APEC Workshop Overview and Agenda
Examination of hot issues in Risk Analysis
August 1-2, 2009, Singapore (TBC)
(To be held on margins of APEC Food Safety Cooperation Forum (FSCF) meeting)
As agricultural trade has increased worldwide and among the APEC economies in recent years, so has concern with safety of foods. As a result, many APEC economies have taken steps to ensure the safety of imported and domestically produced foods. It is incumbent on APEC economies to find the balance between ensuring food safety and facilitating trade in food and agriculture. With the significant trade in food among APEC economies, it is clear that all APEC economies stand to benefit from an agricultural system that helps ensure the free movement of safe food.
A critical component in improving the ability of APEC economies to trade in safe food is the basis of policies and regulations on sound science. APEC is committed to ensuring APEC economy familiarity and compliance with World Trade Organization obligations under both the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). The Partnership Training Institute Network (PTIN) was established under the Food Safety Cooperation Forum to promote the exchange among regulators, industry representatives and academic experts of information on science-based approaches to key issues affecting food safety and trade in food and agriculture products.
This workshop is titled “Examination of Hot Issues in Risk Analysis. It is a significant first step for the PTIN in ensuring that the FSCF meets its goals under the Hunter Valley Statement. This workshop will bring together Food safety Cooperation Forum participants, APEC economy technical experts, experts from appropriate international bodies (Codex and the FAO) and industry representatives to share information on food safety issues of critical importance to food and agriculture stakeholders throughout APEC. Topics to be addressed include: risk assessment best practices; the role of international risk assessment bodies; APEC member economy efforts in risk analysis; and private sector application of risk analysis methods and approaches. The end result of this workshop will be a greater understanding of how APEC economies can meet the collective and individual challenges we face of ensuring food safety while at the same time facilitating access to the food and agriculture products our consumers demand.
Day 1:
8:30 Welcome: Augusto Mello, Vice Chair of the APEC Subcommittee on Standards and Conformance, confirmed
8:40 Welcome and overview of the Food Safety Cooperation Forum: Representative from China, Co-Chair of the APEC FSCF, to be invited
8:50 Welcome and Workshop Objectives: Dan Berman , Assistant Deputy Administrator, Office of Scientific & Technical Affairs, Foreign Agricultural Service, US Department of Agriculture and Morning Session Moderator
9:00–9:30
Keynote: Best Practices of Risk Assessment as the Scientific Basis for Food Safety Risk Management Decision Making
Focus on US Food & Drug Administration approach to public health concerns in all contexts: microbial and chemical (pesticides, vet drugs, mycotoxins) safety, contaminants and pathogens
Dr Steven Sundlof, Director, Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition, US Food and Drug Administration, confirmed
9:30-10:00
Keynote: Best Practices of Risk Assessment as the Scientific Basis for Food Safety Risk Management Decision Making
Focus on USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service approach to public health concerns in all contexts: microbial pathogens and chemical contaminants
Dr David Goldman, Assistant Administrator, Office of Public Health Science, Food Safety & Inspection Service, US Department of Agriculture, confirmed
10:00–11:00
Overview of Risk Analysis: Abbreviated version of the one day course in food safety risk analysis and discussion of existing tools for Food Safety Risk Analysis, presented by the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN)
Juliana Ruzante, JIFSAN, confirmed
11:00–11:15 Coffee Break
11:15–12:30 The role of international standard setting bodies in risk analysis
- International risk assessment expert bodies (JECFA, JMPR, JEMRA)
- Codex Alimentarius guidance on setting microbial standards in foods
- Codex Alimentarius guidance for setting chemical contaminant standards (e.g., mycotoxins, heavy metals) in foods
Dr Angelika Tritscher, World Health Organization (WHO), confirmed
12:30–13:30 Lunch
13:30-14:00 Q&A (with morning speakers)
Afternoon Session Moderator: Mr Steve McCutcheon, APEC FSCF Co-Chair/FSANZ CEO
14:00-14:30 Presentation on therole of APEC Specialist Regional Bodies (SRBs) in the APEC Food Safety Cooperation Forum Partnership Training Institute Network.
Dr Laurence M Besley, National Measurement Institute, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Australia, confirmed
Case Studies
2:30 – 3:30 Case Study 1: 45 mins, 15 min Q&A
Management of recent emerged chemical incidents in Australia – A case study on cassava
Dr Paul Brent, Chief Scientist, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, confirmed
3:30 – 3:45 – break
3:45 – 4:45 Case Study 2: 45 mins, 15 min Q&A
Vibrio in Tiger Shrimp and White Shrimp
Dr Nanthiya Unprasert, Director of Fish Inspection and Quality Control Division, Department of Fisheries
Mrs Kanokphan Srimanobhas, Head of Microbiology section,of Fish Inspection and Quality Control Division
4:45 – 5:45 Case Study 3: 45 mins, 15 min Q&A
Pesticide Residues
Dr Mary Manibusan, Chief, Toxicology and Epidemiology Branch
Health Effects Division US EPA , confirmed
5:45 – 5:45 Wrap-up by Afternoon Session Moderator
Day 2:
8:30 – 9:15 Opening: Summary of Day 1
Presenter:Co-Sponsoring Economy (Singapore) Representative (TBD)
9:15 – 10:15 Panel 1: Government representatives from APEC economies
Moderator: Dr Isabel Walls, Senior Advisor, Scientific Issues, Office of Scientific & Technical Affairs, Foreign Agricultural Service, US Department of Agriculture
Recent or on-going food safety risk assessment activities (short examples from APEC Member Economies)
(1) (20 mins) Japan, (Fumiko Kasuga), confirmed
(2) (20 mins) China (Xiumei Liu), confirmed
(3) (20 mins) Chile (to be invited)
10: 15 – 11:15 Panel 2: More presentations from APEC economy representatives (suggest food safety regulator)
(1) Chinese Taipei, TBD (20 mins)
(2) Philippines , TBD (20 mins)
(3) Mexico , TBD (20 mins)
11:15 – 11:30 Break
11:30-12:30 JIFSAN Showcase
Dr Jianghong Meng, Director, Joint Institute for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition
12:30-13:30 Lunch
13:30 – 16:00 Panel 3: Industry Perspective
Moderator: Bob Brackett, Senior Vice President and Chief Science and Regulatory Affairs Officer , Grocery Manufacturers Association, confirmed
Industry views on the value of risk assessment tools to address food safety challenges
(1) Abbott, Inc: Dan Schmitz, Group Manager, Global Research Services, R & D Operations , Abbott Nutrition, confirmed (30 minutes)
(2) Cargill: James How, Asia Region Food Safety Manager, confirmed (30 minutes)
(3) Darden Restaurants: Ana Hooper, Vice President, Total Quality, confirmed (30 minutes)
(4) General Mills: Sarah Geisert, Senior Director, Product Safety & Regulatory Affairs, confirmed (30 minutes)
(5) Question and Answer session (30 minutes)
16:00 – 17:00 Wrap-Up
Facilitator: Dr Paul Brent, Chief Scientist, Food Standards Australia New Zealand
Goal of this would be synthesize the discussion into a list of training needs to give to the PTIN steering committee in order to better inform the development of the PTIN “next steps” for the regional training needs.