RISK ASSESSMENT NEEDS IN AFRICA (AGENDA ITEM 4)[6]

18. The Codex Secretariat introduced the working document and informed the Committee that Risk Analysis had become one of the main philosophies in area of food safety. The Committee recalled that the CAC first discussed this issue at its 20^th Session under agenda item Risk Assessment Procedures Used by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and its Subsidiary and Advisory Bodies”. Implementation of Risk Analysis in Codex was very much “Work in Progress” but some very important achievements had been made such as the adoption of the Statements of Principle Relating to Food Safety Risk Assessment, Definitions of Risk Analysis Terms Related to Food Safety and the Codex Alimentarius Action Plan adopted by the 22nd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. (See annexes to document CX/AFRICA 98/4.)

19. The Committee was informed that some elements of Risk Analysis, especially Risk Assessment, were resource intensive, but that Members had the opportunity to share relevant information in this field. FAO and WHO provided scientific evaluations of these data to member countries. It was pointed out that Risk Assessment was mainly dealt within the Codex framework at the level of these advisory expert bodies, while the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its subsidiary bodies made recommendations of risk management in the form of standards, MRLs, guidelines and codes of practice.

20. The Committee noted that almost all developing countries faced the same problems such as lack of expertise, difficulty in developing own toxicological and trial data and development of exposure assessment when dealing with Risk Analysis. However, all Member countries, including developing countries could contribute to the process of Risk Analysis but undertaking exposure assessments based on national dietary patterns and effective monitoring of hazards of interest (such as contaminants) in foods. The representative of WHO referred to the WHO document entitled “Guidelines for Predicting Dietary Intake of Pesticide Residues” (WHO/FSF/FOS/97.7). The document intended to offer simple, feasible methods for assessing possible exposure to pesticides based on the best use of available information.

21. The Committee noted that in order to facilitate understanding on this issue FAO in collaboration with ILSI had organized and sponsored a one day Workshop for countries of the Region on Risk Analysis and Food Standards prior to the Session of this Committee. The objectives of the Workshop were to inform participants of activities the application of risk analysis in the Codex decision making process; and to create awareness among countries of the Region for the need to consider Risk Analysis in the development of their national food standards.

22. The following recommendations made by the Workshop were endorsed by the Committee[7]:

• The Workshop stressed and recommended the need for sound use of the principles of science in risk analysis.
• The need for training in different aspects of Risk Analysis, HACCP, GMP, GAP and GHP at Regional, Sub-regional or National levels for francophone and anglophone countries.
• Strengthening work in dietary/nutrition patterns, monitoring programmes and intake assessment.
• Strengthening of Codex Contact Points and National Codex Committees, with consumer and private sector representation.
• Consideration of a high level meeting on food Quality and Safety in the African Region to sensitise government officials at all tiers of government i.e. at national, state and municipal levels.
• Cooperation with the private sector in risk communication - especially in developing simple messages concerning food quality and safety.
• Development of ways to apply risk-based good practices in small businesses.
• Strengthen communication between Codex Contact Points and the Codex Secretariat in Rome.
• Programmes that contribute to Risk Analysis should have higher priority.

23. The Committee thanked the FAO/WHO and ILSI for the organization and sponsoring of the workshop and assured that copies of the presentations will be provided to those delegates that were unable to attend the Workshop.