Dar seafood ppp standard

1. Introduction

1.1 Food safety is a public health issue

Food-borne illness is a significant public health issue. In Australia, a national survey of gastroenteritis during 2001-02² estimated that 5.4 million cases are due to contaminated food, resulting in the loss of 6.5 million days of paid work. This means that about one in four Australians get sick annually from eating unsafe food.

On the basis of these findings, together with costing data from a previous study³, the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing has estimated that food-borne illness comes at a substantial economic and social cost to the Australian community – estimated at $3.75 billion annually.
Food-borne illness impacts on health, consumer confidence in the food supply as well as on local and global trade in food. It is therefore important for consumers, industry, and governments that effective measures are put in place to ensure the safety of food.
The public is increasingly aware of the potential health risks posed by pathogenic micro-organisms and chemical substances in the food supply. Such challenges to food safety must be met by a fully effective food safety system that protects public health, builds confidence of consumers in the food supply and has a positive effect on food trade. Such a system needs to have capacity to meet future challenges. Food safety regulation should also be sensitive to, and supportive of, the needs of the food industry. It should result in the lowest achievable regulatory costs on industry and facilitate industry innovation and growth. In order to achieve these dual aims of consumer protection and industry support, it needs to be based on sound scientific evidence and be commensurate with the risks.
Since 1996, international agreements have resulted in the World Trade Organization (WTO) being an interested party in the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which is responsible for developing international food standards. Those agreements have significantly changed approaches to food safety by all WTO members, including Australia, as they oblige Member States to set health and safety standards on the grounds of protecting public health. Such standards must be justified by a sound, scientific risk assessment.
Australia’s approach to food safety, modelled on international principles, addresses food safety across the entire food chain and manages hazards that pose a significant risk to public health. Australia takes a preventive approach to managing food safety and national standards are framed to achieve outcomes, rather than prescribe approaches, to provide businesses with flexibility in how they achieve the outcomes.