities and Capacities for Food
Safety http://www.fao.org/3/ai5168e.pdf.
* International Food Safety Day: The 40th session of FAO Conference which closes today
adopted a draft resolution, to be transmitted to
the Secretary-General of the United Nations
with a view to having the General Assembly of
the United Nations consider, at is next session,
declaring June 7th as World Food Safety Day.
* Future outlook: See the full update notes available to members for the range of forthcoming
priorities and activities.
Codex: Jenny Scott reminded the meeting that
Codex Committee for Food Hygiene was undertaking a major revision of the General Principles
for Good Hygiene, integrating the current HACCP
annex in the main body.
FSPCA/FSMA: Update by Jason Wan (also on
behalf of PC Vasavada). Jason introduced FSPCA's
training program for FSMA's Preventative controls of
human and animal foods, informing the meeting on
the progress training qualified individuals and lead
instructors in U.S. and abroad. A 500-page manual
is available and translations are being made available.
COMBASE. Mark Tamplin updated on international
developments of Combase, which is actively
engaging food microbiology groups across the
globe. USDA and UTAS Tasmania lead the group.
There is a new advisory group and Mark looks for
scientists interested in joining the scientific panel.
Some regions are not yet included. Translation of
Combase on the wayodex.

Regional Updates:
a.

b.
c.

Roger Cook informed the meeting of the establishment of the virtual "New Zealand Food Safety
Science & Research Centre" in 2016, of which the
1st anniversary meeting was held earlier in July.
IAFP Members Arie Havelaar and Leon Gorris are
on the International Science Advisory Board which
aims to build up an excellence science capability in
food safety to support industry as well as authorities. Roger noted the multiple challenges that chemical contaminant in food pose locally and in trade,
signalling the need for globally harmonized methodologies for analyzing chemical contaminants and
managing low level contaminants. He accounted of
a DNA test and two markers that have been identified for the Manuka honey in view of adulteration
problems.
Deon Mahoney noted Australia's food safety system
had now achieved mutual recognition with the USA
and the continuing concerns regarding raw milk.
Panos Skandamis from Greece, who is a member
of the Biohaz panel of the European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA) gave an overview of EFSA activities and outputs: i.e., guidance on the requirements of the microbiological criteria, working on
a guidance for risk managers and risk assessors;
guidance for risk ranking, Listeria monocytogenes
risk assessment, opinion on HACCP for small retail
businesses; report on growth of spoilage bacteria.
For more details, see: http://www.efsa.europa.eu.
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http://www.fao.org/3/ai6575e.pdf http://www.fao.org/3/ai6575e.pdf http://www.fao.org/3/ai5168e.pdf http://www.fao.org/3/a-bp080e.pdf http://www.fao.org/3/a-bp080e.pdf http://www.fao.org/3/ai5168e.pdf http://www.fao.org/3/ai5168e.pdf http://www.fao.org/ http://www.who.int/foodsafety/databases/en/ http://www.fao.org/food-loss-and-food-waste/en/ http://www.who.int/foodsafety/databases/en/ http://www.fao.org/food-loss-and-food-waste/en/ http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/9e9bc818-0622456a-b673-01a878061579/ http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/9e9bc818-0622456a-b673-01a878061579/ http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/9e9bc818-0622456a-b673-01a878061579/ http://www.efsa.europa.eu

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