Food Protection Trends - November 2008 - 827

from microbiological limits, and are outcome-based, rather than prescriptive. Dr. Paul Young (Waters Corporation) presented the interpretation of regulatory requirements in Japan. Seventy percent of Japanese consumers consider food safety as the most important factor affecting the purchasing decision, while only eight percent are concerned about the price. Furthermore, more than sixty percent of the caloric intake of Japanese consumers is imported form other countries. Japanese food safety standards are strict. For example, more than 10% of imported foods are tested for human health hazards, including more than 60 chemical substances, (compared to approximately 1% testing in the US). Companies that violate food safety standard may be restricted from exportation of foods to Japan; in some instances, foods form a whole country may be restricted from entering Japan. Dr. Pekka Pakkala (Finnish Food Safety Authority) described the structure of the Finnish food safety authority (a single agency) and its role in regulating of unsafe foods in collaboration with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Finnish food control agencies may consider foods unfit for human consumption when it poses health risks or because of the ethical reasons (for example, cats or dogs can not be used for food). He also described functions of Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) system, which allows the European food safety agencies to exchange of information on procedures performed to ensure food safety. The roundtable discussion covered the role of the EFSA in food legislation and food law, the effect of the RASFF notifications on the consumer confidence, and measures to ensure the safety of imported foods in Australia. There was a discussion on the effectiveness and mechanisms of implementation of the US food recall system. Food recalls are voluntary in the US, but the federal agencies have the authority to cease the unsafe/mislabeled product if it is not recalled by the manufacturer. The recalled foods are generally destroyed, but in some instances may undergo further processing to ensure its safety. trains. The travel industry wants to use recreational guidelines for non-drinking water (200 E. coli /100 mL) and also to provide bottled water for drinking. Issues such as the lack of consistency in guidelines and regulations in terms of drinking water were discussed. Joseph Cotruvo of Water, Environmental and Public health spoke on the US v. International Water Potability Standards. The World Health Organization has guidelines (not standards) for water potability. These standards are not always enforced by the government and these non-uniform guidelines ultimately affect the food industry. The WHO, EPA and Health Canada have similar guidelines for water potability, however, since they are not the same, they could allow for problems with the transport of food products from various countries. This difference of standard amongst countries affects both the health and aesthetic aspects of water. Drinking water regulations and their application to the food industry was discussed by Jennifer Best of the EPA. The Safe Drinking Water Act authorizes the EPA to set health standards for drinking water, however, public water systems are not responsible for ensuring the safety of water which would ultimately be used in food. As a measure and precaution, the FDA requires water used in the food industry to meet EPA standards. It was suggested that further emphasis needs to be placed on the issue of water quality and HACCP systems should incorporate this aspect in future developments. Kathleen Rajkowski (USDA) highlighted the use of reconditioned and reused water in the food industry. Regulatory requirements for water supply and water, ice and solution reuse outlined by the FSIS 9 CFR 416.2 (g) document offer manufacturers a guideline to the various uses and restrictions of this type of water. Focus was also placed on the ability of Gram negative bacteria to survive in reconditioned water at a temperature range of 21oC to 37oC. Attention was brought to faults in the Sanitation Performance Standards Fruit and Vegetable Program which in spite of following a HACCP plan, did not adequately deal with the issue of water supply. rt6 – Water: Potability vs. Drinkability Kirsten A. Hirneisen, University of Delaware and Stacey-Marie Syne, University of the West Indies Water quality ultimately affects the quality and safety of food products along the entire food supply chain from farm to fork, however, the standard for water quality in food is defined in imprecise terms. Water is an important aspect of food being involved in both food preparation and food composition. In his talk entitled “Legal v. Illegal Aspects of Potability”, David Bennitz of Health Canada discussed water regulations of Canada for transportation commodities such as airplanes and t1 – Pathogens, Beverages and Water technical Session Marjorie Fullerton, Alabama A&M University and Heather Totty, Virginia Tech Faith Critzer (University of Tennessee) started off the session with a very informative presentation on the “Expression of the Urease Operon in Escherichia coli O157:H7 Treated with 0.5% Sodium Benzoate.” Critzer’s presentation showed that at 60 minutes, the enzyme’s activity increased 2 fold in the structure subunits while there was a 4-fold increase regarding the accessory proteins. NOVEMBER 2008 | FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS 827

Food Protection Trends - November 2008

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