Risk Assessment in food

LUNA-CARRASCO, J., SIGNORINI-PORCHIETTO, M., DÍAZ-GARCÍA, R. & ORDOÑEZ-MÉNDEZ, L.B.

International Life Science Institute

Lugar: México, D.F.; Año: 2009 p. 43

978-607001385-0

Food safety is a fundamental issue in public health for all countries. Foodborne disease (FBD) Illness transmitted by foods (ITF) as a result of microbial pathogen, biotoxins and chemical contaminant represents serious threat for health for millions of people. In past decades had been documented in all continents serious ITF outbreaks, it shows the social and public health importance (FAO, 2004). Related to this, can be highlighted the case of adulterated rapeseed oil (Spain, 1981), the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy commonly known as mad-cow disease (England, 1986), contaminated apples with ALAR insecticide (USA, 1991), birds contaminated with dioxins (Belgium, 1999) and a list of less transcendence cases (Alvarez-Pinilla y col., 2002). However, is probable that these outbreaks be only the more visible aspect of a wider and persistent problem. These illnesses not only impact significantly in public health and well-being but have economic consequences for the person, families, communities, companies and countries; and also impose considerable burden for the health systems and reduce the economic productivity (Keene, 2006). The integration and concentration of food sector and the trade globalization of foods are changing the guidelines for its production and distribution. The products destined for human and animal diet arrive until much more distant places that in the past, it creates the propitious conditions for spreading of ITF (FAO, 2004; Baird-Parker, 1994). On the other hand, the accesses of the countries to the exportation markers of foods will continue depending of its capacity for fulfill the regulation requirements of importing countries. The creation and support of its food products demand in the world trade presuppose the trust by importers and consumers in the integrity of the food systems (FAO, 2004). Until time recently, the majority of the systems aimed at regulate the food safety are based on legal definitions of harmless food. Regulation compliance programs for remove from market innocuousness food and sanctions for the responsible parts after the facts. These traditional systems are incapable of respond to present and emerging challenges for food security because they do not afford and do not stimulate a preventive approach. Is impossible offer an adequate protection for the consumer restricting only to take samples and analyze the final product. The introduction of preventive measures in all phases of the food production and distribution chain has more economic sense, because the inadequate products could be localized in a previous point of the chain. In accordance with the fact that the dangers can be introduced in the agri-food chain from the first phases (farms) and can continue introducing and aggravating in any of the points of the chain, the present programs of food safety are center more and more in focus from the farm to the fork as the most effective means of reduce the hazards transmitted by food (FAO, 2004). In the last decade, there was a transition toward the risk assessment based on a better scientific knowledge of Illness transmitted by food and its causes. This approach provides a base of prevention for the regulatory measures for food safety both national and international level (Hoornstra and Notermans, 2001). The solution problem lie in reduce hazards. It seems logical think that the zero risk is not demanded but desirable. Therefore, since regrettably the absolute protection cannot exist, the consumers should be willing to assume some risk. Certainly the debate rotates on which that level of risk is. And if we asked the consumers most of them they will respond that the possible minimum. However, as McKinney (1994) said: “Should spent big quantities of money in reducing a risk?” Since the dilemma is in fact a problem of risks, the regulation in this matter tries to reduce them, but for it is necessary to know in the first place which they are and then to determine an acceptable level of exposure. The first level of risk should be calculated for scientific community, is there where begin the Risk Assessment.