IN CAMBODIA Inception Workshop on Principle and Further Activities - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

CURRENT ACTIVITIES FOR IMPLEMENTING CODEX STANDARD IN CAMBODIA Inception Workshop on Principle and Further Activities for Codex Implementation. Bangkok, Thailand, 17-19 Sept 2012 - Mr. Dim Theng - National Focal Point for GCP/RAS/280/JPN, MOC - Dr. Chhoun Chamnan- Director of DFPTQ, MAFF (Cambodian participants )

Topic for Discussion 1. National Food Control Systems Structure 2. Level of Codex Implementation 3. Process of Standard Setting Activities 4. System Data Collection 5. Capacity Building Needs

1-National Food Control System Structure 1.1- Food Safety Agencies: Multiple Agencies System from farm to table approach, which includes :  Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fishery(MAFF) : Primary Production and Processing, • Import licensing and registration • Inspection and Verification of Compliance • Export certification for meat /fish and plant products • OIE and IPPC Contact Points • Setting up policy and regulatory systems for implementation.

1.1-Food Safety Agencies (cont.)  Ministry Industry Mine and Energy (MIME): Secondary Processing  Factory registration and Certification of Food  Standard and Conformity Assessment Body (ISC)  Inspection and Verification of Compliance  TBT Contact Point  Setting up Policy and regulatory system for implementation

1.1-Food Safety Agencies (cont.)  Ministry of Commerce (MOC): Import and Export Inspection and Post Market Surveillance .  Policy and Regulatory systems for Consumer Protection (Fraudulence and Safety)  Inspection activities at the borders on behalf of the other policy agencies ( technical arms for the Customs) and on the markets.  National Codex Secretariat / NCCP  SPS Enquiry Point  WTO Notification Authority 

1.1-Food Safety Agencies (cont.)  Ministry of Health (MOH): Food Safety at Consumer level  Policy and Regulatory Systems for Health and Hygiene Standards for Restaurants and Catering service.  Food borne disease surveillance  Street Food  Restaurant Grading and Certification  INFOSAN / WHO Contact Point  Ministry of Tourism (MOT )  Policy for food business at tourist sectors.  Hotel / Restaurant Licensing and Registration

1.1-Food Safety Agencies (cont.)  Ministry of Economic and Finance (MOEF) - Customs and Excise:  The only lead agency for Import and Export Inspection.  Cooperate with other agencies to conduct joint inspection for import food.  Take measure and implementing existing policies and regulations based on risk management approach ( ASYCUDA )

1.2- Food Safety Law Present Status:  No Specific Food Safety Law.  An Umbrella Law: The Law on the Management of Quality and Safety of Products and Services.  Covers the management of all regulated products including food but except pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.  Sets up legal aspects in relation to the enforcement of the Quality and Safety of Products and Commercial Frauds.  Gives power to regulatory agencies to set up technical regulations for food  Challenges: • The law allows government agencies to adopt international standards as food technical regulations. However, the adoption of international standards is still facing with unreasonable disagreement among other agencies ( standard body)

1.3- Area in which standards developed Government Policy: .  Adopting the Codex Norms as Technical Regulations for Food wherever relevant to Cambodia situation ( import and domestic). The norms are including • General Standards • Commodities Standards • Guidelines/ Recommended Code of Practices  3 Levels of adoption:  Integral adoption as Technical Regulation  Some parts taken to be technical requirements for food  Some other of RCP/ Guidelines as reference in the regulation being endorsed as approved practices.

Existing Regulations related to Food Safety No Description Area Numbers 1 Plant Inspection Plant Health 01 2 Animal and meats Inspection Animal Health 03 3 General Requirements for food Food Hygiene 01 hygiene 4 Requirements of Specific Food Food 06 Commodities as (mandatory standard) 5 Food Labeling Requirements Labeling 02 6 Chemical Substances Prohibited in Food Safety 01 Food 7 MRLs for Pesticide in Fresh Fruits and Food Safety 01 Vegetables (ASEAN)

2- LEVEL of CODEX IMPLEMENTATION • National Codex Committee (NCC):  Established by Sub-decree in 2000.  Composition of NCC: 08 authorities including MOC, MIME, MAFF, MOH, Council of Ministries, MOE, MOI, MOEF  Chair: Minister of Commerce and Minister of MIME as vice chair  Secretariat: CAMCONTROL Directorate General, MOC  4 TWGs which have the tasks as mirror committees for a certain number of Codex Committees. • Codex Manual:  No Country Manual have been developed or translated. .  Codex procedural manuals are available in English and French version for all NCC members.

2- LEVEL of CODEX IMPLEMENTATION • National Codex Website  Hosted by Camcontrol website: www.camcontrol.gov.kh  Linked to FAO/WHO Codex website. • Participation of NCC:  At International level : Codex Committee meeting (5 committee yearly, supported by Codex Trust fund)  At National Level: in 4 monthly based

2- LEVEL OF CODEX IMPLEMENTATION (cont.) • Challenges:  Only participating in physical meeting of only 02-05 Codex Committees deemed as prioritized interests for Cambodia and with support from Codex Trust Fund.  Not being able to participating by sending comments on national position to the work of Codex Committee at different steps of the process.  Adoption of Codex Norms as national regulation is still in process due to unreasonable disagreement on the methodology for adoption. •

LEVEL OF CODEX IMPLEMENTATION (cont.) • Coordination in Codex Activities:  Coordination facilitated by CAMCONTROL as national Codex Secretariat ,  Significance of the participation in Codex activities are balanced among 04 main ministries i.e. MOC, MIME, MAFF and MOH through assignment as chair of each working group to the representative from each of those main ministry.  Private sector stakeholders seem lacking of experts. • Laboratory Networking • Need to be established and acquainted with technical matters to deal with in the Networking .

2- LEVEL OF CODEX IMPLEMENTATION (cont.) • Participation of NCC:  At International level : Codex Committee meeting (5 committee yearly, supported by Codex Trust fund)  At National Level: meeting in 3 monthly based. • Website:  No national codex website have been established.  Linked with Camcontrol website: www.camcontrol.gov.kh • Codex Standards adopted at National Level:  Only a few standards have been adopted (05 commodities)  NCC has proposed a number of Codex Standards to be adopted at Sub-decree level.

3-PROCESS OF STANDARD SETTING • Lacking of appropriate technical capacity for carrying full scheme of risk analysis. • Prioritizing of hazards in risk management only at the starting stage. • Rare input from private sector stakeholders. • Constituency: National technical regulations setting based on adoption of Codex Norms selected ( by exception approach) wherever mostly related to Cambodia.

• CAMBODIA PRIORITY RISK MANAGER FOOD SAFETY ISSUES :  Pesticides: primary foods of interest are fruits, vegetables and cereals. Concerns exist on use and misuse issues, focus on organochlorine , organophosphates and carbamates.  Food Additives: misuse of preservatives in raw and processed products, artificial sweeteners and coloring agents in drinks and meat products.  Veterinary drugs :concerns with growth promoting agents, such as Chloramphenicol in shrimp , Ractopamine in pig meat, Beta agonist in pork.  Mycotoxins: Good agricultural practice needs. With aflatoxins B1, concern with hepatitis.  Chloropropanols: Need guidance to assist producers in production of low level chloropropanols in soya sauce.

• CAMBODIA PRIORITY RISK MANAGER FOOD SAFETY ISSUES :  Heavy Metals: Mercury in Sea Food and Arsenic in deep well water.  Micronutrients: Primary concern is iron, vitamin A and iodine.  Pathogenic Bacteria: Primary concern with ready to eat food  Salmonella spp. (In sea food , raw vegetables, poultry, eggs.)  Vibrio spp. (bivalve, molluscs, shrimp)  E.coli (raw vegetables )

4. System for Data Collection • No System for data collection • Lack of scientific data • Lack of coordination to achieve optimal results and weakness in the implementation of law enforcement. • Lack of capacity for data analysis

Food Safety Challenge • Legislation:  Inadequate legislative system such as procedures for inspection, certification; and approval standards. • Human Resource :  Lack of knowledge to apply modern scientific risk based approach  Lack of scientific skill . •