Food Protection Trends - November 2010 - 695

not only safe food but also animal health and welfare as well as and plant health. The system ensures that food is traced from the farm to the table. High standards are set for both domestic and imported foods. The food safety system is based on three core elements, which are legislation (safety of food and feed), sound science (advice on decision making) and enforcement and control. The system is based on a precautionary principle. The objective of the symposium was to discuss (1) EU legislative requirements and control and (2) how EU food producers fulfill the legislative requirements. Germany was used as an example to illustrate the food safety system within the EU. Emphasis was placed on Lower Saxony, a major agrarian center in Germany. Feed and food control in Germany is handled by two departments, namely (1) Federal Ministry of Nutrition, Agriculture and (2) Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety. The former deals with risk evaluation and communication whereas the latter handles risk management. Lower Saxony is the biggest agrarian location in Germany, with a population of 8 million. It has 2.7 million cattle, 9.7 million pigs, and 88 million poultry. The area has about 6000 farms and 3000 feed producers. Lower Saxony includes 42 local veterinary and food control authorities, which are responsible for the inspection of feed and food businesses, and slaughterhouses. These authorities perform three tasks: consulting and service tasks, execution tasks and analysis. Consulting and service tasks deal with the institution of concepts for consumer protection. Execution tasks handle surveillance issues and approval for such things as setting up of businesses and animal experiments. Analysis involves testing of products and the development of improved methods. Within Lower Saxony, 5 food products are sampled per 1000 inhabitants per year. Most of the samples tend to be fresh meat and meat products, which account for 18% of food samples investigated. Defects that are commonly observed are hygiene (major defect), HACCP problems (lack of staff training), mislabeling, poor layout, and defects other than microbiological in the composition of the product. Food items usually implicated in complaints are meat and meat products, alcohol, egg and egg products, sweets, and fats and oils. Some of the problems associated with meat and meat products are ham imitation, less meat, and added water. The German Institute of Food Technology also provides support to producers and regulators in terms of product and process development, quality management, chemical and microbial analysis, research and consulting. The watchword within the EU setting is that the onus is on the producer to ensure the safety of the food that it puts on the market.

S19 — International Food Safety Policies
Cancelled.

S20 — Food Packaging Technology: Opportunities and Challenges That Enhance Food Safety Karleigh Huff and Srinivasarao Bandla
This session covered food safety with respect to the world of food packaging. The first speaker, Joseph Hotchkiss of Michigan State University, discussed opportuni-

ties to enhance food safety using packaging technology. Food packaging may reduce the risk of hazards in food such as loss of nutritional value, presence of pathogens, trace toxicants, and physical hazards. For example, food packaging allows for a modified atmosphere to reduce growth of spoilage microorganisms and aerobic pathogens. Antimicrobial additives that absorb microorganisms or interfere with their growth may also be added to packages. Challenges in food safety also occur with some food packaging technology. For example, a package with a reduced oxygen atmosphere may suppress growth of aerobic pathogens, but also allow anaerobic pathogens to grow with little competition. John Spink of Michigan State University spoke of current food packaging technologies and their impact on minimizing the risk of intentional tampering and bioterrorism. This presentation focused on food fraud, especially economically motivated crimes. Constructing countermeasures to intentional food adulteration is an involved and complicated process. It includes focusing on the root of criminal risk factors through intelligence, and harmonizing the efforts of the many parties involved with preventing, detecting, or responding to the crime. Forrest Bayer of The Coca-Cola Company presented a seminar on packaging materials and associated risk assessments, challenges, and global regulatory approaches. Packaging migrants and their association with food was a major focus. So long as there is packaging, there will be migrants. Public perception of migrants in food is often formed through misinformation, and conclusions about migrants are shaped without scientific fact. The importance of educating the consumer was emphasized. The regulatory process used by the FDA to ensure the safety of food packaging materials was discussed by Michelle Twaroski, from the Food Packaging Division of the FDA. Food packaging material is viewed as an indirect food additive, because materials in the packaging migrate into the food. The processes that must be followed when applying to the FDA with a new material include chemical assessments, exposure assessments, and toxicity assessments. This information is used to establish an acceptable daily intake amount that can be consumed with reasonable certainty that no harm will result. The final speaker, Robert Brackett, Vice President and Director of the National Center for Food Safety and Technology, covered the future of nanotechnology in packaging. Dr. Brackett spoke specifically of nanoparticles and their potential in food packaging, including functionality, sustainability, and antimicrobial potential. Nanoparticles have unique properties that often differ from those of their larger counterparts. For this reason, more regulatory scrutiny is necessary to assure the safety of nanoparticles in packaging. Open communication is also important for nanotechnology to be accepted by the public. The session concluded with a question-and-answer panel, with the guest speakers monitored by Albert Elboudwarej of the National Food Laboratory. The panel encouraged engaging consumers with issues involving food-packaging technology. Food safety is linked closely with food packaging, with great potential to have a positive impact.

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Food Protection Trends - November 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - November 2010