Food is the problem, food is the solution

By Paolo Vincenzo Genovese

The COVID-19 is a very severe problem and it is crucial to view the case in the serious light that it is in and not underestimate it.However, it is also important to not overestimate the situation.

Food safety as a global and severe problem

In our personal understanding the key issue is the safety of the food, more than the accusations pointed to a specific population or criticism against particular culinary habits. On this point the work of FAO and WHO is fundamental (and, we add, reputable and hygienic restaurants). Their work points out that the key issue is the food safety and hygiene control, and this problem could manifest in every place on Earth. Viruses and bacteria,follow the law of Nature and they are not attached to any specific culture, nation or race.

But science is a key strategy to fighting against this problems and much work has been done and dare we say also to be done.In all probability the key word to solving all these problems is hygiene. All the rest is consequence. Food is probably one of the most critical and focal points in human life, every year around the world, over 420,000 people die and some 600 million people—almost one in ten—fall ill after eating contaminated food. In fact, foodborne hazards are known to cause over 200 acute and chronic diseases from digestive tract infections to cancer.

People die from eating food contaminated with bacteria,viruses, parasites, toxins or chemicals. Unsafe food accounted for 33 million disability-adjusted life years in 2010.

The recent events have highlighted the fact that catastrophic problems of this nature affect people around the globe and the illnesses that result from them affect the whole global economy,including international cooperation, culture and the whole activity of human beings. Besides hygiene, we have to also mention other causes such as adverse impacts of environmental degradation, climate change, water scarcity, and loss of biodiversity, conflict and socio-economic inequities.

This problem is not one that is unique to Wuhan. The importance of food safety concerns the whole world, primarily because of globalization, the food supply around the globe renders whole populations more vulnerable to food hazards.And this does not only mean food poisoning or stomach aches,it also means 2019-nCoV and every other possible deadly virus or contagion.

Some data, though not exhaustive, could prove useful to understanding the severity of the problem. In the last years,3,500 outbreaks in the U.S. alone show that a majority of outbreaks are caused by non-meat items, such as seafood, fruits,vegetables, and eggs , while not ignoring the fact that meat is also an important component of the problem. Another case in United States concerns the Schwann’s Ice Cream, which was contaminated with Salmonella caused only by a single tanker truck, which made more than 200,000 people sick. Again in the U.S. in 1998 there appeared an outbreak traced to breakfast cereals, which effected over 200 confirmed cases in twentythree states; the contamination came from a single room in a production plant.

Obviously this tragedy happens everywhere in the world. In Mexico, an outbreak of Hepatitis A was traced back to raw green onions, which shows that a single farm could be the contamination point, and this caused over 500 illnesses and 3 deaths.

China is also no stranger to being in the center of several epidemics. In 1988, Hepatitis A was associated with the consumption of clams, this affected 292,000 people, killing nine of them , and then there were obviously the SARS and MERS problems. In 1996, at least 9,578 people in Japan (mainly school children) suffered from severe E. coli infections linked to white radish sprouts. Again in Japan, in the year 2000, milk poison caused almost 6,000 illnesses.

Many other examples could be quoted but it would basically be repeating the same dynamic but with different numbers.What is clear in all these similar tragedies is that the food safety risks include biological, chemical and physical reasons.The investigations around the world confirm that the outbreak of food-borne disease is at an unacceptable level of risk, and requires food business operators to remove unsafe foods from the market.

Once again, this is not an exclusively Chinese, or U.S., or Mexican problem. It is global. It is clear in the recent studies that food is becoming much more complex. The number of ingredients in food products are increasingly grown, processed and consumed in different locations around the globe. Hence,the traceability has become increasingly important, which is defined by the Codex Alimentarius Commission as the ability to follow the movement of a food through specified stage(s) of production, processing and distribution.

Professor Paolo Vincenzo Genovese (left) visited Polytechnic University of Milan for the double degree program with Tianjin University and wrote “the Polytechnic University of Milan and 加油武汉”to support China with his counterparts

This is because of the complexity of the contemporary world,the interconnection between people, the elaboration of the food chain, therefore it is extremely important to create a very strict system of coordination which includes not only national food safety authorities but a much larger government agencies’ network including Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science and Technologies and, absolutely, Internet of Things and Big Data.

At this moment of the discussion we intend to propose a flash, a very small example but indicative of a positive solution and this case came from Italy, a long time friend of the People’s Republic of China.

The creation of the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting products

This section intends to be a very short interlude. China and Italy can be proud to have some of the most famous and best culinary schools in the world. This is true both in terms of quality, fame and diffusion. But in this small chapter we intend to touch on some sensitive problems and these concern some of the food scandals in Italy. Pointing out a mistake does not mean to criticize, but it intends to find the problem and finally a solution. A simple list could be enough. This is the infamous sequence:

• 1976: case Seveso dioxin, caused by an explosion of a chemical manufacturing plant near Milan, resulted in approximately 3,300 animals being killed. The chemical poison TCDD entered in the food chain, and by 1978 over 80.000 animals had been slaughtered;

• 1986: several bottles of wine were contaminated by ethylene glycol adulteration and killed more than 18 people ;

• 2008: dioxin was found in buffalo milk in Caserta. The probable source was groundwater contamination from illegal waste dumping ;

• 2016: Olive Oil Scandals caused 7,000 tons of counterfeit olive oil, and adulterated extra virgin oil.

We invite the readers to not direct their attention to the number of casualties, because Italy is radically smaller compared to China. If these cases happened in more populated nations this could create a much more dramatic result in terms of numbers.

Is it a catastrophe? Yes, absolutely. But the important issue is that because of these tragedies, Italy in accordance with the European Union specifications, created one of the most rigid and selective regulations for food control and management.Italy has what is called Servizio di Igiene degli Alimenti e della Nutrizione (SIAN) [Food and Nutrition Hygiene Service]created by Ministerial Decree 16 October 1998, n. 185. The most important norms in this area are:

• Law 23 December 1978, n. 833;

• Legislative Decree 30 December 1992, n. 502;

• Legislative Decree 7 December 1993, n. 517;

• Ministerial Decree 16 October 1998, n. 185;

• Reg. CE 178/2002;

• Reg. CE 852-853-854/2004;

• Reg. CE 882/2004;

• Legislative Decree 6 November 2007, n. 193 (actuation of 2004/41/CE) .

Beside the specific details, we can note at least two important elements. Firstly all the modern regulations concerning food and hygiene are relatively new and have become even more strict compared to the already demanding previous regulations. In addition the Italian regulation is strictly in coordination with bigger entities, such as the European Union regulatory rules.What is remarkable is the coordination and the complex systems that exist within all these organizations, structures and laws.

Italy is famous for the 4A: Abbigliamento (Clothing),Agroalimentare [Agricultural and food], Arredamento[Furniture] e Automobili [Cars]. The food industry sector in Italy is the second in the country in terms of profit with 132 billion Euros in 2016; in the last ten years, China has +337% in terms of imported Italian food. In this sector 29 billion is only for the export. Statistical data from 2018 reveals that agriculture and the food business are the fourth biggest sources of income for Italy in terms of export, with an increment of +7.5%,passing the fashion design. In 2014 the retail trade concerns 430,478 companies, 115,681 operating in the food sector; this sector employs 556,936 people. Those numbers may appear insignificant, but we have to remember the size of Italy and the relatively small number of population of this country.

A remarkable and successful strategy which is the pride of Italy is the creation of the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting products. Initially it was created only for wine but finally it was extended also to cheese and other products. It includes:

• Controlled Designation of Origin,

• Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin,

• Indication of Geographical Typicality,

• Protected Geographical Indication,

• Typical Geographical Indication,

• Traditional Specialty Guaranteed,

• Protected Designation of Origin.

Every label has different characteristics and qualities, some are extremely strict and severe. If a product can reach such high and specific standards it has the complete trust and confidence of the Italian population. The control is extremely severe and even obsessive. Any mistake could be severely punished.

A personal experience could be a useful example. During our youth, a well renowned restaurant in our neighborhood made a mistake. The owner served some mushrooms which were not completely fresh and a group of tourists was poisoned. Nobody died but they had a certain grade of illness. The restaurant was closed down forever and the owner was put in jail.

China should set its own specific standards

China is a hub of miraculous inventions boasting a population fuelled with determination. The population of this country possesses the character to work hard and make heavy sacrifices all towards achieving the common goal. Now there is an issue relating to COVID-19 which needs to be resolved and the whole population is showing its capacity under the current circumstances. And they are doing well.

We would like to offer some warm and friendly advice, which would take everyone one step further and reach another miracle: the highest possible quality in terms of hygiene and food quality. And it is not difficult for China. The direction is clear and there are all the possible guidelines to reach this standard.

The fundamental directions are already regulated by FAO and WHO. They were created, for example by the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN), which is the global network managed by FAO/WHO that is used to share information rapidly with competent authorities. They provide a mechanism for food business operators to notify them when they have reason to believe that the food they have supplied is unsafe.

In addition there are several milestones in the implementation of food safety.

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has been meeting since 1956 to provide scientific advice on food additives, contaminants and residues of veterinary drugs in food as well as principles and guidance for safety assessment of chemicals in food.

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) began in 2000 as an international scientific expert group that evaluates different aspects of microbiological hazards in the food supply.

The Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) is an expert ad hoc body administered jointly by FAO and WHO to harmonize the requirements and risk assessment on pesticide residues. The JMPR has met annually since 1963.

Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Nutrition (JEMNU) was established in 2010 to strengthen the role of FAO and WHO in providing scientific advice on nutrition to Member States and bodies such as the Codex Alimentarius Commission and in particular the Codex Committee for Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) .

Europe could be a good example in this direction. As a continent, they are already very precise when it comes to their food regulation. In short we have to mention the General Food Law made in 2002 which defines the common principles underlying food legislation and the establishment of a food safety policy as a primary objective of EU food law.This Regulation also provides the general frame for those areas not covered by specific harmonized rules but where the functioning of the Internal Market is ensured by mutual recognition.

This consists of three parts: 1. general principles and requirements of food legislation; 2. defining the establishment of the European Food Safety Authority; 3. procedures in matters of food safety.

The important document is the EU Hygiene Package in which the existing rules on hygiene were incorporated. In addition a large and accurate food safety control system was made for the EU Member States. The control could be centralized or issued as a command to the local authorities according to the specific organization of the different states. Following this trend, many countries in the European Union has established a National Food Safety Authority, whose main task is the enforcement of food control regulations, including risk assessment and scientific advice, as well as risk communication. The control of and responsibilities of the food production chain should be shared between three main entities:

A) Operators are responsible for compliance with legislative provisions, and for minimizing risk on their own initiative;

B) National authorities are responsible for ensuring that operators respect food safety standards;

C) To ensure that these control systems are effective, the Commission, through the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO),carries out a programme of audits and inspections.

Other important tools dedicated to this field are for example Regulation 882/2004/EC (of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules), which sets a Community framework of national control systems, which will improve the quality of controls at Community level, and consequently raise food safety levels across the European Union.

Other documents are Regulation (EC) No.178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002,often referred to as theGeneral Food Law, Regulation No.882/2004/EC on the official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules and Regulation No. 854/2004/EC laying down specific rules for the organization of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption have recently been adopted.

The strategies are not only from Top-Down, they are not only related to supervision and crisis management. On the contrary, they touch the ground from the beginning of the food production. For example, there is the Farmer Field Schools(FFS), a sort of education for farmers to understand and adhere to policies for a full integration between food hygiene and production. There are very strict policies in the creation of a chain of food production and livestock management, practices in animal feeding, animal husbandry, slaughter and handling and processing of animal products.

In this case the education of food production and hygiene begins from the source. Then it should touch every single step of the food chain until it reaches the desk, including education in both school and families.

But this is not enough. A law can always be avoided intentionally or unintentionally. For this reason there are regulations also in terms of risk management situations.

Among the many strategies we only mention:

• Provide advice to food business operators on the assessment of risk and appropriate risk management actions;

• Provide a system/mechanism to allow food business operators to notify the competent authorities when they have reason to believe that the food they have supplied is unsafe;

• Cooperate with relevant government agencies at national and international levels;

• Conduct an ongoing food safety investigation, where necessary, to identify additional possibly implicated foods;

• Seize or order the destruction, re-processing/re-conditioning or alternative use of recalled food where necessary;

• Work with food businesses to ensure that appropriate actions are put in place to prevent a recurrence of the hazard that caused the production or sale of unsafe food;

• Notify the relevant authorities if the unsafe food has been exported.

It is also important for the Industry/food business operators to:

• Maintain records of whom they have sourced food from(including ingredients and raw materials) and sold food to, as part of the food traceability system;

• Establish procedures for verification of traceability;

• Remove unsafe food rapidly from the market;

• Inform the consumers concerned.

In order to conclude these recommendations we have to remember the ISO system which is working on a specific standard on food safety management systems (ISO 22.000) which we can not quote in this paper. In the specific case of China, we recommend that the country create its own specific standard, even more accurate and stricter than the similar examples provided; the reason is that in some European countries, some basic requirements for hygiene and food are already common behaviour. China has to create its own way to solve the problem.

FAO has also created FAOLEX, which includes a complete database of food and agriculture, including natural resources management.

These pages, which would be drafted by us could appear unclear and even confusing, which is the result of an extreme syntheses of a very complex matter. Nevertheless, the regulations are clear and scientific. The limitations of this paper lie in the urgency of exposing a very simple idea based on a complex framework.

To conclude this section we propose some slogans which in the Chinese culture are very useful to “ingrain” the clear and universal concepts in the minds of the people:

• If it is not safe, it is not food.

• Four dimensions of food security: availability, access,utilization and stability.

• From “reaction and response” to “prediction and prevention”