Quality and Safety of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

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Quality and Safety of Fresh Fruits and
Vegetables

• Mary Kenny
• Food Quality and Standards Service (ESNS), FAO

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Outline

• Food quality/safety fruit and vegetables
• Supporting Environment responsibilities
• Results of FAO project in Thailand
• FAO resource tools

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Overview GAP

• FAO definition GAP addresses economic,
  environmental and social sustainability of
  agriculture, and leads to food safety and quality
  (FAO, 2003)

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Fresh Fruits and Vegetables- integrated concept

• Quality
• Taste
• Texture
• Colour
• Convenience
• Appearance
• Post harvest shelf life
• FOOD SAFETY

• Food Safety Concerns
• Pathogens from environment
• Chemicals related to agricultural inputs
• Aflatoxins - inadequate storage conditions

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Hazards and associated risk in fruits and
vegetables

• Are consumed as fresh products (raw product, not
  pre-cooked)
• New exotic products coming into the market.
• Increasing participation in the global trade.
• Advance techniques for detection of contaminants
  in this type of products.

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Food borne Disease Outbreaks Associated with
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
USA 1990-1997 6 of food outbreaks were
associated to FFV
USA 1973-1979 2 of food outbreaks were
associated to FFV
Increase in consumption patterns results in
increase of food-borne disease outbreaks
associated to FFV
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CHEMICAL HAZARDS ARE ALSO VERY IMPORTANT

• Pesticide residues have adverse effects on human
  health in the long run. They have less dramatic
  effects that those associated with
  microbiological contamination.
• Can cause cancer and birth defects and damage or
  interfere with the nervous, endocrine,
  reproductive and immune systems in mammals.
• Cause intoxications.

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Detentions- reasons?

• presence of non-authorised pesticides
• exceed pesticide MRLs
• inadequate labelling and packaging
• contaminants exceeding regulatory levels
• microbiological contamination
• lack of nutritional information

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• 2. Supporting Environment for Good Agricultural
  Practices
• (including hygienic practices)!!

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Why a Government Framework for GAPs?

• Consumer health protection
• Boost export
• Support small and medium sized businesses
  (advocacy/information role)
• Independent assessment
• Unscrupulous producers/traders
• Country reputation
• Involve industry and academia
• Link to international arena

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However, must be an effective framework..........

• An integrated, and science based food control
  system
• Determine priorities for consumer protection and
  economic development
• Better coherence where multiple agencies are
  involved
• Prevent confusion and duplication of efforts
• Clear role of private sector (laboratories, third
  party certification, consultants, training,
  research, food producer associations)
• Stakeholder dialogue

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......influenced by the global environment

• International trade food safety requirements
• Importing country requirements
• Role of science
• WTO Agreements
• Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement(SPS)
  Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
• Codex Alimentarius reference standards

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Relevant Codex standards

• Code of hygienic practice for FFV
• Recommended International Code of Practice for
  packaging and transport of tropical fresh fruits
  and vegetables
• General principles of food hygiene/HACCP
• Approved MRLs to prevent the misuse of pesticides
  and promote the use of approved pesticides, etc.

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Food industry/producer role

• Responsible for supplying safe and wholesome
  products
• Consumer information regarding product
  characteristics and associated cost and benefits
  (transparent and clear information)
• Knowledge of trading environment
• Implement GAPs, GHPs, HACCP (pre- and post
  harvest)

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Why quality assurance programmes (GAP, GHP,
HACCP)?

• Consumer protection
• Prevention (less end-product testing)
• Reduce food losses
• Reduce inspection/certification
• Systematic documented programme
• Sufficient record keeping traceability

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Farm to Fork

• Control at the most effective point

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..........or in other words
Private sector input/ application
Inspectorate
GAP standards/ guidelines
Certificate
Scientific research
Laboratory Analysis
Training/ advisory services
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3. FAO Thailand Project TCP/THA/2903

• Strengthening Compliance with the SPS
  Requirements for Expanded Exports of Fresh and
  Processed Fruits and Vegetables
• National collaborator Department of
  Agriculture, Post Harvest Technology and Product
  Processing Research and Development Office, DOA

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Project activities

• Components
• GAP
• Food Quality Assurance and HACCP
• Food Inspection and Certification
• Laboratory Food Analysis (ongoing)
• Information Systems (ongoing)

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Examples of Specific GAP practices???

• Sprinkler irrigation replace with drip?
• Pruning- large fruit trees 4/5m tall
  (durian/longan), difficult to spray
• Pesticide program poor spray practices,
  differing maturity times
• Poor composting of animal manure
• Poor handling post-harvest, (removal of babycorn
  wrapper leaves on road side)
• Transportation at high temperatures asparagus
  deteriorates
• Cost of pesticide analysis all exports analysed
  
• Thai Q-system does not cover collecting house
• Use of two systemic fungicides (benomyl and
  ridomil) for fruit dipping

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GAP - Recommendations

• Collecting house be granted the Q GAP certificate
  with the farmers supplying the information
  required for traceability and auditing
• Reduce pesticide testing when there is a reliable
  system for GAP in place
• Maintain ongoing extension programme by DOAE -
  target farmers who lack awareness
• GAPs should include food quality and safety
  issues and sound agronomic practices

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GAP - Recommendations

• Thai farmers should be trained in ThaiGAP, but
  when appropriate be made aware of additional GAP
  requirements of importing countries
• Better coordination of GAP training courses and
  initiatives
• Increased research on improving agronomic
  practices are required for durian, longan,
  babycorn and asparagus to improve productivity
• Need to develop an electronic audit trail (rather
  than paper)

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Inspection and Certification Recommendations

• One program for inspection of fresh and processed
  products
• - common establishment inspection checklist
• - annual workplan for inspection
• - link to GAPs and HACCP requirements
• - provide information on application for various
  export product certificates
• - Sampling, analysis and certification
  procedures
• - Harmonize food inspection across Ministries
• - Inspection manual to be prepared (in process)

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Inspection and certification - Recommendations

• Continue to strengthen the Thai Q certificate
  system raise awareness
• DOA could provide training and information to
  exporters on WTO rules
• Training programme for the DOA inspectors
• Strengthen networking with the other departments
  and bureaus in DOA

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4. FAO resources/tools
Budapest
Rome
Cairo
Tunis
Barbados
Bangkok
Accra
Santiago
Harare
Apia
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• PFL Project 857 Improving the Q S of FFV in
  Latin America and Caribbean Countries (32
  Countries).

Training Package

• Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (3 languages,
  hardcopy and CD-Rom)- validated through
  sub-regional workshops
• Power point presentations for lecturers-
  (CD-Rom)
• Photo Gallery (from course field visits)-
  (CD-Rom)
• Reference documents
• Recommended readings
• Activities
• Handouts
• Complete documents (Fully displayed)
• Internet links

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Information sharing-FFV Quality and Safety
Database
http//www.fao.org/es/esn/food/foodandfood_fruits_
en.stm
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FAO/WHO Guidelines

• Assuring food safety
• and quality Guidelines
• for strengthening
• national food control
• systems

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Conclusions

• Thai GAP programme and Q system at developmental
  stage
• Many national initiatives to build upon
• Food quality/safety has many players -
  partnership is key
• Stress hygiene emerging microbiology problem
• Food quality/safety is one aspect of GAPs
• Transfer to domestic market

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Thank you!

• Mary Kenny, Nutrition Officer, Food Quality and
  Standard Service Mary.Kenny_at_fao.org
• Food and Nutrition Division, FAO, Rome, Italy
• www.fao.org/es/esn
• Newsletter www.fao.org/es/esn/fsqu_en.stm