By Marilyn Collins
Marilyn Collins is a former Director of the Government Analyst Food and Drugs Department. She is currently a lecturer at the University of Guyana
One of the primary threats to effective food safety control in Guyana is the fragmented administration of responsibilities. Various duties reside within different ministries and departments and there are no formal coordinating linkages. Accordingly, such collaboration as occurs is based on personal relationships, which are often unsustainable given the movement of persons either within the public service or out of the system altogether.
This absence of cohesion has often resulted in inefficient use of scarce human and material resources, counterproductive ‘turfism’ and petty jealousies that inevitably spawn a lack of consumer confidence in the food safety system. Invariably consumers are confused since it is unclear which department should address their concerns.
Effective food safety systems within countries are necessary to produce, access, and distribute safe food to the citizens. Effective food safety systems also build confidence in national public health systems, help alleviate poverty, facilitate trade and boost countries’ visitor profiles. These sentiments are supported by the 2008 World Bank World Development Report which states that “with the right policies, supportive investments at the local, national and global level, today’s agriculture offers the opportunity for millions of rural poor to move out of poverty.”
Accordingly, there is increased global advocacy for safer foods and water as countries strive to protect their citizens in ways that they cannot protect themselves. Food borne diseases remain responsible for high levels of morbidity and mortality in the general population but particularly for at-risk groups, including infants and young, children, the elderly and the immune compromised. As reported by the WHO, food and waterborne diseases are leading causes of illness and death in the developing countries, with a mortality rate of some 2.2 million each year, with 1.9 million being children.
Under-nourished children are also a vulnerable group at severe risk. Many of these illnesses and deaths are preventable, and the debilitating effects could be reduced through safe food and water and food security
The importance of food safety has increased significantly in recent years following a series of global events associated with outbreaks of pathogens such Escherichia coli O157:H7, hepatitis A, norovirus, zoonotic diseases such as foot and mouth disease, and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease), avian influenza, swine flu. In addition, foods can become contamination from the environment through pollution of the air, water and soil, with toxic metals, and dioxins, or through the intentional use of various chemicals, such as pesticides, animal drugs and other agrochemicals. The possibility and consequences of bioterrorism should also not be ignored as a potential food safety risk.
These diseases pose an economic burden on society and erosion of consumer confidence in the food supply. For instance medical costs and productivity losses from four major microbial pathogens alone amount to $8.3 billion annually in the USA. Other economic impact, such as losses due to food recalls of $200 million from tomatoes/peppers (salmonella); $66 million from peanut butter (salmonella); $25-60 million from spinach (E.coli); $40+ million from pet food recalls (melamine) and metal in macaroni $20 million.
Those economic consequences impact negatively both on the private sector and governments, the latter having to face macroeconomic effects that include productivity losses and increased health costs. Small and medium enterprises in the agri-business sector are disproportionately affected by post-harvest losses, loss of domestic and export markets, absenteeism and loss of productivity.
How can Guyana raise its food safety profile to ensure that the populace is adequately protected and at the same time while simultaneously meeting the requirements for international trade in foods? An efficient food safety system must incorporate the entire farm to table continuum. This requires an integrated approach among government and all segments and sectors of the food industry. What is required is the reorganization of the food safety regime to ensure effective coordination amongst the various food safety institutions. It may well be worth considering the creation of a National Food Authority in order to eliminate, once and for all, the duplication of effort and inefficiencies that currently obtain and allow for the development of a one-stop shop on food safety-related matters. This can be accomplished through the establishment of an overarching body overseeing the departments with the varied responsibilities for food safety.
Another model might embrace the consolidation and modernization of a well-trained multidisciplinary inspectorate with competence to manage the entire food chain through the application of standardized procedures and protocols. This will involve the implementation of best systems and practices such as the application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) quality assurance systems, and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) food safety management systems. The model will guarantee that inspection systems are harmonized and efficiently utilized, preventing duplications and unregulated areas. This model could also be utilized to assess commodities from the farm to the table identifying hazards and risks, and addressing all concerns to ensure a safe and quality product. Further, it can be applied in the standardization of training to embrace best practices in food hygiene and inspection, thereby ensuring the uniform application of food safety measures and protocols.
Even as Guyana seeks to address the primary threats to its food safety regime, new ones are emerging within the global food-chain. Climate change, new technologies and environmental pollution caused by agri-chemicals are among the issues that we will have to face in the future. Globalization is also expected to increase the likelihood of new and re-emerging risks from pathogens and zoonotic diseases. In addition, food technology and scientific innovations are expected to change plant and animal disease distribution and impact on the use of agri-chemicals.
Food safety standards differ internationally and inspection of imports are likely to become an increasingly demanding pursuit. In effect, poor countries could become even more vulnerable to food-borne diseases. Moreover, with developed countries constantly upgrading their legislation to create more robust food safety regimes (the USA’s Food Safety Modernization Act, is a good example) exporting developing countries will be further challenged to raise their game.
The circumstances demand that countries seeking to access lucrative markets in developed countries remain abreast of changing standards.
