Selected Countries Have a Comprehensive, Risk- Based Approach to Import Safety

The selected countries have a comprehensive, risk-based approach to  ensuring the safety of imported food that focuses on the entire food supply  chain, from “farm to table.”  The selected countries emphasize prevention,  placing primary responsibility for food safety on food producers, with  government bodies providing oversight. The selected countries also take steps to ensure certain  food imports meet equivalent food safety standards. The Selected Countries’ Food Safety Systems Are Based on Farm-To-Table Oversight

The selected countries have generally adopted a farm-to-table approach,  under which the entire food production process is regulated, starting with  how animals are raised on the farm and ending when food reaches the  final consumer. In the EU, for example, food products of  animal origin imported from non-EU countries must meet standards at  least equivalent to those of the EU for food quality and hygiene. Selected Countries and the EU Cite Key Elements of Food Systems as Critical to Effectively Responding to Outbreaks of Foodborne Illness

The selected countries reported that three elements of their food safety  systems are critical in helping them respond to outbreaks of foodborne  illness. These elements include traceback procedures, cooperative  arrangements between government veterinarians and public health  officials, and mandatory recall authority. EU Requirement That All Foods Be Traceable May Accelerate the Identification of an Outbreak Source

All food must be traceable “one step forward and one step back” in EU  member states, allowing industry and national governments to quickly  track any questionable food products to minimize harm to public health  and reduce the economic impact on industry. All of the Selected Countries Have Mandatory Recall Authority

All of the selected countries have mandatory recall authority—the legal  authority to remove, or require another party to remove, a product from  the market. The Selected Countries Have Not Evaluated Their Reorganized Food Safety Systems, but Proxy Measures Indicate Improvements

None of the countries we reviewed had comprehensively evaluated the  effectiveness of its reorganized food safety system, but most of the  selected countries track certain indicators, such as the number of  inspections conducted, enforcement actions taken, and foodborne illness  outbreaks. Most of these countries had also assessed specific aspects of  the country’s food safety system. Furthermore, most of these countries  use proxy measures, such as public opinion surveys, to assess  effectiveness. In the UK, the National Audit Office (GAO’s UK counterpart) conducted an  audit of the Food Standards Agency in 2003 and found that the agency had  made progress in its stated objective of improving public confidence in  food safety and standards. Several of the countries, including Canada, Japan, the  Netherlands, and the UK, have surveyed their consumers on their views of  the food safety system. Food Safety Officials in Other Countries Identified Issues of Future Concern

Experts in the six countries and the EU identified a number of challenges  related to food safety that they expect to face over the next decade, with  climate change the most frequently identified challenge. This  official also said that mandatory recall is rarely used precisely “because it  is there.”  According to a Canadian industry representative, the mandatory  food recall process is an important part of the food safety system because  it is the last stop in the supply chain. Specifically, the operator  must be able to document the names and addresses of the suppliers and  customers, as well as the nature of the product and date of delivery. Recent incidents. Member states have more leeway on  how they define risk. The reorganization separated risk  assessment from risk management. The EU’s Food and Veterinary Office has also conducted a number of  audits of various aspects of the Irish food safety system. In  2005, for example, the office audited Irish import controls and border  inspection posts. Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

Response. Japanese officials did not identify any major outbreaks  of foodborne illness. The industry representative told us that a 2006 reorganization of  VWA that moved meat inspectors out of VWA and into private, accredited  inspection firms that VWA audits has been successful, in that “people with  the right qualifications are doing their job well.”

		Other Relevant Issues

According to VWA documents, the agency is concerned with the following  ongoing and future challenges to the country’s food safety system:     climate change, including the potential for new foodborne viruses,  mycotoxins (molds), new pathogens, and new plants and insects that can  lead to threats to the food chain;    demographic change, such as immigration, and the impact of age on risks  (children and the elderly tend to be more susceptible to illness than  others);    sociocultural trends, including changes in lifestyle and behavior and the    globalization (large-scale movements of humans, animals, and goods  increase the risk of the introduction and rapid spread of pathogens); and    changes in production and processing based on new technologies, such as  nanotechnology, genetically modified organisms, and decontamination  technologies. Inspections. Public opinion surveys.
Why GAO Did This Study

Like other nations, the United States faces growing food safety challenges resulting from at least three major trends. First, imported food makes up a growing share of the food supply. Second, consumers are increasingly eating foods that are raw or have had minimal processing and that are often associated with foodborne illness. Third, changing demographic patterns mean that more of the U.S. population is, and increasingly will be, susceptible to foodborne illness. In 2005, GAO reported on the approaches and challenges seven countries faced in reorganizing and consolidating food safety functions. Since then, the European Union (EU) has taken on a larger role in overseeing food safety within its 27 member states. GAO was asked to describe how Canada, the EU, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom (UK) (1) ensure the safety of imported food, (2) respond to outbreaks of foodborne illness, and (3) measure the effectiveness of their reorganized food safety systems. GAO also asked experts in these countries and the EU to identify emerging food safety challenges that they expect to face over the next decade. In doing this work, GAO did not evaluate the countries' management of their food safety systems or explicitly compare their efforts with those of the United States.

What GAO Found

The countries GAO examined have a comprehensive approach to ensuring the safety of imported food. Specifically, they focus on the entire food supply chain, from "farm to table;" place primary responsibility for food safety on producers; separate risk assessment and risk management; use a risk-based inspection system; and take steps to ensure that certain food imports meet equivalent safety standards. Under the farm-to-table approach, for example, food safety laws cover every stage of the food production process, starting with how animals are raised and ending when food reaches the consumer. All countries GAO reviewed focus import inspections on the foods likeliest to pose the greatest risk. The EU, for example, requires that all imports of live animals and products of animal origin--which are considered high risk--enter the EU through approved border inspection posts. Several of the selected countries reported that three elements of their food safety systems are critical in helping them respond to outbreaks of foodborne illness. These elements are traceback procedures, cooperative arrangements between government veterinarians and public health officials, and mandatory recall authority. In EU member states, all food must be traceable "one step forward and one step back" so industry and government can quickly track any food products to minimize harm to public health and reduce the economic impact on industry. Food and feed business operators must be able to document the names and addresses of the supplier and customer, as well as the nature of the product and date of delivery. Officials in several countries told GAO that mandatory recall authority--the legal authority to remove, or require another party to remove, a product from the market--is rarely used but is an important part of the food safety system because it is the last stop in the supply chain. None of the selected countries had comprehensively evaluated its reorganized food safety system, although several track certain indicators, such as the number of inspections, enforcement actions, and foodborne illness. However, some countries' national audit offices (GAO's counterparts) have evaluated specific aspects of their countries' systems. For example, the UK audit office found that the country's Food Standards Agency had improved public confidence, a stated objective. The EU's Food and Veterinary Office has conducted numerous reviews of aspects of all EU countries' food safety systems and identified areas needing improvement. Most of the selected countries use proxy measures, such as public opinion surveys, to assess their effectiveness. Public opinion in several countries has improved in recent years. Countries' industry and consumer stakeholders also generally had positive views of the reorganized food safety systems. Experts identified food safety challenges that they expect to face over the next decade. These include climate change; demographic change, with increases in elderly people and immigration; and new types of foods, such as ready-to-eat salads, that may result in more incidents of foodborne illness.