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.

1.2 Australian food standards

The Code sets standards for chemical and microbiological safety, composition and labelling of food, approves new foods and foods using new technologies, and establishes food safety standards for the hygienic production and handling of food.

The existing food safety standards apply from processing and manufacturing through to the retail sector of the food chain. However, these food safety provisions do not apply to primary production.
In 2000, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed to major changes to the food regulatory system. As part of these changes, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) received a mandate to address food safety across the entire food chain where appropriate⁴. This facilitates a preventive approach to significant food safety risks across the food supply chain.
FSANZ must adhere to specific legislative requirements and guidelines when developing food standards, and receives policy guidance from the Ministerial Council.
Further details about the policy and regulatory framework for the development of food standards is contained at Attachment 2.
In December 2003, the Ministerial Council developed Ministerial Policy Guidelines for Food Safety Management in Australia, whereby food safety programs were made mandatory for identified highest risk sectors where the benefit to cost ratio justified their implementation. These Ministerial Guidelines identify specific high-risk business sectors where food safety programs should be made a mandatory regulatory requirement in accordance with Standard 3.2.1 of Chapter 3 of the Code. These were:

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  food service in which potentially hazardous food is served to vulnerable populations (e.g. hospitals and nursing homes);
  
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  producing, harvesting, processing and distributing raw bivalve molluscs
  
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  catering operations serving food to the general public; and
  
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  producing manufactured and fermented meat.
  

The Ministerial Council noted in its Guidelines that in relation to raw bivalve molluscs, FSANZ would address this sector in the Draft Assessment process for the primary production and processing Standard for seafood.

It is within this context that FSANZ is developing the first primary production and processing Standard for the seafood sector in Australia. The principle purpose of FSANZ’s food standards is to protect public health and safety (and may also address consumer information needs) under the objectives for standard-setting under the FSANZ Act. In developing this Standard, FSANZ must follow its statutory standard-setting processes to implement the decision of the Ministerial Council in relation to bivalve molluscs.

2. Background

2.1 The seafood sector

The seafood industry is the fourth largest sector of the Australian food industry (by value) after beef, wheat and milk. The gross value of production (GVP) during 2000-01 was $2.44 billion⁵. Since 1992, the GVP has increased, on average, by 10 per cent per annum⁶. Approximately 87 per cent of the value and 34 per cent of the edible volume of Australian seafood production is exported.

At 11 million square kilometres, the Australian fishing zone is the third largest in the world. Most wild fish stocks are fished at their optimal sustainable level, with aquaculture making an increasing contribution to the industry. Between 1991-92 and 2001-2, aquaculture was responsible for approximately 24 per cent of the total volume of seafood produced in Australia.
During 2001-02, 186,777 tonnes of seafood were produced in Australia, covering approximately 600 marine and freshwater seafood species. Approximately 66 per cent was consumed domestically, with the remainder exported. A further 144,474 tonnes were imported, mainly from Thailand and New Zealand.
Further details about the seafood sector, its nature and the value and volume of production, can be found at Attachment 3.