International Food Safety : Being Cautious

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

(Page 3 of 3)

Learning to be Cautious

Meanwhile, biotechnology is not the only international food issue to involve FDA or to create a split between the United States and the European Union. The "precautionary principle" has similarly sparked debate among policy makers here and abroad. The precautionary principle, as defined in February 2000 by the EU Commission, would ban, require additional labeling, or otherwise restrict the use of any food if the science to determine its safety or level of risk is judged to be uncertain.

"Scientific uncertainties cannot serve as an excuse for decision-makers to do nothing," says Bernard Chevassus-au-Louis, president of the French Agency for Food Safety. "Science is not always predictive," Chevassus adds. "It is too often too late. It often underestimates the evidence for risk. The use of the precautionary principle is not a denial of science, but a call for more science."

FDA and USDA officials disagree. The precautionary principle "would require another level of risk management based on 'what ifs,'" says FDA's Carnevale. "There may not be any evidence that [a food] poses any hazard, despite the scientific uncertainty. Precaution is a part of our food safety process. It is embedded throughout our decision-making, not an add-on for politicians."

The United States is not opposed to European countries adopting the precautionary principle, Carnevale adds, so long as it is not directed solely against foods they import from the United States. Many Americans are concerned that the French could use it, she says, to restrict imported meat from cattle in the United States that were fed growth hormones, when, for example, French health agencies have so far been unwilling to apply the same principle to Listeria monocytogenes in French cheeses. The use of raw milk — which is a known source of the bacterium Listeria — to manufacture fresh and soft cheese is of particular concern to FDA. Listeriosis in pregnant women can result in miscarriage, fetal death, and severe illness or death of a newborn infant. Others at risk for severe illness or death are the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.

FDA and USDA are also concerned because the European Union has asked Codex and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to endorse the precautionary principle. OECD is an organization of the United States and other developed countries. "The European Union is doing the right thing in discussing the precautionary principle," Woteki says, "but it is premature to recommend that it be adopted for all countries. Countries with strong laws and regulations with a strong element of caution in them have no need for a precautionary principle."

Developing Safety

Unfortunately, not all countries have strong food safety rules or the resources to adopt and enforce them. Yet, for many developing countries, exporting food and agricultural products is key to their economies. Unless they can meet standards set by FDA, FSIS and EPA, however, they may have trouble exporting food to the United States. To help resolve that problem, FDA has designed programs to help developing countries understand and meet U.S. requirements. "We may not be able to get developing countries to our level [of safety]," Carnevale says, "but we can get them to a higher level."

All food imports, however, must meet FDA safety standards before they can come into the United States.

FDA sponsored multi-agency seminars in Mexico City and Santiago, Chile, in September 1999 and in New Zealand for Pacific Rim and island countries in August 2000. The effort is part of the Food Safety Initiative, a multi-agency program launched by the White House aimed at reducing the incidence of foodborne diseases. The seminars involve experts from FDA, USDA, EPA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the State Department. Their job, CFSAN's deputy director Oliver explains, is to help government officials, food exporters, and academics in other countries understand U.S. requirements. "We tell them what we expect so they can meet our standards and keep the food we import safe," she says.

Additionally, FDA sponsored a "train-the-trainers" session, also held in Santiago, Chile, last year. That weeklong session targeted mid-level government officials, representatives of growers' associations, and others in a position to train farmers in good agricultural and food handling practices. "We hope to take elements of our safety program and adapt it to their local conditions," says Camille Brewer, CFSAN's international coordinator for the Food Safety Initiative. Additional sessions are planned for Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago.

"We are operating more and more in a complex global environment," Wehr says of FDA's continuing involvement in international food issues. "It's not clear yet how these issues will play out. But the decisions that Codex and other international institutions make will drive U.S. and FDA policies. These are big issues for FDA and for agriculture, industry and consumers."

About the Author

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FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.