Ebola and Food Risks

In the not so distant past, the Ebola virus devastation in West Africa posed a global threat according to the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Is Ebola still a threat to the entire world? Watch the Ebola documentary video and see what some investigators are saying: 

Video: https://youtu.be/EaZqfwFVjgQ

Clearly, the death rate associated with Ebola may still be of some concern. Is there any connection or similarity between Ebola and food? Is Ebola conveyed through food? In the past, the World Health Organization has published a table of global health risks. How many of these risks can be attributed to food?

Many people do not care but we are all food consumers. Although we may feel invincible at times, it only takes one instance to change our invincibility with very regrettable consequences. In some cases, the regrettable consequences are suffered for life where life is not altogether lost.

With food, as it is with the Ebola virus disease, indifference can be fatal. The false security of being far away from West Africa is insidiously deceptive in a shrinking, highly mobile and continuously mingling world.

Interesting Developments in the Field of Food safety

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

FSMA – Is a Re-think Happening?

How far will the published "Operational Strategy" go? Should further re-thinking be happening? Do the math: If enforcement has not stopped or even reduced incidents of fraud, what gives us confidence that enforcement will lead to better protection of consumers against food-borne hazards and illness under FSMA than has been achieved under previous regulatory measures?

The “Operational Strategy for Implementing the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)” was published by the FDA On May 2, 2014. It addresses some of the challenges that I posted in January of 2013. In that post, I said: “Disappointment awaits us if these initiatives are pursued without serious modifications to address the points listed  . . .  and other limiting factors that are implicit in the current proposals.” You may read the full 2013 post - The New Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) 

The published FDA’s Operational Strategy appears to have partially addressed some of the points I listed in support of the disappointing prediction. I find this to be inspiring although some specific details are still lacking and several of the listed points have not been as clearly addressed. For example, the FSMA rules are still too vague (generalized) and leave too much room for confused interpretation, deliberate misinterpretation and manipulation; the narrow focus on food production, manufacturing and distribution businesses persists to the neglect of other significant parties – e.g. the roles of restaurants, canteens and consumers; etc. Although the strategy identifies the use of public health-oriented outcome metrics for evaluating the success of FSMA, specific details are not provided to show how consumers will be engaged and encouraged to actively participate in the process of evaluating the success achieved.

Radical changes are needed in the FSMA as in other regulatory initiatives worldwide. The most challenging is re-thinking the punitive approach to regulatory enforcement. The proposed incentive of compliant establishments receiving fewer inspections by the US FDA is a good direction. It provides a more targeted approach that is necessary for enforcement efficiency and success. However, it does not go far enough. With the fewer inspections incentive, the proposed regulatory changes still maintain the “catch-and-punish” focus. A strategy for a sustained collaboration of all parties towards the desired goal of consumer protection is not sufficiently developed within the proposed regulatory framework.  

The proposed new regulations, still cloaked in the old policing mentality, are poised to increase the burden for law-abiding operators and abate the pressure for dubious food business owners who are very good at dodging inspectors' surveillance techniques. Catch-and-punish methods only deter until the criminally-minded find ways around them. As violators cause undesirable events, they force regulators to spread the surveillance net. With such broadened surveillance that wastes resources on looking at compliant along with non-compliant operators, the burden is increased for law-abiding operators who will do everything to comply with any extra imposed cautionary (often unnecessary) measures. On the other hand, due to regulatory resources that are often spread too thin to effectively go after the dubious, the pressure is abated for them. The dubious will do everything to avoid the extra cautionary and cash-strapped enforcement measures.

I have discussed some alternatives in other related posts which appear to be attracting increasing attention. I strongly suspect that we have not seen the end of the re-thinking process that appears to be going in the direction of the GCSE-Food and Health Protection proposals.

Food Safety Resource Utilization and Success

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

Question from an Aspiring Food Professional:

Young professionals provide great opportunities for the experienced folk to be great mentors.

A young Food Science professional asked: “How can I improve my experience and improve my knowledge of Food Hygiene & Good Manufacturing Practices?” 

Freely share what you know because knowledge diminishes if it is hoarded.

A recent Food Science and Technology graduate, upon reading some of my posts, sent me a message with this question. Other young professionals starting out in the food safety and quality management profession or planning to enter this field may be asking the same question.

Here are some of the points in my response:

An academic background in food science or related field is good place to start. Once employed, the practical everyday experiences at work (good or bad) provide very good learning opportunities. Ongoing professional development training may also be necessary. Such training could be obtained through short courses, seminars and professional certification programs by reputable organizations or institutions. In every case, the courses should offer practical content based on real experiences along with real opportunities for practice. The post on "Mercenary or MOM Training” provides additional information about how to determine what courses are good to take.

Secondly, any practicing or prospective professional will benefit from reading as broadly as possible. Reading the news about actual related events in the industry, as well as following open forum discussions could be helpful. Participating with comments, questions, etc., could also provide very good opportunities to learn and test your knowledge.

Other veterans in the food safety and quality management profession may have things to add. As for current veterans, we must first regain respect for the food safety and quality management profession. Spreading misinformation and commercialized complicity will not help this at all. Plain honesty about current failures with a determined and demonstrated effort at pursuing real (not superficial) solutions will. We must re-establish the trustworthiness of the profession. Otherwise, we will not have a worthwhile legacy to pass on to future generations.

Please share your thoughts if you have anything to add. This may even be a question.

Posted by Felix Amiri

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Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate.