(At Step 3 of the Procedure)
1. A wide range of source-related measures to reduce chemical contamination of foodstuffs is dealt with in this Code of Practice; some of them lie outside the direct responsibility of the food control authorities. However, the national food control authorities and the Codex Alimentarius should inform the other national authorities and international organizations concerned of potential or actual food contamination problems and encourage them to take appropriate action.
2. Different approaches may be used to try and ensure that the levels of chemical contaminants in foodstuffs are as low as reasonably achievable and never above the maximum levels considered acceptable from the health point of view. Essentially, these approaches consist of a) measures to eliminate or control the source of contamination, b) processing to reduce contaminant levels and, c) measures to identify and separate contaminated food from food fit for human consumption. The contaminated food is then rejected for food use, unless it can be reconditioned and made fit for human consumption. In some cases, a combination of the above approaches must be used, for example, if emissions from a previously uncontrolled source have resulted in environmental pollution with a persistent substance, such as PCBs or mercury.
The advantages of eliminating or controlling food contamination at source, i.e. the preventive approach, are that this approach is usually more effective in reducing or eliminating the risk of untoward health effects, requires smaller resources for food control and avoids the rejection of foodstuffs. In many cases chemical contaminants cannot be removed from foodstuffs and there is no feasible way in which a contaminated batch can be made fit for human consumption.
Food production, processing and preparation operations should be analyzed with a view to identifying hazards and assessing the associated risks. This should lead to a determination of critical control points and the establishment of a system to monitor production at these points (i.e. the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point or “HACCP” approach). It is important that care is exercised throughout the whole production-processing and distribution chain, since food safety and quality in other respects cannot be “inspected into “ the product at the end of the chain.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
3. Pollution of air, water and soil can result in the contamination of growing food crops, food producing-animals and surface and ground waters used as sources of water for drinking and food production and processing. The relevant national authorities and international organizations should be informed about actual and potential food contamination problems and encouraged to take measures to
· control emissions of pollutants from industry, e.g. the chemical, mining, metal and paper industries, and also from weapons testing.When fishing waters or agricultural land become heavily polluted due to local emissions, it may be necessary to blacklist the areas concerned, i.e. to prohibit the sale of foods derived from these polluted areas and to advise against the consumption of such foods.· control emissions from energy generation (including nuclear plants) and means of transportation.
· control the disposal of solid and liquid domestic and industrial waste, including its deposition on land, disposal of sewage sludge and incineration of municipal waste.
· control the production, sale, use and disposal of certain toxic, environmentally-persistent substances, e.g. organohalogen compounds (PCBs, brominated flame retardants etc.), lead, cadmium and mercury compounds.
· ensure that before new chemicals are introduced onto the market, and especially if they may eventually be released into the environment in significant amounts, they have undergone appropriate testing to show their acceptability from the health and environmental points of view.
· replace toxic environmentally-persistent substances by products which are more acceptable from the health and environmental points of view.
CHEMICALS USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF RAW AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES
4. Properly controlled, pesticides can have a legitimate place in food production and handling by preventing pre- and post-harvest food losses. Pesticides are also used for other purposes, e.g. on nonfood crops and in vector control in public health programmes. Control of the use of pesticides for such purposes is important in order to avoid contamination of foodstuffs, soil, drinking water sources and fishing waters. Within the Codex system the question of defining Good Agricultural Practice, which includes pesticide use, is the responsibility of Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues.
5. Drugs are used to prevent, diagnose, alleviate and treat diseases in food-producing animals and for certain other purposes. Strict control on access to and the use of veterinary drugs, including animal feed additives, is the most effective way of ensuring that the levels of veterinary drug residues in foods do not exceed levels considered to be acceptable from the health point of view. In addition, veterinary drugs should be used in such a way that the development of resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria is minimized. Within the Codex system, the definition of such aspects of good veterinary/agricultural practice is the responsibility of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods.
6. The use of artificial, phosphate-containing fertilizers in agriculture may result in a gradual increase in the level of cadmium in the soil and thus in foodstuffs. In order to reduce this problem, measures to reduce cadmium levels in such fertilizers should be encouraged. When sludge is used on agricultural land, it should be ensured that the levels of both organic and inorganic contaminants are such that they will not result in unacceptable levels in food or fodder grown on the land or in contamination of drinking water sources.
MYCOTOXINS AND OTHER NATURAL TOXICANTS
7. Because the moulds producing mycotoxins are widely distributed in the environment and other factors which influence mycotoxin production, e.g. temperature and humidity, are difficult or impossible to control, it is impossible to eliminate the possibility of mycotoxin formation in some crops. However, by the use of Good Agricultural Practice, especially during harvesting and subsequent handling (including drying) it is often possible to minimize mycotoxin contamination of animal feed and foodstuffs. FAO has issued a series of documents providing guidance on measures to reduce and control the contamination of food with mycotoxins, especially aflatoxins (e.g. FAO Food and Nutrition Paper 10). A Codex Code of Practice for the reduction of aflatoxin B1 in raw materials and supplemental feeding-stuffs for milk-producing animals has been developed and similar codes of practice aimed at reducing contamination of foods and feeds with other mycotoxins are being developed.
8. The levels of certain natural toxicants in food plants (e.g. erucic acid in rapeseed) may be reduced by plant breeding. It is important to check that plant breeding and genetic modifications produced by other means aimed at improving resistance to disease or to improve crop yields do not result in higher levels of natural toxicants in foods derived from plants (e.g. solanine in potatoes)
FOOD CONTACT MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
9. During production, processing, transport, storage, preparation and serving foods may come into contact with a wide range of materials, e.g. metals, plastics, glazed ceramic ware, glass and paper. In some cases, depending on the nature of the food and the material and also on the contact time and temperature, this may result in contamination of the food. Such contamination should be avoided by choosing food contact materials which are appropriate for the food and contact conditions.
10. The use of lead and cadmium and compounds thereof in contact with food should be avoided. Thus the use of these metals as such in contact with food and their use in solder etc. in the manufacture or repair of containers, vessels, pipes, taps and other equipment coming into contact with food and drinking water should be avoided. If lead-containing glazes are used in the production of ceramic foodware, the manufacturing process should be so controlled that leaching of lead from the foodware in contact with food is minimized.
11. Because of their environmental persistence and toxicity, the manufacture and use of PCBs has been prohibited in many countries and the disposal of PCB-containing waste is strictly regulated. The use of PCBs in equipment or products which may inadvertently lead to contamination of food, e.g. in heat-exchangers used in the food industry and in paints used in agricultural silos, should be prohibited.
12. It is important to avoid cross-contamination of foods/food raw materials during transportation. To this end, the containers/vessels/packaging used for foods should provide adequate protection from other cargo items with which they are transported. Furthermore, when the vessels/tanks used for the bulk transportation of edible oils or other liquid foods have previously contained non-food cargoes, they should be rigorously cleaned prior to food transportation. Foods should not be transported in vessels which have immediately previously contained highly toxic products. This question has been discussed by the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils and lists of banned immediate previous cargoes have been prepared by the Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations (FOSFA International).
PROCESSING AIDS
13. The nature and purity specifications of food processing aids, i.e. materials used in food processing but not intended to become part of the final food product, and the conditions under which they are used should be such that their use does not result in contamination of the food. This applies, for example to extraction solvents, catalysts, filters, flocculation aids and boiler water additives.
FOOD ADDITIVES
14. It is important that the levels of contaminants e.g. heavy metals, in food additives do not exceed the maximum levels laid down in the JECFA/Codex specifications, especially if high concentrations of the additive are used. Food additives should be used according to the principles laid down in the Codex General Standard on Food Additives.
