-1- COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems Interim guidance 22 April 2020 Background The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic presents an exceptional and unprecedented challenge for competent authoritiesa with responsibilities for national food safety control systemsb to continue conducting routine functions and activities in accordance with national regulations and international recommendations. In many countries, competent authority staff are largely working from home, teleworking being the normal practice, and all face-to-face meetings cancelled or rescheduled as teleconferences. It is challenging to maintain, without interruption, routine activities such as the inspection of food business operations, certifying exports, control of imported foods, monitoring and surveillance of the safety of the food supply chain, sampling and analysis of food, managing food incidents, providing advice on food safety and food regulations for the food industry, and communicating on food safety issues with the public. To preserve the integrity of the national food safety control system and to support international trade and the food supply chain, each competent authority will need to prioritize critically important services during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These may include introducing temporary suspensions of low-risk control activities that do not immediately affect the supply of safe food. Temporarily suspending low-risk control activities will allow authorities to continue to safeguard the health and safety of their staff while refocusing efforts in areas of higher risk and towards activities that are critical to the safety of food. Depending on national priorities, some competent authorities may decide to prioritize selected activities, for example, inspection of high- risk food businesses, export certification, import control services, food incident management or investigation of food complaints. It is important that competent authorities continue to monitor developments regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and respond by making the necessary adjustments to their work programmes and continue to deliver critical services that preserve the integrity of their food safety systems. a For the purpose of these guidelines the term Competent Authority means the official government organisation having jurisdiction over the National Food Safety Control System (as defined in the Codex Alimentarius e.g. CAC/GL 71-2009) The challenges facing national competent authorities arise from: • implementing contingency plans; • reduced capacity to maintain a fully functioning food safety inspection programme resulting from the reallocation of staff to national COVID-19 emergency response teams, staff working from home, and staff illness and self-isolation; • reduced food testing capacity of food laboratories reassigned to COVID-19 clinical testing; • increased risk to the integrity of the food supply chain from food fraud; • need to respond to an increasing number of queries and questions from Ministers, the food industry, consumers, and the media. Competent authorities have a critical role to play during this pandemic in working with all sectors of the food industry so that producers and processors can continue to operate effectively and keep safe food supply lines open. This guidance aims to address some key issues, namely, how to ensure the effectiveness of a reduced food safety inspection programme in mitigation of risk; and temporary measures that can be introduced to contain widespread food safety risks and reduce serious disruption to national food safety programmes. Multi-agency cooperation and contingency planning All competent authorities should have emergency response or contingency plans in place following FAO/WHO guidance1 and be able to put them in action. Competent authority contingency plans should include details of the roles and responsibilities of the central, regional, and local competent authorities and mechanisms for cooperation and collaboration during times of crisis. Contingency plans should include details of how to prioritize the delivery of essential services; the organisation of operational teams for information management, communication, risk assessment and risk b The National Food Safety Control System is described in the Codex Guidelines for the Validation of Food Safety Control Measures (CAC/GL 69-2008) COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems: interim guidance -2- management, and food incident management; the scaling up of robust IT systems to facilitate working from home, teleworking, and on-line conferencing. Cooperation and collaboration between all relevant national agencies are essential components of an effective, whole-of- government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for cooperation between public health and food safety authorities has never been more urgent. Maintaining a functioning national food safety inspection programme As a consequence of restricting the movement of people, the capacity of competent authorities to deploy suitable staff for inspecting food businesses and other food control activities can be seriously impaired. For example, food safety inspection requiring the physical presence of control staff in food premises may no longer be feasible. It may no longer be possible to test food samples taken during an inspection because of reduced capacity in food testing laboratories. The key issue for competent authorities is to ensure compliance with food legislation in those categories of food premises that pose the greatest risk. Many food businesses are introducing new biosecurity measures to limit the entry of external personnel, which may extend to food inspectors. However, food safety inspectors have a right to enter unhindered any premises where they have reasonable grounds to believe that food processing activities are conducted, for the purpose of verifying compliance and preventing non-compliance with food regulations. A risk-based approach National food safety inspection programmes should be organised on a risk basis where food businesses are ranked to determine the frequency of inspection. A risk profile of each food business for inspection purposes should be based on the nature and extent of the food business, taking into account the type of food handled, processed and distributed; the methods of processing (cooked food, ready-to-eat products); scale of the operation, and possible at-risk groups among consumers of the products. Issues to take into account in deciding on risk categorisation of food businesses include the history of compliance or non-compliance with food legislation, confidence in the implementation of the food businesses’ Food Safety Management System (FSMS), and verification records. This risk-based food safety inspection approach can identify those high-risk food premises that require inspection. It may be necessary to temporarily suspend inspections of low- to medium-risk food premises for the duration of this pandemic. One of the critical areas where food inspections will need to continue is in abattoirs including oversight of ante- and post- mortem controls. Food inspectors in such premises will require Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and will need to be aware of the importance of physical distancing, handwashing, sanitizing, and disinfection especially if production conditions change for example due to increased production line speeds. Another critical group of businesses where inspection may need to be strengthened are those where production relies heavily on imported ingredients. With international transport often dramatically reduced, these businesses may have delayed or interrupted supply chains that may pose food safety concerns and could demand increased inspection and controls. Similarly, new suppliers may need to be rapidly identified by food businesses without going through the full supplier approval programme, which may put the integrity of products at risk. Some food businesses will expand production as a result of increased demand and will recruit temporary staff. Food safety authorities will need to ensure that temporary staff are supervised and adequately trained. Temporary measures Examples of food safety controls where temporary measures may need to be introduced under exceptional circumstances include: • temporary use of electronic data exchange instead of original official paper certificates and official attestations that should accompany consignments of food producing animals; • temporary authorization of accredited private food laboratories to conduct testing and analysis under the supervision of the competent authority; • the electronic submission by food businesses of the results of their own checks to demonstrate that in- house controls are still functioning (self- certification); • if food safety authorities do not have access to a sufficient number of suitably qualified and experienced staff, private sector bodies and independent qualified professionals may be temporarily authorized to perform food inspection functions provided that they are supervised by the authority, they act impartially and are free from any conflict of interest regarding the functions they carry out; and • flexibility on some aspects of food labelling (e.g., date marking) to avoid food waste while still ensuring food safety. Staff protection Where inspections of food businesses need to continue, measures should be taken to avoid serious health risks for staff of the competent authorities without jeopardizing the prevention of food safety risks. Food inspectors should be trained in procedures to minimize the transmission of SARS- CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 disease).3 Food inspectors will need to ensure that they are free of symptoms of COVID-19; they will need to practice physical distancing while in the food premises, frequent hand washing, including before and after entering the food premises, and good coughing/sneezing etiquette. Food inspectors will also require PPE such as disposable overalls, overshoes, facemasks, gloves, and hairnets, which will need to be changed between inspections.4 Temporary suspension of control programmes Some monitoring and surveillance programmes that are routinely carried out by competent authorities could be temporarily suspended during this pandemic without COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems: interim guidance -3- jeopardizing the safety of foods, the health of the consumer, or international trade. Examples of such activities are annual residues monitoring programmes that aim to ensure compliance with contaminants regulations. There will be a reduced need for testing of food samples arising from the fact that a smaller number of food inspections will take place, with the closure of many bars, cafes and restaurants. In countries with hygiene rating schemes or “scores on doors” programmes for restaurants, these may be automatically extended for limited periods without the need to carry out an inspection. Reduced sampling and testing of food will make it all the more important for national competent authorities to have access to and share information via global systems such as the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN).5 Food businesses should be obliged to report to competent authorities when they are aware of receiving or placing unsafe food on the market. Food regulations – temporary exemptions may be required Competent authorities need to liaise closely with the food businesses to assess whether temporary amendments or adjustments are required to food legislation due to the challenges posed by COVID-19 to ensure the supply of food is not compromised. Competent authorities will need to assess whether flexibility can be applied when enforcing technical aspects of food regulations, while ensuring the safety of food. Food labelling is one particularly challenging area where certain ingredients may be unavailable or where food packaging materials are no longer supplied due to interruptions in transport or imports. Where a food business uses an approved ingredient that has the same technical function as a previously available ingredient, a temporary authorization may be justified provided that safety concerns, such as allergen labelling and traceability requirements are taken into account. There can be no relaxation of regulations on unauthorized health claims and the principle that food labelling should not mislead the consumer. Food businesses that would have supplied the catering sector may now need to find alternative markets for products. Similarly, restaurants that have purchased food products or ingredients may need to find markets for such products they no longer require to produce restaurant food. Temporary authorization to sell such products should be provided in these circumstances with the provision for use of temporary over-labels with a derogation on nutrition labelling (unauthorized use of health claims is prohibited) and in compliance with existing date marking and storage instructions. Competent authorities should apply some flexibility when enforcing the technical aspects of food regulations; however, food safety cannot be compromised, and key information must be provided so that consumers can make informed choices. Some flexibility on labelling compliance can be considered once there is no risk to the consumer and critical information such as allergen declaration, durability (shelf life), traceability and any special storage conditions or conditions of use can be addressed or mitigated by over- labelling with this critical information. Food business operators are advised to discuss the situation with their inspector before placing products or ingredients with temporary non-compliant labels on the market. Food laboratories: testing and analysis A particular challenge for competent authorities is the reduced capacity in public sector laboratories to test foods, as these are reallocated to testing of COVID-19 clinical samples. A minimum capacity in microbiological and chemical safety needs to be maintained to support food inspections of high- risk businesses, for dealing with consumer complaints and food incidents, and for the investigation and management of outbreaks of foodborne illness. This may require the temporary authorization of private accredited food laboratories to carry out testing as part of the national food safety control programme. However, the competent authority must ensure the validity and reliability of the testing results. In addition, public health disease surveillance systems may have a reduced capacity to identify human cases of foodborne illness but it is essential that a minimum national capability is maintained. Food laboratories will need to introduce measures to reduce the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the laboratory environment. These measures will involve training laboratory workers to recognize symptoms of COVID-19, following physical distancing principles, frequent handwashing and sanitizing and disinfection, and coughing/sneezing etiquette. Laboratory staff should familiarize themselves with the biosafety guidance related to COVID-19 from WHO.4 To achieve physical distancing, it may be necessary to reduce laboratory staff density through split-shift working and communication via intercoms when staff are working alone in a small laboratory space when it is not possible to remain more than one metre apart. Arrangements need to be in place for physical distancing during shift handovers. Working schedules should be arranged so that essential work will continue in the event of a laboratory worker becoming infected. In may be necessary to temporarily suspend a food laboratory’s accreditation to ISO 17025 if the volume of samples for a particular test is reduced. This may result from the suspension of annual residues monitoring programmes. Risk to the integrity of the food supply The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in food supply chains being disrupted with some products, ingredients, or materials being unavailable or in short supply. In the rush to identify new suppliers, food businesses may focus less attention on the integrity of the supply chain, thereby opening new opportunities for food fraud. As competent authorities introduce temporary reductions in food controls with a suspension or cancellation of inspections and food sampling, fraudsters may take advantage of such opportunities. In addition to the reduction in official controls, there is also likely to be a reduction in private sector audits and checks of certification and accreditation schemes. During this pandemic, competent authorities should investigate reported incidences COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems: interim guidance -4- involving food fraud and work closely with food businesses to assess the vulnerability of supply chains and ensuring control plans are implemented. Food businesses are legally required to produce and market safe and authentic food. In addition to their FSMS, food businesses should consider introducing risk-based vulnerability assessment systems to mitigate against food fraud. Competent authorities need to highlight the increased risks of food fraud. As citizens are confined to their homes, an increasing number of consumers are turning to e-commerce and online food retail shopping. Many people are now buying food online from a multitude of e-commerce sites that have sprung up since the beginning of this pandemic. The risk of food fraud in the e-commerce sector can be high. To protect consumers from misleading e-commerce practices, competent authorities need to strengthen food controls and oversight of internet sales. As some competent authorities do not have legislation and strong control programmes regulating e- commerce, sharing data and information through INFOSAN would assist in reducing the instance of unsafe and fraudulent foods traded online. Staff training Staff working in competent authorities, particularly those conducting inspections in food businesses, need to be aware of the symptoms of COVID-19.6,7 Staff must be able to recognize symptoms early so that they can seek appropriate medical care, self-report, and exclude themselves from work,7 minimizing the risk of infecting fellow workers. Staff may require refresher training courses in the basic principles of food hygiene3 and operational procedures for conducting inspections of food businesses, particularly on the use of PPE and ensuring that they do not contribute to contaminating the work environment. Staff in competent authorities who interface with the public on helplines or via social media channels must keep up-to- date with the most recent information and advice being passed to the public. A dedicated communications team, backed up by public health and food safety specialists, is required to prepare and disseminate advice for consumers on how to protect themselves and their families. Each competent authority should establish a dedicated COVID-19 page on their website with up-to-date factual advice and links to trusted websites of organizations such as WHO, FAO, and OIE. Competent authorities need to ensure that they have a system in place for the public to make a complaint and for authorities to respond on a timely basis to such complaints. Channels for communicating complaints can be via a helpline or a dedicated webpage on the authority’s website. Food businesses also need to keep up-to-date with food regulations and advice on any additional measures that must be implemented to ensure a safe and adequate food supply. Competent authority staff who interact with food businesses need to be trained and fully briefed to address concerns and answer questions. Communication With the rapid evolution of the pandemic comes a growing need to ensure that accurate and credible information is accessible to food businesses and the wider public. Competent authorities need to have a robust communications strategy in place to prevent rumours and misinformation and to provide up-to-date reliable information to all stakeholders. It is important for the competent authorities to reiterate to the public that while there are no reported cases of COVID-19 transmitted through the consumption of food and that it is very unlikely for COVID-19 to be transmitted through food, hygiene recommendations provided by health authorities to avoid the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 should also be applied by consumers when shopping or handling food. Recommendations and messages published by WHO can be adapted and disseminated for national contexts. Competent authorities should provide advice for food businesses regarding prevention of possible transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the food chain and how to protect the workers (see the WHO guidelines8). They may also need to provide advice to operators who change the nature of their businesses, for instance, from restaurants to food-to- go/takeaway sales, or voluntary groups that establish new food operations. As understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, competent authorities will need to review and update their messaging accordingly. As well as updating food businesses and consumers, it is important to ensure that relevant Ministries are continuously briefed on the situation to facilitate a whole-of-government approach to managing this crisis. WHO and FAO continue to monitor the situation closely for any changes that may affect this interim guidance. Should any factors change, an update will be issued. Otherwise, this interim guidance document will expire 2 years after the date of publication. References 1. FAO/WHO. 2010. FAO/WHO framework for developing national food safety emergency response plans https://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/emerg ency_response/en/ 2. WHO. 2020. Modes of transmission of virus causing COVID-19: implications for IPC precaution recommendations, Scientific brief. https://www.who.int/news- room/commentaries/detail/modes-of-transmission- of-virus-causing-covid-19-implications-for-ipc- precaution-recommendations COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems: interim guidance -5- 3. FAO/WHO. 2009. Codex Alimentarius. Food hygiene: Basic texts http://www.fao.org/3/a1552e/a1552e00.pdf 4. WHO. 2020. Laboratory biosafety guidance related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) https://www.who.int/publications-detail/laboratory- biosafety-guidance-related-to-coronavirus-disease- 2019-(covid-19) 5. Responding to food safety emergencies (INFOSAN) https://www.who.int/activities/responding-to- food-safety-emergencies-infosan 6. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/nov el-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public 7. Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19) https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q- a-coronaviruses 8. FAO/WHO, 2020. COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for Food Businesses https://www.who.int/publications-detail/covid-19- and-food-safety-guidance-for-food-businesses © World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2020. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 FAO licence (CC BY-NC- SA 3.0 IGO; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo/). WHO reference number: WHO/2019-nCoV/Food_Safety_authorities/2020.1
-1- COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems Interim guidance 22 April 2020 Background The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic presents an exceptional and unprecedented challenge for competent authoritiesa with responsibilities for national food safety control systemsb to continue conducting routine functions and activities in accordance with national regulations and international recommendations. In many countries, competent authority staff are largely working from home, teleworking being the normal practice, and all face-to-face meetings cancelled or rescheduled as teleconferences. It is challenging to maintain, without interruption, routine activities such as the inspection of food business operations, certifying exports, control of imported foods, monitoring and surveillance of the safety of the food supply chain, sampling and analysis of food, managing food incidents, providing advice on food safety and food regulations for the food industry, and communicating on food safety issues with the public. To preserve the integrity of the national food safety control system and to support international trade and the food supply chain, each competent authority will need to prioritize critically important services during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These may include introducing temporary suspensions of low-risk control activities that do not immediately affect the supply of safe food. Temporarily suspending low-risk control activities will allow authorities to continue to safeguard the health and safety of their staff while refocusing efforts in areas of higher risk and towards activities that are critical to the safety of food. Depending on national priorities, some competent authorities may decide to prioritize selected activities, for example, inspection of high- risk food businesses, export certification, import control services, food incident management or investigation of food complaints. It is important that competent authorities continue to monitor developments regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and respond by making the necessary adjustments to their work programmes and continue to deliver critical services that preserve the integrity of their food safety systems. a For the purpose of these guidelines the term Competent Authority means the official government organisation having jurisdiction over the National Food Safety Control System (as defined in the Codex Alimentarius e.g. CAC/GL 71-2009) The challenges facing national competent authorities arise from: • implementing contingency plans; • reduced capacity to maintain a fully functioning food safety inspection programme resulting from the reallocation of staff to national COVID-19 emergency response teams, staff working from home, and staff illness and self-isolation; • reduced food testing capacity of food laboratories reassigned to COVID-19 clinical testing; • increased risk to the integrity of the food supply chain from food fraud; • need to respond to an increasing number of queries and questions from Ministers, the food industry, consumers, and the media. Competent authorities have a critical role to play during this pandemic in working with all sectors of the food industry so that producers and processors can continue to operate effectively and keep safe food supply lines open. This guidance aims to address some key issues, namely, how to ensure the effectiveness of a reduced food safety inspection programme in mitigation of risk; and temporary measures that can be introduced to contain widespread food safety risks and reduce serious disruption to national food safety programmes. Multi-agency cooperation and contingency planning All competent authorities should have emergency response or contingency plans in place following FAO/WHO guidance1 and be able to put them in action. Competent authority contingency plans should include details of the roles and responsibilities of the central, regional, and local competent authorities and mechanisms for cooperation and collaboration during times of crisis. Contingency plans should include details of how to prioritize the delivery of essential services; the organisation of operational teams for information management, communication, risk assessment and risk b The National Food Safety Control System is described in the Codex Guidelines for the Validation of Food Safety Control Measures (CAC/GL 69-2008) COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems: interim guidance -2- management, and food incident management; the scaling up of robust IT systems to facilitate working from home, teleworking, and on-line conferencing. Cooperation and collaboration between all relevant national agencies are essential components of an effective, whole-of- government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for cooperation between public health and food safety authorities has never been more urgent. Maintaining a functioning national food safety inspection programme As a consequence of restricting the movement of people, the capacity of competent authorities to deploy suitable staff for inspecting food businesses and other food control activities can be seriously impaired. For example, food safety inspection requiring the physical presence of control staff in food premises may no longer be feasible. It may no longer be possible to test food samples taken during an inspection because of reduced capacity in food testing laboratories. The key issue for competent authorities is to ensure compliance with food legislation in those categories of food premises that pose the greatest risk. Many food businesses are introducing new biosecurity measures to limit the entry of external personnel, which may extend to food inspectors. However, food safety inspectors have a right to enter unhindered any premises where they have reasonable grounds to believe that food processing activities are conducted, for the purpose of verifying compliance and preventing non-compliance with food regulations. A risk-based approach National food safety inspection programmes should be organised on a risk basis where food businesses are ranked to determine the frequency of inspection. A risk profile of each food business for inspection purposes should be based on the nature and extent of the food business, taking into account the type of food handled, processed and distributed; the methods of processing (cooked food, ready-to-eat products); scale of the operation, and possible at-risk groups among consumers of the products. Issues to take into account in deciding on risk categorisation of food businesses include the history of compliance or non-compliance with food legislation, confidence in the implementation of the food businesses’ Food Safety Management System (FSMS), and verification records. This risk-based food safety inspection approach can identify those high-risk food premises that require inspection. It may be necessary to temporarily suspend inspections of low- to medium-risk food premises for the duration of this pandemic. One of the critical areas where food inspections will need to continue is in abattoirs including oversight of ante- and post- mortem controls. Food inspectors in such premises will require Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and will need to be aware of the importance of physical distancing, handwashing, sanitizing, and disinfection especially if production conditions change for example due to increased production line speeds. Another critical group of businesses where inspection may need to be strengthened are those where production relies heavily on imported ingredients. With international transport often dramatically reduced, these businesses may have delayed or interrupted supply chains that may pose food safety concerns and could demand increased inspection and controls. Similarly, new suppliers may need to be rapidly identified by food businesses without going through the full supplier approval programme, which may put the integrity of products at risk. Some food businesses will expand production as a result of increased demand and will recruit temporary staff. Food safety authorities will need to ensure that temporary staff are supervised and adequately trained. Temporary measures Examples of food safety controls where temporary measures may need to be introduced under exceptional circumstances include: • temporary use of electronic data exchange instead of original official paper certificates and official attestations that should accompany consignments of food producing animals; • temporary authorization of accredited private food laboratories to conduct testing and analysis under the supervision of the competent authority; • the electronic submission by food businesses of the results of their own checks to demonstrate that in- house controls are still functioning (self- certification); • if food safety authorities do not have access to a sufficient number of suitably qualified and experienced staff, private sector bodies and independent qualified professionals may be temporarily authorized to perform food inspection functions provided that they are supervised by the authority, they act impartially and are free from any conflict of interest regarding the functions they carry out; and • flexibility on some aspects of food labelling (e.g., date marking) to avoid food waste while still ensuring food safety. Staff protection Where inspections of food businesses need to continue, measures should be taken to avoid serious health risks for staff of the competent authorities without jeopardizing the prevention of food safety risks. Food inspectors should be trained in procedures to minimize the transmission of SARS- CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 disease).3 Food inspectors will need to ensure that they are free of symptoms of COVID-19; they will need to practice physical distancing while in the food premises, frequent hand washing, including before and after entering the food premises, and good coughing/sneezing etiquette. Food inspectors will also require PPE such as disposable overalls, overshoes, facemasks, gloves, and hairnets, which will need to be changed between inspections.4 Temporary suspension of control programmes Some monitoring and surveillance programmes that are routinely carried out by competent authorities could be temporarily suspended during this pandemic without COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems: interim guidance -3- jeopardizing the safety of foods, the health of the consumer, or international trade. Examples of such activities are annual residues monitoring programmes that aim to ensure compliance with contaminants regulations. There will be a reduced need for testing of food samples arising from the fact that a smaller number of food inspections will take place, with the closure of many bars, cafes and restaurants. In countries with hygiene rating schemes or “scores on doors” programmes for restaurants, these may be automatically extended for limited periods without the need to carry out an inspection. Reduced sampling and testing of food will make it all the more important for national competent authorities to have access to and share information via global systems such as the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN).5 Food businesses should be obliged to report to competent authorities when they are aware of receiving or placing unsafe food on the market. Food regulations – temporary exemptions may be required Competent authorities need to liaise closely with the food businesses to assess whether temporary amendments or adjustments are required to food legislation due to the challenges posed by COVID-19 to ensure the supply of food is not compromised. Competent authorities will need to assess whether flexibility can be applied when enforcing technical aspects of food regulations, while ensuring the safety of food. Food labelling is one particularly challenging area where certain ingredients may be unavailable or where food packaging materials are no longer supplied due to interruptions in transport or imports. Where a food business uses an approved ingredient that has the same technical function as a previously available ingredient, a temporary authorization may be justified provided that safety concerns, such as allergen labelling and traceability requirements are taken into account. There can be no relaxation of regulations on unauthorized health claims and the principle that food labelling should not mislead the consumer. Food businesses that would have supplied the catering sector may now need to find alternative markets for products. Similarly, restaurants that have purchased food products or ingredients may need to find markets for such products they no longer require to produce restaurant food. Temporary authorization to sell such products should be provided in these circumstances with the provision for use of temporary over-labels with a derogation on nutrition labelling (unauthorized use of health claims is prohibited) and in compliance with existing date marking and storage instructions. Competent authorities should apply some flexibility when enforcing the technical aspects of food regulations; however, food safety cannot be compromised, and key information must be provided so that consumers can make informed choices. Some flexibility on labelling compliance can be considered once there is no risk to the consumer and critical information such as allergen declaration, durability (shelf life), traceability and any special storage conditions or conditions of use can be addressed or mitigated by over- labelling with this critical information. Food business operators are advised to discuss the situation with their inspector before placing products or ingredients with temporary non-compliant labels on the market. Food laboratories: testing and analysis A particular challenge for competent authorities is the reduced capacity in public sector laboratories to test foods, as these are reallocated to testing of COVID-19 clinical samples. A minimum capacity in microbiological and chemical safety needs to be maintained to support food inspections of high- risk businesses, for dealing with consumer complaints and food incidents, and for the investigation and management of outbreaks of foodborne illness. This may require the temporary authorization of private accredited food laboratories to carry out testing as part of the national food safety control programme. However, the competent authority must ensure the validity and reliability of the testing results. In addition, public health disease surveillance systems may have a reduced capacity to identify human cases of foodborne illness but it is essential that a minimum national capability is maintained. Food laboratories will need to introduce measures to reduce the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the laboratory environment. These measures will involve training laboratory workers to recognize symptoms of COVID-19, following physical distancing principles, frequent handwashing and sanitizing and disinfection, and coughing/sneezing etiquette. Laboratory staff should familiarize themselves with the biosafety guidance related to COVID-19 from WHO.4 To achieve physical distancing, it may be necessary to reduce laboratory staff density through split-shift working and communication via intercoms when staff are working alone in a small laboratory space when it is not possible to remain more than one metre apart. Arrangements need to be in place for physical distancing during shift handovers. Working schedules should be arranged so that essential work will continue in the event of a laboratory worker becoming infected. In may be necessary to temporarily suspend a food laboratory’s accreditation to ISO 17025 if the volume of samples for a particular test is reduced. This may result from the suspension of annual residues monitoring programmes. Risk to the integrity of the food supply The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in food supply chains being disrupted with some products, ingredients, or materials being unavailable or in short supply. In the rush to identify new suppliers, food businesses may focus less attention on the integrity of the supply chain, thereby opening new opportunities for food fraud. As competent authorities introduce temporary reductions in food controls with a suspension or cancellation of inspections and food sampling, fraudsters may take advantage of such opportunities. In addition to the reduction in official controls, there is also likely to be a reduction in private sector audits and checks of certification and accreditation schemes. During this pandemic, competent authorities should investigate reported incidences COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems: interim guidance -4- involving food fraud and work closely with food businesses to assess the vulnerability of supply chains and ensuring control plans are implemented. Food businesses are legally required to produce and market safe and authentic food. In addition to their FSMS, food businesses should consider introducing risk-based vulnerability assessment systems to mitigate against food fraud. Competent authorities need to highlight the increased risks of food fraud. As citizens are confined to their homes, an increasing number of consumers are turning to e-commerce and online food retail shopping. Many people are now buying food online from a multitude of e-commerce sites that have sprung up since the beginning of this pandemic. The risk of food fraud in the e-commerce sector can be high. To protect consumers from misleading e-commerce practices, competent authorities need to strengthen food controls and oversight of internet sales. As some competent authorities do not have legislation and strong control programmes regulating e- commerce, sharing data and information through INFOSAN would assist in reducing the instance of unsafe and fraudulent foods traded online. Staff training Staff working in competent authorities, particularly those conducting inspections in food businesses, need to be aware of the symptoms of COVID-19.6,7 Staff must be able to recognize symptoms early so that they can seek appropriate medical care, self-report, and exclude themselves from work,7 minimizing the risk of infecting fellow workers. Staff may require refresher training courses in the basic principles of food hygiene3 and operational procedures for conducting inspections of food businesses, particularly on the use of PPE and ensuring that they do not contribute to contaminating the work environment. Staff in competent authorities who interface with the public on helplines or via social media channels must keep up-to- date with the most recent information and advice being passed to the public. A dedicated communications team, backed up by public health and food safety specialists, is required to prepare and disseminate advice for consumers on how to protect themselves and their families. Each competent authority should establish a dedicated COVID-19 page on their website with up-to-date factual advice and links to trusted websites of organizations such as WHO, FAO, and OIE. Competent authorities need to ensure that they have a system in place for the public to make a complaint and for authorities to respond on a timely basis to such complaints. Channels for communicating complaints can be via a helpline or a dedicated webpage on the authority’s website. Food businesses also need to keep up-to-date with food regulations and advice on any additional measures that must be implemented to ensure a safe and adequate food supply. Competent authority staff who interact with food businesses need to be trained and fully briefed to address concerns and answer questions. Communication With the rapid evolution of the pandemic comes a growing need to ensure that accurate and credible information is accessible to food businesses and the wider public. Competent authorities need to have a robust communications strategy in place to prevent rumours and misinformation and to provide up-to-date reliable information to all stakeholders. It is important for the competent authorities to reiterate to the public that while there are no reported cases of COVID-19 transmitted through the consumption of food and that it is very unlikely for COVID-19 to be transmitted through food, hygiene recommendations provided by health authorities to avoid the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 should also be applied by consumers when shopping or handling food. Recommendations and messages published by WHO can be adapted and disseminated for national contexts. Competent authorities should provide advice for food businesses regarding prevention of possible transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the food chain and how to protect the workers (see the WHO guidelines8). They may also need to provide advice to operators who change the nature of their businesses, for instance, from restaurants to food-to- go/takeaway sales, or voluntary groups that establish new food operations. As understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, competent authorities will need to review and update their messaging accordingly. As well as updating food businesses and consumers, it is important to ensure that relevant Ministries are continuously briefed on the situation to facilitate a whole-of-government approach to managing this crisis. WHO and FAO continue to monitor the situation closely for any changes that may affect this interim guidance. Should any factors change, an update will be issued. Otherwise, this interim guidance document will expire 2 years after the date of publication. References 1. FAO/WHO. 2010. FAO/WHO framework for developing national food safety emergency response plans https://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/emerg ency_response/en/ 2. WHO. 2020. Modes of transmission of virus causing COVID-19: implications for IPC precaution recommendations, Scientific brief. https://www.who.int/news- room/commentaries/detail/modes-of-transmission- of-virus-causing-covid-19-implications-for-ipc- precaution-recommendations COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems: interim guidance -5- 3. FAO/WHO. 2009. Codex Alimentarius. Food hygiene: Basic texts http://www.fao.org/3/a1552e/a1552e00.pdf 4. WHO. 2020. Laboratory biosafety guidance related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) https://www.who.int/publications-detail/laboratory- biosafety-guidance-related-to-coronavirus-disease- 2019-(covid-19) 5. Responding to food safety emergencies (INFOSAN) https://www.who.int/activities/responding-to- food-safety-emergencies-infosan 6. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/nov el-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public 7. Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19) https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q- a-coronaviruses 8. FAO/WHO, 2020. COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for Food Businesses https://www.who.int/publications-detail/covid-19- and-food-safety-guidance-for-food-businesses © World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2020. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 FAO licence (CC BY-NC- SA 3.0 IGO; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo/). WHO reference number: WHO/2019-nCoV/Food_Safety_authorities/2020.1
-1- COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems Interim guidance 22 April 2020 Background The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic presents an exceptional and unprecedented challenge for competent authoritiesa with responsibilities for national food safety control systemsb to continue conducting routine functions and activities in accordance with national regulations and international recommendations. In many countries, competent authority staff are largely working from home, teleworking being the normal practice, and all face-to-face meetings cancelled or rescheduled as teleconferences. It is challenging to maintain, without interruption, routine activities such as the inspection of food business operations, certifying exports, control of imported foods, monitoring and surveillance of the safety of the food supply chain, sampling and analysis of food, managing food incidents, providing advice on food safety and food regulations for the food industry, and communicating on food safety issues with the public. To preserve the integrity of the national food safety control system and to support international trade and the food supply chain, each competent authority will need to prioritize critically important services during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These may include introducing temporary suspensions of low-risk control activities that do not immediately affect the supply of safe food. Temporarily suspending low-risk control activities will allow authorities to continue to safeguard the health and safety of their staff while refocusing efforts in areas of higher risk and towards activities that are critical to the safety of food. Depending on national priorities, some competent authorities may decide to prioritize selected activities, for example, inspection of high- risk food businesses, export certification, import control services, food incident management or investigation of food complaints. It is important that competent authorities continue to monitor developments regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and respond by making the necessary adjustments to their work programmes and continue to deliver critical services that preserve the integrity of their food safety systems. a For the purpose of these guidelines the term Competent Authority means the official government organisation having jurisdiction over the National Food Safety Control System (as defined in the Codex Alimentarius e.g. CAC/GL 71-2009) The challenges facing national competent authorities arise from: • implementing contingency plans; • reduced capacity to maintain a fully functioning food safety inspection programme resulting from the reallocation of staff to national COVID-19 emergency response teams, staff working from home, and staff illness and self-isolation; • reduced food testing capacity of food laboratories reassigned to COVID-19 clinical testing; • increased risk to the integrity of the food supply chain from food fraud; • need to respond to an increasing number of queries and questions from Ministers, the food industry, consumers, and the media. Competent authorities have a critical role to play during this pandemic in working with all sectors of the food industry so that producers and processors can continue to operate effectively and keep safe food supply lines open. This guidance aims to address some key issues, namely, how to ensure the effectiveness of a reduced food safety inspection programme in mitigation of risk; and temporary measures that can be introduced to contain widespread food safety risks and reduce serious disruption to national food safety programmes. Multi-agency cooperation and contingency planning All competent authorities should have emergency response or contingency plans in place following FAO/WHO guidance1 and be able to put them in action. Competent authority contingency plans should include details of the roles and responsibilities of the central, regional, and local competent authorities and mechanisms for cooperation and collaboration during times of crisis. Contingency plans should include details of how to prioritize the delivery of essential services; the organisation of operational teams for information management, communication, risk assessment and risk b The National Food Safety Control System is described in the Codex Guidelines for the Validation of Food Safety Control Measures (CAC/GL 69-2008) COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems: interim guidance -2- management, and food incident management; the scaling up of robust IT systems to facilitate working from home, teleworking, and on-line conferencing. Cooperation and collaboration between all relevant national agencies are essential components of an effective, whole-of- government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for cooperation between public health and food safety authorities has never been more urgent. Maintaining a functioning national food safety inspection programme As a consequence of restricting the movement of people, the capacity of competent authorities to deploy suitable staff for inspecting food businesses and other food control activities can be seriously impaired. For example, food safety inspection requiring the physical presence of control staff in food premises may no longer be feasible. It may no longer be possible to test food samples taken during an inspection because of reduced capacity in food testing laboratories. The key issue for competent authorities is to ensure compliance with food legislation in those categories of food premises that pose the greatest risk. Many food businesses are introducing new biosecurity measures to limit the entry of external personnel, which may extend to food inspectors. However, food safety inspectors have a right to enter unhindered any premises where they have reasonable grounds to believe that food processing activities are conducted, for the purpose of verifying compliance and preventing non-compliance with food regulations. A risk-based approach National food safety inspection programmes should be organised on a risk basis where food businesses are ranked to determine the frequency of inspection. A risk profile of each food business for inspection purposes should be based on the nature and extent of the food business, taking into account the type of food handled, processed and distributed; the methods of processing (cooked food, ready-to-eat products); scale of the operation, and possible at-risk groups among consumers of the products. Issues to take into account in deciding on risk categorisation of food businesses include the history of compliance or non-compliance with food legislation, confidence in the implementation of the food businesses’ Food Safety Management System (FSMS), and verification records. This risk-based food safety inspection approach can identify those high-risk food premises that require inspection. It may be necessary to temporarily suspend inspections of low- to medium-risk food premises for the duration of this pandemic. One of the critical areas where food inspections will need to continue is in abattoirs including oversight of ante- and post- mortem controls. Food inspectors in such premises will require Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and will need to be aware of the importance of physical distancing, handwashing, sanitizing, and disinfection especially if production conditions change for example due to increased production line speeds. Another critical group of businesses where inspection may need to be strengthened are those where production relies heavily on imported ingredients. With international transport often dramatically reduced, these businesses may have delayed or interrupted supply chains that may pose food safety concerns and could demand increased inspection and controls. Similarly, new suppliers may need to be rapidly identified by food businesses without going through the full supplier approval programme, which may put the integrity of products at risk. Some food businesses will expand production as a result of increased demand and will recruit temporary staff. Food safety authorities will need to ensure that temporary staff are supervised and adequately trained. Temporary measures Examples of food safety controls where temporary measures may need to be introduced under exceptional circumstances include: • temporary use of electronic data exchange instead of original official paper certificates and official attestations that should accompany consignments of food producing animals; • temporary authorization of accredited private food laboratories to conduct testing and analysis under the supervision of the competent authority; • the electronic submission by food businesses of the results of their own checks to demonstrate that in- house controls are still functioning (self- certification); • if food safety authorities do not have access to a sufficient number of suitably qualified and experienced staff, private sector bodies and independent qualified professionals may be temporarily authorized to perform food inspection functions provided that they are supervised by the authority, they act impartially and are free from any conflict of interest regarding the functions they carry out; and • flexibility on some aspects of food labelling (e.g., date marking) to avoid food waste while still ensuring food safety. Staff protection Where inspections of food businesses need to continue, measures should be taken to avoid serious health risks for staff of the competent authorities without jeopardizing the prevention of food safety risks. Food inspectors should be trained in procedures to minimize the transmission of SARS- CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 disease).3 Food inspectors will need to ensure that they are free of symptoms of COVID-19; they will need to practice physical distancing while in the food premises, frequent hand washing, including before and after entering the food premises, and good coughing/sneezing etiquette. Food inspectors will also require PPE such as disposable overalls, overshoes, facemasks, gloves, and hairnets, which will need to be changed between inspections.4 Temporary suspension of control programmes Some monitoring and surveillance programmes that are routinely carried out by competent authorities could be temporarily suspended during this pandemic without COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems: interim guidance -3- jeopardizing the safety of foods, the health of the consumer, or international trade. Examples of such activities are annual residues monitoring programmes that aim to ensure compliance with contaminants regulations. There will be a reduced need for testing of food samples arising from the fact that a smaller number of food inspections will take place, with the closure of many bars, cafes and restaurants. In countries with hygiene rating schemes or “scores on doors” programmes for restaurants, these may be automatically extended for limited periods without the need to carry out an inspection. Reduced sampling and testing of food will make it all the more important for national competent authorities to have access to and share information via global systems such as the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN).5 Food businesses should be obliged to report to competent authorities when they are aware of receiving or placing unsafe food on the market. Food regulations – temporary exemptions may be required Competent authorities need to liaise closely with the food businesses to assess whether temporary amendments or adjustments are required to food legislation due to the challenges posed by COVID-19 to ensure the supply of food is not compromised. Competent authorities will need to assess whether flexibility can be applied when enforcing technical aspects of food regulations, while ensuring the safety of food. Food labelling is one particularly challenging area where certain ingredients may be unavailable or where food packaging materials are no longer supplied due to interruptions in transport or imports. Where a food business uses an approved ingredient that has the same technical function as a previously available ingredient, a temporary authorization may be justified provided that safety concerns, such as allergen labelling and traceability requirements are taken into account. There can be no relaxation of regulations on unauthorized health claims and the principle that food labelling should not mislead the consumer. Food businesses that would have supplied the catering sector may now need to find alternative markets for products. Similarly, restaurants that have purchased food products or ingredients may need to find markets for such products they no longer require to produce restaurant food. Temporary authorization to sell such products should be provided in these circumstances with the provision for use of temporary over-labels with a derogation on nutrition labelling (unauthorized use of health claims is prohibited) and in compliance with existing date marking and storage instructions. Competent authorities should apply some flexibility when enforcing the technical aspects of food regulations; however, food safety cannot be compromised, and key information must be provided so that consumers can make informed choices. Some flexibility on labelling compliance can be considered once there is no risk to the consumer and critical information such as allergen declaration, durability (shelf life), traceability and any special storage conditions or conditions of use can be addressed or mitigated by over- labelling with this critical information. Food business operators are advised to discuss the situation with their inspector before placing products or ingredients with temporary non-compliant labels on the market. Food laboratories: testing and analysis A particular challenge for competent authorities is the reduced capacity in public sector laboratories to test foods, as these are reallocated to testing of COVID-19 clinical samples. A minimum capacity in microbiological and chemical safety needs to be maintained to support food inspections of high- risk businesses, for dealing with consumer complaints and food incidents, and for the investigation and management of outbreaks of foodborne illness. This may require the temporary authorization of private accredited food laboratories to carry out testing as part of the national food safety control programme. However, the competent authority must ensure the validity and reliability of the testing results. In addition, public health disease surveillance systems may have a reduced capacity to identify human cases of foodborne illness but it is essential that a minimum national capability is maintained. Food laboratories will need to introduce measures to reduce the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the laboratory environment. These measures will involve training laboratory workers to recognize symptoms of COVID-19, following physical distancing principles, frequent handwashing and sanitizing and disinfection, and coughing/sneezing etiquette. Laboratory staff should familiarize themselves with the biosafety guidance related to COVID-19 from WHO.4 To achieve physical distancing, it may be necessary to reduce laboratory staff density through split-shift working and communication via intercoms when staff are working alone in a small laboratory space when it is not possible to remain more than one metre apart. Arrangements need to be in place for physical distancing during shift handovers. Working schedules should be arranged so that essential work will continue in the event of a laboratory worker becoming infected. In may be necessary to temporarily suspend a food laboratory’s accreditation to ISO 17025 if the volume of samples for a particular test is reduced. This may result from the suspension of annual residues monitoring programmes. Risk to the integrity of the food supply The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in food supply chains being disrupted with some products, ingredients, or materials being unavailable or in short supply. In the rush to identify new suppliers, food businesses may focus less attention on the integrity of the supply chain, thereby opening new opportunities for food fraud. As competent authorities introduce temporary reductions in food controls with a suspension or cancellation of inspections and food sampling, fraudsters may take advantage of such opportunities. In addition to the reduction in official controls, there is also likely to be a reduction in private sector audits and checks of certification and accreditation schemes. During this pandemic, competent authorities should investigate reported incidences COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems: interim guidance -4- involving food fraud and work closely with food businesses to assess the vulnerability of supply chains and ensuring control plans are implemented. Food businesses are legally required to produce and market safe and authentic food. In addition to their FSMS, food businesses should consider introducing risk-based vulnerability assessment systems to mitigate against food fraud. Competent authorities need to highlight the increased risks of food fraud. As citizens are confined to their homes, an increasing number of consumers are turning to e-commerce and online food retail shopping. Many people are now buying food online from a multitude of e-commerce sites that have sprung up since the beginning of this pandemic. The risk of food fraud in the e-commerce sector can be high. To protect consumers from misleading e-commerce practices, competent authorities need to strengthen food controls and oversight of internet sales. As some competent authorities do not have legislation and strong control programmes regulating e- commerce, sharing data and information through INFOSAN would assist in reducing the instance of unsafe and fraudulent foods traded online. Staff training Staff working in competent authorities, particularly those conducting inspections in food businesses, need to be aware of the symptoms of COVID-19.6,7 Staff must be able to recognize symptoms early so that they can seek appropriate medical care, self-report, and exclude themselves from work,7 minimizing the risk of infecting fellow workers. Staff may require refresher training courses in the basic principles of food hygiene3 and operational procedures for conducting inspections of food businesses, particularly on the use of PPE and ensuring that they do not contribute to contaminating the work environment. Staff in competent authorities who interface with the public on helplines or via social media channels must keep up-to- date with the most recent information and advice being passed to the public. A dedicated communications team, backed up by public health and food safety specialists, is required to prepare and disseminate advice for consumers on how to protect themselves and their families. Each competent authority should establish a dedicated COVID-19 page on their website with up-to-date factual advice and links to trusted websites of organizations such as WHO, FAO, and OIE. Competent authorities need to ensure that they have a system in place for the public to make a complaint and for authorities to respond on a timely basis to such complaints. Channels for communicating complaints can be via a helpline or a dedicated webpage on the authority’s website. Food businesses also need to keep up-to-date with food regulations and advice on any additional measures that must be implemented to ensure a safe and adequate food supply. Competent authority staff who interact with food businesses need to be trained and fully briefed to address concerns and answer questions. Communication With the rapid evolution of the pandemic comes a growing need to ensure that accurate and credible information is accessible to food businesses and the wider public. Competent authorities need to have a robust communications strategy in place to prevent rumours and misinformation and to provide up-to-date reliable information to all stakeholders. It is important for the competent authorities to reiterate to the public that while there are no reported cases of COVID-19 transmitted through the consumption of food and that it is very unlikely for COVID-19 to be transmitted through food, hygiene recommendations provided by health authorities to avoid the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 should also be applied by consumers when shopping or handling food. Recommendations and messages published by WHO can be adapted and disseminated for national contexts. Competent authorities should provide advice for food businesses regarding prevention of possible transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the food chain and how to protect the workers (see the WHO guidelines8). They may also need to provide advice to operators who change the nature of their businesses, for instance, from restaurants to food-to- go/takeaway sales, or voluntary groups that establish new food operations. As understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, competent authorities will need to review and update their messaging accordingly. As well as updating food businesses and consumers, it is important to ensure that relevant Ministries are continuously briefed on the situation to facilitate a whole-of-government approach to managing this crisis. WHO and FAO continue to monitor the situation closely for any changes that may affect this interim guidance. Should any factors change, an update will be issued. Otherwise, this interim guidance document will expire 2 years after the date of publication. References 1. FAO/WHO. 2010. FAO/WHO framework for developing national food safety emergency response plans https://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/emerg ency_response/en/ 2. WHO. 2020. Modes of transmission of virus causing COVID-19: implications for IPC precaution recommendations, Scientific brief. https://www.who.int/news- room/commentaries/detail/modes-of-transmission- of-virus-causing-covid-19-implications-for-ipc- precaution-recommendations COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems: interim guidance -5- 3. FAO/WHO. 2009. Codex Alimentarius. Food hygiene: Basic texts http://www.fao.org/3/a1552e/a1552e00.pdf 4. WHO. 2020. Laboratory biosafety guidance related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) https://www.who.int/publications-detail/laboratory- biosafety-guidance-related-to-coronavirus-disease- 2019-(covid-19) 5. Responding to food safety emergencies (INFOSAN) https://www.who.int/activities/responding-to- food-safety-emergencies-infosan 6. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/nov el-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public 7. Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19) https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q- a-coronaviruses 8. FAO/WHO, 2020. COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for Food Businesses https://www.who.int/publications-detail/covid-19- and-food-safety-guidance-for-food-businesses © World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2020. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 FAO licence (CC BY-NC- SA 3.0 IGO; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo/). WHO reference number: WHO/2019-nCoV/Food_Safety_authorities/2020.1
-1- COVID-19 e segurança dos alimentos: Orientações para as autoridades competentes responsáveis pelos sistemas de controlo da segurança dos alimentos Orientações provisórias 22 de Abril de 2020 Contexto A atual pandemia de COVID-19 constitui um desafio excepcional e sem precedentes para que as autoridades competentes, com responsabilidades nos sistemas nacionais de controlo da segurança dos alimentosa, possam continuar a desempenhar as suas funções e atividades de rotina, de acordo com os regulamentos nacionais e as recomendações internacionais. Em muitos países, os funcionários das autoridades competentes estão, em grande parte, trabalhando a partir de casa, usando o teletrabalho como prática normal, visto que todas as reuniões presenciais foram canceladas ou reagendadas como teleconferências. É um desafio manter, sem interrupção, as atividades normais de rotina, tais como a inspeção das operações do negócio alimentar, a certificação das exportações, o controlo dos alimentos importados, a monitorização e vigilância da segurança da cadeia de abastecimento alimentar, a amostragem e análise dos alimentos, a gestão de incidentes alimentares, o aconselhamento sobre segurança dos alimentos e regulamentos para a indústria alimentar, para além da comunicação com o público sobre questões de segurança dos alimentos. Para preservar a integridade do sistema nacional de controlo da segurança dos alimentos e para dar apoio ao comércio internacional e à cadeia de abastecimento alimentar, cada autoridade competente terá de dar prioridade aos serviços de importância crítica durante a atual pandemia de COVID-19. Como tal, poderão ter de ser temporariamente suspensas atividades de controlo de baixo risco que não afetem imediatamente o abastecimento de alimentos seguros. Essa suspensão temporária das atividades de controlo de baixo risco permitirá às autoridades continuarem a salvaguardar a saúde e segurança dos seus funcionários, ao mesmo tempo que reorientam os seus esforços para áreas de maior risco e para atividades que são cruciais para a segurança dos alimentos. Em função das prioridades nacionais, algumas autoridades competentes poderão decidir dar prioridade a determinadas atividades como, por exemplo, a inspeção do comércio alimentar de alto risco, certificação da exportações, serviços de controlo das importações, gestão de incidentes a The National Food Safety Control System is described in the Codex Guidelines for the Validation of Food Safety Control Measures (CAC/GL 69-2008) alimentares ou investigação das reclamações em matéria de segurança dos alimentos. É importante que as autoridades competentes continuem a monitorizar os desenvolvimentos relativamente à pandemia da COVID-19 e respondam fazendo os ajustes necessários aos seus programas de trabalho, continuando a prestar serviços que são fundamentais para preservar a integridade dos seus sistemas de segurança dos alimentos. Os desafios que se colocam às autoridades nacionais competentes resultam de: • implementação de planos de contingência; • menor capacidade para manter em funcionamento integral um programa de inspeção da segurança dos alimentos, devido à deslocação de funcionários para as equipas nacionais de resposta à emergência da COVID-19, funcionários que trabalham a partir de casa e funcionários doentes ou em auto- isolamento; • menor capacidade dos laboratórios para fazerem testes aos alimentos, visto que se estão a dedicar à testagem clínica da COVID-19; • maior risco para a integridade da cadeia de abastecimento alimentar devido à existência de fraudes alimentares; • necessidade de resposta a um número crescente de dúvidas e perguntas por parte dos Ministros, indústria alimentar, consumidores e imprensa. As autoridades competentes têm um papel crítico a desempenhar durante esta pandemia, trabalhando com todos os setores da indústria alimentar, para que os produtores e transformadores de alimentos possam continuar a operar com eficácia e a manter abertas as linhas de abastecimento de alimentos seguros. As presentes orientações destinam-se a abordar algumas questões-chave, nomeadamente, o modo de assegurar a eficácia de um programa reduzido de inspeção da segurança dos alimentos na mitigação dos riscos e medidas temporárias que possam ser introduzidas para conter a propagação de riscos para a segurança dos alimentos e evitar uma disrupção grave nos programas nacionais de segurança dos alimentos. Cooperação multi-agências e planos de contingência Todas as autoridades competentes devem ter instalados planos de contingência ou de resposta à emergência, COVID-19 e segurança dos alimentos: Orientações para as autoridades competentes responsáveis pelos sistemas de controlo da segurança dos alimentos -2- segundo as orientações da FAO/OMS1 e ser capazes de os aplicar. Os planos de contingência das autoridades competentes devem incluir informação sobre os respetivos papéis e responsabilidades a nível central, regional e local e sobre os mecanismos de cooperação e colaboração em tempos de crise. Os planos de contingência devem incluir: informação sobre o modo de priorizar a prestação de serviços essenciais; organização de equipas operacionais para a gestão da informação, comunicação, avaliação e gestão dos riscos e gestão dos incidentes de natureza alimentar; e reforço de sistemas robustos de TI para facilitar o trabalho a partir de casa, o teletrabalho e as videoconferências. A cooperação e a colaboração entre todos os organismos nacionais relevantes são componentes essenciais de uma resposta eficaz à pandemia da COVID-19, envolvendo todas as instâncias governamentais. Nunca foi tão urgente a cooperação entre as autoridades de saúde pública e as autoridades de segurança dos alimentos. Manter em funcionamento um programa nacional de inspeção da segurança dos alimentos Como consequência das restrições à movimentação das pessoas, a capacidade das autoridades competentes para destacar funcionários habilitados para inspeção do comércio alimentar e outras atividades de controlo alimentar pode ser seriamente afetada. Por exemplo, deixa de ser viável a presença física de inspetores da segurança dos alimentos em instalações de produtos alimentares. Poderá deixar de ser possível testar amostras de alimentos colhidas durante uma inspeção, por capacidade reduzida dos laboratórios de testagem de alimentos. O principal papel das autoridades competentes neste caso é garantir o cumprimento da legislação sobre segurança dos alimentos nas categorias de estabelecimentos de comércio alimentar que possam representar maior risco. Muitas empresas do ramo alimentar estão a introduzir novas medidas de biossegurança para limitar a entrada de pessoal externo, o que poderá abranger os inspetores sanitários. Contudo, os inspetores da segurança dos alimentos têm o direito de entrar, sem limitações, em qualquer empresa em que haja razões suficientes para acreditar que exercem actividades de processamento de alimentos, com a finalidade de verificar se a legislação alimentar está a ser cumprida e evitar o seu não cumprimento. Abordagem baseada em riscos Os programas nacionais de inspeção da segurança dos alimentos devem ser organizados com base nos riscos, estabelecendo uma ordenação dos estabelecimentos do ramo alimentar para determinar a frequência das inspeções. O perfil de risco de cada empresa do ramo alimentar para fins de inspeção deve basear-se na natureza e extensão dessa empresa, tendo em consideração o tipo de alimentos manuseados, processados e distribuídos, os métodos de processamento (alimentos cozinhados, produtos prontos-a- comer), a escala da operação e os possíveis grupos de risco entre os consumidores dos produtos. As questões a ter em conta ao decidir sobre a categorização dos riscos das empresas alimentares incluem o historial de conformidade ou não-conformidade com a legislação alimentar, a confiança na implementação do Sistema de Gestão da Segurança dos Alimentos (FSMS) por parte das empresas e os registos de verificação. Esta abordagem de inspeção da segurança dos alimentos baseada nos riscos pode identificar as empresas alimentares de alto risco que requerem inspeção. Poderá ser necessário suspender temporariamente as inspeções às empresas de risco baixo a médio, enquanto durar esta pandemia. Uma das áreas críticas em que as inspeções têm de continuar são os matadouros, incluindo a supervisão dos controlos anteriores e posteriores ao abate. Nessas instalações, os inspetores alimentares necessitam de Equipamento de Proteção Individual (EPI) e terão de estar conscientes da importância do distanciamento social, lavagem das mãos, saneamento e desinfeção, especialmente se as condições de produção se alterarem, por exemplo, em virtude de um aumento da velocidade da linha de produção. Outro grupo crítico de empresas em que poderá ser necessário reforçar as inspeções são aquelas em que a produção depende muito de ingredientes importados. Com a redução dramática dos transportes internacionais, estas empresas podem ter retardado ou interrompido as cadeias de abastecimento, o que pode levantar preocupações de segurança dos alimentos e exigir um reforço das inspeções e controlos. Do mesmo modo, as empresas terão de identificar rapidamente novos fornecedores, sem ter de se submeter a todos os requisitos do programa de aprovação de fornecedores, o que poderá pôr em risco a integridade dos produtos. Algumas empresas alimentares poderão expandir a produção em resultado de um aumento da procura e irão recrutar pessoal temporário. As autoridades da segurança dos alimentos terão de verificar se o pessoal temporário é supervisionado e se tem a formação adequada. Medidas temporárias Alguns exemplos de controlos da segurança dos alimentos em que poderá ser necessário introduzir medidas temporárias em circunstâncias excecionais são: • utilização temporária de troca de dados eletrónicos em vez dos tradicionais certificados oficiais em papel e atestados oficiais que acompanhem as encomendas de animais produtores de alimentos; • autorização temporária de laboratórios alimentares privados acreditados para fazerem os testes e as análises, sob supervisão da autoridade competente; • envio electrónico por parte das empresas alimentares dos resultados das suas próprias verificações, para demonstrar que os controlos internos continuam a funcionar (auto-certificação); • se as autoridades de segurança dos alimentos não tiverem acesso a um número suficiente de funcionários devidamente habilitados e experientes, pode ser temporariamente autorizado que as funções de inspeção alimentar sejam desempenhadas por funcionários de organismos do setor privado e independentes qualificados, desde que sejam eles próprios supervisionados pela autoridade, atuem com imparcialidade e não COVID-19 e segurança dos alimentos: Orientações para as autoridades competentes responsáveis pelos sistemas de controlo da segurança dos alimentos -3- estejam envolvidos em qualquer conflito de interesses no que respeita às funções que desempenham; e • flexibilidade em alguns aspectos da rotulagem dos alimentos (e.g., marcação da data), para evitar o desperdício de alimentos, mas continuando a garantir a sua segurança. Protecção do pessoal Quando for necessário continuar a inspecionar as empresas do sector alimentar, devem ser tomadas todas as medidas para evitar riscos graves para a saúde dos funcionários das autoridades competentes, sem pôr em risco a prevenção dos riscos para a segurança dos alimentos. Os inspetores do sector alimentar devem receber formação em procedimentos que minimizem a transmissão do SARS-CoV-2 (o vírus que causa a doença COVID-19)3. Os inspetores dos alimentos terão de estar seguros de que não têm sintomas da COVID- 19; terão de praticar o distanciamento social enquanto permanecerem nas instalações da empresa alimentar, lavar frequentemente as mãos, mesmo antes e depois de entrarem nas instalações da empresa e praticar a boa etiqueta respiratória. Os inspetores necessitarão igualmente de EPI, como fatos-macaco descartáveis, capas de sapatos, máscaras faciais, luvas e redes para o cabelo, que terão de ser mudados entre as inspeções4. Suspensão temporária dos programas de controlo Alguns programas de monitorização e vigilância rotineiramente executados pelas autoridades competentes poderão ser temporariamente suspensos, enquanto durar a pandemia, sem pôr em risco a segurança dos alimentos, a saúde do consumidor ou o comércio internacional. Alguns exemplos dessas atividades são os programas anuais de monitorização dos resíduos que se destinam a garantir a conformidade com os regulamentos sobre contaminantes. A necessidade de testar amostras de alimentos será menor pelo facto de também serem menos as inspeções alimentares, com o encerramento de muitos bares, cafés e restaurantes. Nos países que têm programas de classificação da higiene ou de “pontuação na porta” para os restaurantes, essa indicação pode ser automaticamente prolongada por períodos limitados, sem necessidade de nova inspeção. A redução da amostragem e testagem dos alimentos torna ainda mais importante que as autoridades nacionais competentes tenham acesso e partilhem informação através de sistemas mundiais como a Rede Internacional das Autoridades de Segurança dos Alimentos (INFOSAN)5. As empresas alimentares devem ser obrigadas a notificar as autoridades competentes, quando souberem que receberam ou colocaram alimentos não seguros no mercado. Regulamentos alimentares – podem ser necessárias isenções temporárias As autoridades competentes terão de se relacionar de perto com as empresas do ramo alimentar para avaliarem se são necessárias novas alterações ou ajustamentos temporários à legislação alimentar, devido aos desafios colocados pela COVID-19, de modo a assegurar que não haverá falhas no abastecimento de alimentos. As autoridades competentes terão de avaliar se pode ser adoptada alguma flexibilidade na obrigatoriedade de aplicação de aspetos técnicos dos regulamentos alimentares, sem deixar de garantir a segurança dos alimentos. A rotulagem dos alimentos é uma das áreas particularmente sensíveis, podendo não haver disponibilidade de certos ingredientes ou deixarem de ser fornecidos materiais de embalamento, devido a interrupções nos transportes ou nas importações. Quando uma empresa alimentar usa um ingrediente aprovado que tem a mesma função técnica que um ingrediente anteriormente disponível, pode justificar-se uma autorização temporária, desde que sejam asseguradas condições de segurança, tais como a indicação dos alergénios e os requisitos de identificação. Não pode ser descurada a regulamentação sobre alegações de saúde não autorizadas, nem o princípio de que a rotulagem dos alimentos não deve induzir o consumidor em erro. As empresas alimentares que habitualmente forneciam o setor da restauração terão agora de encontrar mercados alternativos para os seus produtos. Do mesmo modo, os restaurantes que compraram produtos ou ingredientes alimentares terão de encontrar mercados para esses produtos de que já não precisam para produzir refeições. Nestas circunstâncias, deve ser concedida uma autorização temporária para venderem esses produtos, com uma cláusula para o uso de rotulagem extra com derrogação da rotulagem nutricional (é proibido o uso de alegações de saúde não autorizadas) e em conformidade com as instruções existentes para a indicação de datas e de armazenamento. As autoridades competentes devem usar de alguma flexibilidade ao aplicarem os aspetos técnicos da regulamentação alimentar; contudo, a segurança dos alimentos não pode ser comprometida, devendo ser fornecida a informação essencial, para que os consumidores possam fazer escolhas informadas. Pode admitir-se alguma flexibilidade na conformidade dos rótulos, uma vez que isso não constitui qualquer risco para o consumidor e a informação essencial, nomeadamente, a declaração de alergénios, a durabilidade (prazo de validade), identificação e as condições especiais de armazenamento ou condições de utilização podem ser abordadas ou mitigadas por rótulos extra com essa informação indispensável. Aconselha-se os operadores de empresas alimentares a discutirem a situação com os seus inspetores, antes de colocarem no mercado os produtos ou ingredientes com rótulos temporários não conformes. Laboratórios alimentares: testes e análises Um especial desafio para as autoridades competentes é a reduzida capacidade nos laboratórios do setor público para testarem os alimentos, visto que foram reorientados para testarem amostras clínicas da COVID-19. É preciso manter uma capacidade mínima para satisfazer as necessidades de segurança microbiológica e química, por forma a apoiar as inspeções alimentares às empresas de alto risco, para atenderem às queixas dos consumidores e aos incidentes alimentares, assim como para a investigação e gestão de surtos de doenças de transmissão alimentar. Isso pode exigir uma autorização temporária para os laboratórios alimentares privados acreditados realizarem testes, como parte do programa nacional de controlo da segurança dos alimentos. Contudo, a autoridade competente terá de assegurar a COVID-19 e segurança dos alimentos: Orientações para as autoridades competentes responsáveis pelos sistemas de controlo da segurança dos alimentos -4- validade e a fiabilidade dos resultados dos testes. Para além disso, os sistemas de vigilância da saúde pública poderão ter uma capacidade limitada para identificar os casos humanos de doenças transmitidas pelos alimentos, sendo, no entanto essencial manter um mínimo da capacidade nacional. Os laboratórios alimentares terão de introduzir medidas de redução dos riscos de transmissão do SARS-CoV-2 em ambiente laboratorial. Essas medidas envolvem a formação dos técnicos de laboratório para reconhecerem os sintomas da COVID-19, cumprirem os princípios do distanciamento físico, lavagem frequente das mãos e saneamento e desinfeção, assim como a etiqueta respiratória. O pessoal de laboratório terá de se familiarizar com as orientações de biossegurança da OMS referentes à COVID-194 . Para se cumprir o distanciamento físico, pode ser necessário reduzir o número de pessoas nos laboratórios através do trabalho por turnos separados e da comunicação através de intercomunicadores, quando o pessoal está a trabalhar sozinho num pequeno espaço do laboratório que não permita manter mais de um metro de distância para outro trabalhador. Durante a mudança de turnos, é preciso que haja condições para o distanciamento físico. Os horários de trabalho devem ser organizados de modo a que o trabalho essencial continue, caso um trabalhador do laboratório seja infetado. Pode ser necessário suspender temporariamente a acreditação do laboratório alimentar para a ISO 17025, se o volume de amostras de um determinado teste for reduzido. Isso pode resultar da suspensão dos programas anuais de monitorização de resíduos. Risco para a integridade do abastecimento alimentar A pandemia de COVID-19 resultou na disrupção das cadeias de abastecimento alimentar, com indisponibilidade ou insuficiente fornecimento de alguns produtos, ingredientes ou materiais. Na pressa de identificar novos fornecedores, as empresas alimentares poderão dispensar menor atenção à integridade da cadeia alimentar, abrindo assim novos caminhos às fraudes alimentares. As autoridades competentes introduzem uma redução temporária do controlo alimentar com a suspensão ou cancelamento das inspeções e da amostragem de alimentos, podendo os criminosos tirar vantagem dessas oportunidades. A par da redução dos controlos oficiais, também existe a probabilidade de uma redução de auditorias no setor privado e das verificações dos esquemas de certificação e acreditação. Durante a pandemia, as autoridades competentes devem investigar as incidências comunicadas que envolvam fraudes alimentares e trabalhar de perto com as empresas alimentares para avaliarem a vulnerabilidade das cadeias alimentares e garantirem a implementação dos planos de controlo. Por lei, as empresas alimentares têm de produzir e comercializar alimentos seguros e autênticos. Além do seu FSMS, as empresas alimentares devem ponderar a introdução de sistemas de avaliação das vulnerabilidades baseados em riscos, para mitigar a existência de fraudes alimentares. As autoridades competentes terão de prestar especial atenção aos riscos aumentados de fraudes alimentares. Num momento em que os cidadãos estão confinados em suas casas, passou a haver um número cada vez maior de consumidores que recorrem ao comércio electrónico e às compras online de retalho alimentar. Há muitas pessoas que agora estão a comprar alimentos online em inúmeros sítios de comércio electrónico que surgiram desde o início da pandemia. O risco de fraudes alimentares no comércio electrónico pode ser muito alto. Para proteger os consumidores contra práticas enganadoras de comércio electrónico, as autoridades competentes terão de reforçar os controlos alimentares e a supervisão das vendas pela internet. Como algumas autoridades competentes não têm legislação, nem programas sólidos de controlo que regulem o comércio eletrónico, a partilha de dados e informações através da INFOSAN ajudará a reduzir a venda de alimentos não seguros e fraudulentos comercializados online. Formação do pessoal As pessoas que trabalham nas autoridades competentes, particularmente os que fazem inspeções às empresas alimentares, terão de conhecer os sintomas da COVID-196,7. Terão de ser capazes de reconhecer os sintomas precocemente, para que possam procurar cuidados médicos apropriados, auto-notificar a sua situação e afastar-se do trabalho por iniciativa própria7, minimizando o risco de infetar os seus colegas de trabalho. Pode ser necessário proporcionar aos trabalhadores cursos de atualização em princípios básicos de higiene alimentar3 e procedimentos operacionais, para realizarem inspeções às empresas alimentares, particularmente ensiná-los a usar o EPI, garantindo assim que não contribuirão para contaminar o ambiente de trabalho. Os trabalhadores das autoridades competentes que interajam com o público nas linhas de ajuda ou através de canais das redes sociais devem estar atualizados com as informações mais recentes, para poderem aconselhar o público. É necessário que exista uma equipa de comunicações dedicada e apoiada por especialistas em saúde pública e segurança dos alimentos, com vista a preparar e divulgar conselhos aos consumidores sobre o modo de se protegerem a si próprios e às suas famílias. Cada autoridade competente deve criar uma página no seu website dedicada à COVID-19, com conselhos factuais atualizados e hiperligações a websites de confiança de organizações como a OMS, a FAO e a OIE. As autoridades competentes deverão ter instalado um sistema que receba queixas do público e através do qual possam responder rapidamente a essas reclamações. Os canais de comunicação de queixas podem ser uma linha de ajuda ou uma página dedicada do website da autoridade. As empresas alimentares também deverão estar atualizadas com a regulamentação alimentar e com os conselhos sobre medidas adicionais que tenham de implementar para garantir um abastecimento alimentar seguro e adequado. Os funcionários das autoridades competentes que interajam com as empresas alimentares deverão ter formação apropriada e possuir informações completas para responder às preocupações que surjam e esclarecer dúvidas. COVID-19 e segurança dos alimentos: Orientações para as autoridades competentes responsáveis pelos sistemas de controlo da segurança dos alimentos -5- Comunicação Com a rápida evolução da pandemia surge a necessidade crescente de garantir o acesso a informação rigorosa e credível às empresas do ramo alimentar e ao público em geral. As autoridades competentes devem ter uma estratégia robusta de comunicação para evitar rumores e desinformação e para fornecerem informação atualizada e credível a todas as partes interessadas. É importante que as autoridades competentes reiterem ao público que, embora não haja casos notificados de COVID-19 transmitida pelo consumo de alimentos e que é muito improvável que a COVID-19 se transmita através dos alimentos, os consumidores devem cumprir as recomendações de higiene das autoridades sanitárias para evitar a transmissão do SARS-CoV-2, quando compram ou manuseiam alimentos. As recomendações e as mensagens publicadas pela OMS podem ser adaptadas e divulgadas para contextos nacionais. As autoridades competentes devem aconselhar as empresas alimentares em matéria de prevenção da possível transmissão do SARS-CoV-2 na cadeia alimentar e sobre o modo de protegerem os trabalhadores (consultar as orientações da OMS8). Poderão igualmente de ter de aconselhar os operadores que mudem a natureza do seu negócio, por exemplo, de restaurantes para estabelecimentos de takeaway ou grupos de voluntários que criem novas operações alimentares. À medida que evoluem os conhecimentos sobre a pandemia da COVID-19, as autoridades competentes terão de rever e atualizar as suas mensagens em conformidade com essa evolução. Tal como actualizar as empesas alimentares e os consumidores, também é importante assegurar a informação contínua aos Ministérios relevantes sobre a situação, para facilitar uma abordagem que envolva todas as instâncias governamentais na gestão desta crise. A OMS e a FAO continuam a monitorizar de perto a situação, observando eventuais mudanças que possam afetar estas orientações provisórias. Se ocorrerem alterações em alguns fatores, será publicada informação atualizada. Caso contrário, este documento de orientações provisórias expira 2 anos após a data da sua publicação. Referências 1. FAO/WHO. 2010. FAO/WHO framework for developing national food safety emergency response plans https://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/emerg ency_response/en/ 2. WHO. 2020. Modes of transmission of virus causing COVID-19: implications for IPC precaution recommendations, Scientific brief. https://www.who.int/news- room/commentaries/detail/modes-of-transmission- of-virus-causing-covid-19-implications-for-ipc- precaution-recommendations 3. FAO/WHO. 2009. Codex Alimentarius. Food hygiene: Basic texts http://www.fao.org/3/a1552e/a1552e00.pdf 4. WHO. 2020. Laboratory biosafety guidance related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) https://www.who.int/publications-detail/laboratory- biosafety-guidance-related-to-coronavirus-disease- 2019-(covid-19) 5. Responding to food safety emergencies (INFOSAN) https://www.who.int/activities/responding-to- food-safety-emergencies-infosan 6. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/nov el-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public 7. Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19) https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q- a-coronaviruses 8. FAO/WHO, 2020. COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for Food Businesses https://www.who.int/publications-detail/covid-19- and-food-safety-guidance-for-food-businesses © World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2020. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO licence. WHO reference number: WHO/2019-nCoV/Food_Safety_authorities/2020.1
-1- COVID-19 и безопасность пищевых продуктов: руководство для компетентных органов, ответственных за работу национальных систем контроля безопасности пищевых продуктов Временные рекомендации 22 апреля 2020 г. Справочная информация Текущая пандемия COVID-19 представляет собой исключительную и беспрецедентную проблему для компетентных органов a , отвечающих за работу национальных систем контроля безопасности пищевых продуктов b , которая препятствует дальнейшему выполнению стандартных функций и мероприятий в соответствии с национальными правилами и международными рекомендациями. Во многих странах сотрудники компетентных органов в основном работают на дому, при этом удаленная работа для них является обычной практикой, а все личные встречи отменяются или проводятся в качестве телеконференций. Сложно поддерживать непрерывность плановых действий, таких как контроль технологических операций при производстве пищевых продуктов, сертификация экспорта, контроль импортируемых продуктов питания, мониторинг и надзор за безопасностью цепочки поставок пищевых продуктов, отбор проб и анализ продуктов питания, управление инцидентами, связанными с пищевыми продуктами, информирование общественности по вопросам безопасности пищевых продуктов, консультирование представителей пищевой промышленности по вопросам безопасности пищевых продуктов, а также правил и норм, регулирующих качество и безопасность пищевых продуктов. Чтобы сохранить целостность национальной системы контроля безопасности пищевых продуктов и поддержать международную торговлю и цепочку поставок пищевых продуктов, каждый компетентный орган должен будет определять приоритетность критически важных видов деятельности в условиях текущей пандемии COVID-19. Эта мера может включать временную приостановку мероприятий по контролю в областях с низким уровнем риска, которые не оказывают a В настоящем руководстве термин «компетентный орган» означает официальную правительственную организацию, обладающую юрисдикцией в отношении Национальной системы контроля безопасности пищевых продуктов (как определено в своде международных стандартов «Кодекс Алиментариус», например в документе CAC/GL 71-2009). непосредственное влияние на поставку безопасных пищевых продуктов. Временное приостановление мероприятий по контролю в областях с низким уровнем риска позволит компетентным органам и далее обеспечивать охрану здоровья и безопасность своих сотрудников, концентрируя внимание на областях с повышенным уровнем риска и на мероприятиях, которые имеют решающее значение для безопасности пищевых продуктов. В зависимости от национальных приоритетов, некоторые компетентные органы могут принять решение о приоритизации отдельных видов мероприятий, таких как инспекция предприятий пищевой промышленности с высоким уровнем риска, сертификация экспорта, контроль импорта, управление инцидентами или расследование жалоб, связанных с пищевыми продуктами. Компетентные органы должны продолжать следить за развитием событий, связанных с пандемией COVID-19, и реагировать на них путем внесения необходимых корректировок в программы своей работы, а также продолжать осуществлять критически важные мероприятия, чтобы сохранить целостность систем безопасности пищевых продуктов. Проблемы, с которыми сталкиваются национальные компетентные органы, связаны со следующими факторами: • внедрение планов действий в чрезвычайных ситуациях; • сокращение возможностей полномасштабного осуществления программы инспекций для контроля безопасности пищевых продуктов в результате перераспределения персонала в национальные группы реагирования на чрезвычайные ситуации в условиях пандемии COVID-19, перехода на удаленную работу, заболеваемости и самоизоляции сотрудников; b Национальная система контроля безопасности пищевых продуктов описана в Руководстве Кодекса по валидации мер по контролю безопасности пищевых продуктов (CAC/GL 69-2008) COVID-19 и безопасность пищевых продуктов: руководство для компетентных органов -2- • сокращение возможностей тестирования пищевых продуктов в пищевых лабораториях, перепрофилированных для клинических исследований на COVID-19; • повышенный риск для целостности цепочки поставок пищевых продуктов, связанный с фальсификацией пищевой продукции; • необходимость предоставления ответов на растущее число запросов со стороны министров, пищевой промышленности, потребителей и средств массовой информации. В период этой пандемии компетентные органы должны сыграть решающую роль, взаимодействуя со всеми секторами пищевой промышленности, чтобы производители и переработчики могли продолжать эффективно работать и поддерживать открытыми линии безопасных поставок пищевых продуктов. Данное руководство направлено на решение некоторых ключевых вопросов, а именно: как обеспечить эффективность в снижении риска сокращенной программы контроля безопасности пищевых продуктов; и внедрение временных мер для минимизации широко распространенных рисков в отношении безопасности пищевых продуктов и уменьшения серьезных сбоев в реализации национальных программ безопасности пищевых продуктов. Межведомственное сотрудничество и планирование действий в чрезвычайных ситуациях Все компетентные органы должны иметь планы действий по ликвидации чрезвычайных ситуаций или планы действий в чрезвычайных ситуациях в соответствии с рекомендациями ФАО/ВОЗ1, и иметь возможность применять их на практике. Планы действий в чрезвычайных ситуациях компетентного органа должны включать подробную информацию о ролях и обязанностях центральных, региональных и местных компетентных органов и механизмов сотрудничества и взаимодействия в период кризиса. Планы действий в чрезвычайных ситуациях должны включать подробную информацию о том, как определить приоритетность предоставления основных услуг; как сформировать оперативные группы для управления информацией, коммуникации, оценки и контроля рисков, а также управления инцидентами, связанными с пищевыми продуктами; как обеспечить надежную работу систем ИТ для осуществления работы на дому, удаленной работы и проведения онлайн-конференций. Сотрудничество и взаимодействие между всеми соответствующими национальными учреждениями являются важнейшими компонентами эффективного общегосударственного реагирования на пандемию COVID-19. Необходимость сотрудничества между органами общественного здравоохранения и безопасности пищевых продуктов никогда еще не была столь актуальной. Поддержание действующей национальной программы контроля безопасности пищевых продуктов Меры по ограничению передвижения людей могут негативно повлиять на возможность компетентных органов нанимать подходящий персонал для проведения инспекции предприятий пищевой промышленности и других мероприятий по контролю безопасности пищевых продуктов. Например, может оказаться невозможным осуществление контроля безопасности пищевых продуктов, требующее физического присутствия контролирующего персонала в помещениях по производству пищевых продуктов. Также может оказаться невозможным проведение тестирования образцов пищевых продуктов, полученных во время инспекции, из-за сокращения пропускной способности лабораторий. Ключевым вопросом для компетентных органов является соблюдение законодательства, касающегося пищевых продуктов, в отношении производственных помещений с наиболее высоким уровнем риска. Многие предприятия пищевой промышленности вводят новые меры биобезопасности, чтобы ограничить доступ для персонала, не задействованного в технологическом процессе, которые могут распространяться на инспекторов по безопасности пищевых продуктов. Тем не менее с целью контроля соблюдения правил и нормативов инспекторы по безопасности пищевых продуктов имеют беспрепятственный доступ в любые помещения, в которых, по их мнению, осуществляется деятельность по переработке пищевых продуктов. Подход, основанный на уровне риска В основе национальных программ контроля безопасности пищевых продуктов должен быть контроль рисков с определением порядка и частоты проведения инспекций предприятий пищевой промышленности. Профиль риска каждого предприятия пищевой промышленности, в отношении которого проводится инспекция, должен основываться на характеристиках и масштабах этого предприятия с учетом типа производимых или перерабатываемых пищевых продуктов, методов обработки (приготовленная пища, готовые к употреблению продукты), масштаба производства и возможных групп риска среди потребителей продукции. Факторы, которые следует учитывать при определении уровня риска для предприятий пищевой промышленности, включают историю соблюдения или несоблюдения законодательства, касающегося пищевых продуктов, успешное внедрение Системы менеджмента безопасности пищевой продукции (СМБПП) и записи о проверках. Этот основанный на уровне риска подход к контролю безопасности пищевых продуктов может выявить производственные помещения с высоким уровнем риска, которые требуют проведения инспекции. В период этой пандемии может потребоваться временно приостановить инспекции производственных помещений с низким и средним уровнем риска. Одной из важнейших областей, в которых необходимо продолжить проведение инспекций, является скотобойня, включая предубойный и послеубойный контроль. COVID-19 и безопасность пищевых продуктов: руководство для компетентных органов -3- В таких помещениях инспекторам по безопасности пищевых продуктов нужны средства индивидуальной защиты (СИЗ). Инспекторы должны быть осведомлены о важности физического дистанцирования, мытья рук, дезинфекции и санитарии, особенно при изменениях производственных условий, например при увеличении скорости производственного процесса. Другая критическая группа предприятий, контроль которых, возможно, следует усилить, — это те, которые в своем производственном процессе используют импортные ингредиенты. В связи с тем, что международные перевозки могут резко сократиться, эти предприятия могут задерживать или прерывать цепочки поставок, что может создавать угрозу безопасности пищевых продуктов и потребовать усиления контроля и инспекций. Аналогичным образом предприятиям пищевой промышленности может потребоваться быстрый поиск новых поставщиков без проведения их полной проверки, что может поставить под угрозу безопасность продукции. В ответ на возросший спрос некоторые предприятия пищевой промышленности будут расширять производство и набирать временный персонал. Органы, занимающиеся безопасностью пищевых продуктов, должны будут обеспечить контроль и подготовку временного персонала. Временные меры Временные меры для контроля безопасности пищевых продуктов при исключительных обстоятельствах включают следующие примеры: • временное использование системы электронного документооборота вместо оригиналов официальных бумажных сертификатов и удостоверений, которые являются сопроводительными документами для партий животных, предназначенных для производства пищевых продуктов; • выдача временного разрешения аккредитованным частным лабораториям проводить испытания и анализ образцов пищевой продукции под надзором компетентного органа; • электронное представление предприятиями пищевой промышленности результатов своих внутренних проверок, чтобы продемонстрировать функционирование системы внутреннего контроля (самостоятельная сертификация); • при нехватке квалифицированного и опытного персонала в органах по безопасности пищевых продуктов возможно временное привлечение частного сектора и независимых квалифицированных специалистов для проведения инспекций предприятий пищевой промышленности при условии, что эти специалисты находятся под надзором соответствующего органа и действуют беспристрастно, а также при отсутствии конфликта интересов в отношении выполняемых ими функций; и • гибкость в отношении некоторых аспектов маркировки пищевой продукции (например, указания даты), чтобы избежать излишних отходов при одновременном обеспечении безопасности пищевых продуктов. Защита персонала Если необходимо продолжить инспекции предприятий пищевой промышленности, следует принять меры по предотвращению серьезных рисков для здоровья сотрудников компетентных органов без ущерба безопасности пищевых продуктов. Инспекторы по безопасности пищевых продуктов должны быть обучены процедурам предотвращения передачи SARS-CoV-2 (вируса, вызывающего COVID-19)3. Инспекторам по безопасности пищевых продуктов необходимо убедиться, что у них нет симптомов COVID-19, они должны соблюдать физическое дистанцирование в производственных помещениях, часто мыть руки, в том числе при входе и выходе из производственных помещений, а также соблюдать правила гигиены при кашле/чихании. Инспекторам по безопасности пищевых продуктов требуются СИЗ, такие как одноразовые защитные костюмы, бахилы, маски для лица, перчатки и сетки для волос, которые нужно менять после каждой инспекции4. Временная приостановка программ контроля В период этой пандемии некоторые программы мониторинга и надзора, которые обычно осуществляются компетентными органами, могут быть временно приостановлены без ущерба безопасности пищевых продуктов, здоровью потребителей или международной торговли. Примерами такой деятельности являются ежегодные программы мониторинга остатков химических веществ, которые направлены на обеспечение соблюдения норм по загрязнению. Потребность в тестировании образцов пищевой продукции снизится в связи с проведением меньшего количества инспекций и закрытием многих баров, кафе и ресторанов. В странах, где действуют схемы определения рейтинга безопасности или программы оценки безопасности и гигиены пищевых продуктов для ресторанов, аттестация предприятий может автоматически продлеваться на ограниченный период без необходимости проведения инспекции. Сокращение объемов отбора проб и тестирования пищевой продукции сделает для национальных компетентных органов еще более важным доступ к информации и обмен ею через глобальные системы, такие как Международная сеть органов по безопасности пищевых продуктов (ИНФОСАН)5. Предприятия пищевой промышленности обязаны сообщать компетентным органам о получении или появлении на рынке небезопасных пищевых продуктов. Правила и нормы, регулирующие качество и безопасность пищевых продуктов: возможно временное освобождение от обязательств Компетентные органы должны тесно сотрудничать с предприятиями пищевой промышленности для оценки необходимости внесения временных изменений или поправок в правила, регулирующие качество и безопасность пищевых продуктов, в связи с пандемией COVID-19 для обеспечения дальнейших бесперебойных поставок пищевых продуктов. Компетентным органам COVID-19 и безопасность пищевых продуктов: руководство для компетентных органов -4- необходимо оценить возможность применения гибкого подхода к обеспечению соблюдения технических нормативов при одновременном обеспечении качества и безопасности пищевых продуктов. Маркировка пищевых продуктов является одной из особенно сложных областей в связи с недоступностью некоторых компонентов или перебоями в транспортировке или импорте упаковочных материалов для пищевых продуктов. В тех случаях, когда предприятие пищевой промышленности использует в составе утвержденный компонент, выполняющий ту же функцию, что и ранее имевшийся, временное разрешение может быть оправдано при условии учета соображений безопасности, таких как маркировка аллергенов и требования к прослеживаемости. Не допускается послабление норм и правил в отношении несанкционированных заявлений о пользе для здоровья и принципа, согласно которому маркировка пищевых продуктов не должна вводить потребителя в заблуждение. Предприятиям пищевой промышленности, которые поставляли пищевые продукты в сектор общественного питания, возможно, теперь придется искать альтернативные рынки сбыта. Аналогичным образом ресторанам, которые закупали пищевые продукты или ингредиенты, возможно, придется искать рынки сбыта для таких продуктов, которые им больше не нужны для производства ресторанной еды. В таких условиях необходимо предоставить временное разрешение на продажу такой продукции с условием использования временной перемаркировки с отступлением от правил маркировки пищевых продуктов (несанкционированные заявления о пользе для здоровья не допускаются) и в соответствии с существующими правилами по указанию даты и условий хранения. Компетентные органы должны проявлять определенную гибкость при обеспечении соблюдения технических аспектов правил и норм, регулирующих качество и безопасность пищевых продуктов (при этом их безопасность не может быть поставлена под угрозу). Потребителям должна быть предоставлена ключевая информация для осуществления осознанного выбора. Определенную свободу можно предоставить в отношении соблюдения требований к маркировке при отсутствии риска для потребителя. Такая важная информация, как наличие аллергенов, срок годности, прослеживаемость и любые особые условия хранения или применения, может быть предоставлена посредством перемаркировки. Операторам пищевой промышленности рекомендуется обсудить ситуацию со своим инспектором, прежде чем размещать на рынке продукты или ингредиенты с временной маркировкой, не соответствующей требованиям. Лаборатории в сфере тестирования и анализа пищевых продуктов Особой проблемой для компетентных органов является ограниченность возможностей лабораторий государственного сектора по тестированию пищевых продуктов, поскольку они перепрофилируются для тестирования клинических образцов COVID-19. Необходимо поддерживать минимальный потенциал в области микробиологической и химической безопасности для поддержки контроля качества пищевых продуктов на предприятиях повышенного риска, для рассмотрения претензий потребителей и происшествий, связанных с пищевыми продуктами, а также для расследования и ликвидации последствий вспышек заболеваний, передающихся через пищевые продукты. Для этого может потребоваться временное разрешение частных аккредитованных лабораторий пищевой промышленности на проведение испытаний в рамках национальной программы контроля безопасности пищевых продуктов. Однако компетентный орган должен обеспечить достоверность и надежность результатов тестирования. Кроме того, системы эпиднадзора в сфере общественного здравоохранения могут иметь ограниченные возможности по выявлению случаев заболеваний людей, передающихся через пищевые продукты, но при этом необходимо поддерживать минимальный национальный потенциал. Лабораториям пищевой промышленности необходимо внедрить меры по снижению риска передачи SARS-CoV-2 в лабораторных условиях. Эти меры будут включать обучение лаборантов распознаванию симптомов COVID-19, принципы физического дистанцирования, частое мытье рук, применение санитайзеров и дезинфекцию, а также респираторный этикет. Сотрудники лаборатории должны ознакомиться с рекомендациями ВОЗ по биобезопасности, связанными с COVID-194. В целях соблюдения физического дистанцирования, возможно, потребуется уменьшить плотность персонала лаборатории за счет работы в несколько смен и организации внутренней телефонной связи, когда сотрудник работает один в небольшом лабораторном помещении, и у сотрудников нет возможности находиться на расстоянии более одного метра друг от друга. Во время приема-передачи смены необходимо обеспечить соблюдение физического дистанцирования. График работы должен быть составлен таким образом, чтобы основная работа продолжалась в случае инфицирования работника лаборатории. При необходимости может потребоваться временное приостановление аккредитации пищевой лаборатории по ISO 17025, если объем проб для конкретного теста сократится. Это может быть вызвано приостановкой ежегодных программ мониторинга остатков химических веществ. Риск перебоев в поставках пищевых продуктов Пандемия COVID-19 привела к тому, что цепочка поставок продовольствия была нарушена, а некоторые продукты, ингредиенты или материалы стали недоступны или находятся в дефиците. Стремясь найти новых поставщиков, предприятия пищевой COVID-19 и безопасность пищевых продуктов: руководство для компетентных органов -5- промышленности могут не уделять должного внимания целостности цепочки поставок, открывая тем самым новые возможности для мошенничества в области пищевой промышленности. Поскольку компетентные органы вводят временное снижение контроля качества пищевых продуктов, приостанавливая или отменяя проверки и отбор проб пищевых продуктов, мошенники могут воспользоваться такими возможностями. В дополнение к сокращению официальных мер контроля, вероятно, произойдет также сокращение масштабов аудиторских проверок в частном секторе и проверок систем сертификации и аккредитации. Во время пандемии компетентные органы должны расследовать случаи мошенничества в области пищевой промышленности и тесно сотрудничать с предприятиями пищевой промышленности для оценки уязвимости цепей поставок и обеспечения выполнения планов контроля. По закону предприятия пищевой промышленности обязаны производить и реализовывать безопасные и подлинные пищевые продукты. В дополнение к Системам менеджмента безопасности пищевой продукции (СМБПП) предприятиям пищевой промышленности следует рассмотреть возможность внедрения систем оценки уязвимости на основе оценки риска в целях смягчения последствий продовольственного мошенничества. Компетентные органы должны обратить внимание на возросшие риски такого вида мошенничества. Поскольку люди остаются дома в условиях карантина, все большее число потребителей пользуются услугами электронной торговли и розничной торговли пищевыми продуктами онлайн. В настоящее время многие люди покупают продукты питания онлайн на многочисленных сайтах электронной торговли, которые появились с начала пандемии. Риск мошенничества с пищевыми продуктами в секторе электронной торговли повышается. Для защиты потребителей от возможной мошеннической практики электронной торговли компетентным органам необходимо усилить контроль пищевых продуктов и продаж через Интернет. Поскольку некоторые компетентные органы не имеют законодательства и надежных программ контроля, регулирующих электронную торговлю, обмен данными и информацией через ИНФОСАН будет способствовать сокращению случаев мошенничества и торговли небезопасными пищевыми продуктами через Интернет. Обучение персонала Работники компетентных органов, особенно те, которые проводят инспекции на предприятиях пищевой промышленности, должны знать симптомы COVID-196,7. Персонал должен уметь распознавать симптомы на ранней стадии, чтобы иметь возможность обратиться за надлежащей медицинской помощью, самостоятельно сообщить о них и покинуть рабочее место7 для сведения к минимуму риска инфицирования коллег. Персоналу могут потребоваться курсы повышения квалификации по основным принципам гигиены пищевых продуктов3 и порядку проведения инспекций на предприятиях пищевой промышленности, особенно по вопросам использования СИЗ и обеспечения отсутствия загрязнения рабочей среды. Работники компетентных органов, которые взаимодействуют с общественностью по «горячим линиям» или в социальных сетях, должны быть в курсе самой последней информации и рекомендаций для общественности. Для подготовки и распространения рекомендаций для потребителей о том, как защитить себя и свои семьи, требуется специальный отдел по связям с общественностью при поддержке специалистов в области общественного здравоохранения и безопасности пищевых продуктов. Каждый компетентный орган должен создать на своем веб-сайте специальную страницу о COVID-19, содержащую актуальные фактические рекомендации и ссылки на веб-сайты авторитетных организаций, таких как ВОЗ, ФАО и МЭБ. Компетентные органы должны обеспечить наличие системы, позволяющей общественности размещать претензии, а органам — своевременно реагировать на такие претензии. Каналами размещения претензий могут быть телефон доверия или специальная веб-страница на сайте компетентного органа. Предприятия пищевой промышленности также должны быть в курсе правил и норм, регулирующих качество и безопасность пищевых продуктов, и консультировать по любым дополнительным мерам, которые должны быть приняты для обеспечения безопасного и адекватного снабжения пищевыми продуктами. Работники компетентных органов, взаимодействующие с предприятиями пищевой промышленности, должны проходить обучение и инструктаж для решения возникающих проблем и предоставления ответов на вопросы. Коммуникация В связи со стремительным распространением пандемии возрастает потребность в обеспечении доступа предприятий пищевой промышленности и широкой общественности к точной и достоверной информации. Компетентные органы должны иметь надежную коммуникационную стратегию для предотвращения распространения слухов и дезинформации и предоставления актуальных и надежных сведений всем заинтересованным сторонам. Важно, чтобы компетентные органы напоминали общественности, что, несмотря на отсутствие сообщений о случаях передачи COVID-19 при потреблении продуктов питания и маловероятность такой передачи COVID-19, при совершении покупок или обращении с пищевыми продуктами потребители также должны следовать гигиеническим рекомендациям, предоставляемым органами здравоохранения во избежание передачи коронавирусной инфекции SARS-CoV-2. Рекомендации и сообщения, публикуемые ВОЗ, можно адаптировать и распространять с учетом национальных особенностей. Компетентные органы должны обеспечивать предприятия пищевой промышленности информацией относительно предотвращения возможной передачи SARS-CoV-2 в продовольственной цепи и способов защиты работников (см. рекомендации ВОЗ)8. Кроме того, они должны консультировать владельцев или управляющих кафе и ресторанов, которые меняют характер своей деятельности, например, переходя от COVID-19 и безопасность пищевых продуктов: руководство для компетентных органов -6- ресторанных услуг к продаже еды на вынос, или группы волонтеров, создающих новый вид деятельности в области пищевых продуктов. По мере понимания ситуации, связанной с пандемией COVID-19, компетентным органам необходимо будет соответствующим образом пересматривать и обновлять необходимую информацию. Наряду с предоставлением предприятиям пищевой промышленности и потребителям актуальной информации важно обеспечить, чтобы соответствующие министерства постоянно получали данные о текущей ситуации с целью применения общегосударственного подхода к преодолению кризиса. ВОЗ и ФАО продолжают внимательно следить за ситуацией на предмет любых изменений, которые могут повлиять на эти временные рекомендации. При возникновении изменений информация подлежит обновлению. В противном случае срок действия этих временных рекомендаций истекает через 2 года после даты публикации. Библиография 1. FAO/WHO. 2010. FAO/WHO framework for developing national food safety emergency response plans https://www.who.int/ foodsafety/publications/emergency_response/en/ 2. WHO. 2020. Modes of transmission of virus causing COVID-19: implications for IPC precaution recommendations, Scientific brief. https://www.who.int/news-room/ commentaries/detail/modes-of-transmission-of- virus-causing-covid-19-implications-for-ipc- precaution-recommendations 3. FAO/WHO. 2009. Codex Alimentarius. Food hygiene: Basic texts http://www.fao.org/3/a1552e/a1552e00.pdf 4. WHO. 2020. Laboratory biosafety guidance related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) https://www.who.int/publications-detail/laboratory- biosafety-guidance-related-to-coronavirus-disease- 2019-(covid-19) 5. Responding to food safety emergencies (INFOSAN) https://www.who.int/activities/ responding-to-food-safety-emergencies-infosan 6. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/ novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public 7. Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19) https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a- coronaviruses 8. FAO/WHO, 2020. COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for Food Businesses https://www.who.int/publications-detail/covid-19- and-food-safety-guidance-for-food-businesses © Всемирная организация здравоохранения и Продовольственная и сельскохозяйственная и организация Объединенных Наций, 2020 г. Некоторые права защищены. Данная работа распространяется на условиях лицензии CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO WHO reference number: WHO/2019-nCoV/Food_Safety_authorities/2020.1
-1- ة وسلامة الأغذیة: إرشادات للسلطات المختص ّ 91-كوفید سلامة الأغذیةة لمراقبة المسؤولة عن النظم الوطنیّ إرشادات مبدئیة 22 نیسان/ أبریل 0202 معلومات أساسیة أمام یا ًاستثنائیا ًوغیر مسبوق تحدّ الجاریة 91-كوفید جائحة طرح ت سلامة المسؤولة عن النظم الوطنیة لمراقبة أالسلطات المختصة صلة الاضطلاع بالوظائف والأنشطة موایفرض علیھا بالأغذیة میة الوطنیة والتوصیات اللوائح التنظی التي تقضي بھاالروتینیة دان، تعمل قطاعات واسعة من العاملین في كثیر من البلالدولیة. و ھو العمل عن بعد عدّ ن المنزل، حیث یلسلطات المختصة مبا الشخصیةجمیع الاجتماعات فضلاً عن إلغاء الممارسة المعتادة، من بین التحدیات القائمة ھا إلى مؤتمرات تُعقَد عن بعد. وأو تعدیل الأنشطة الروتینیة مثل التفتیش استمراریة الحفاظ دون انقطاع على ، وإصدار غذیةالأفي مجال الأعمال اتعلى عملیات قطاع صادرات، ومراقبة الأغذیة المستوردة، ورصد وترصُّ د تراخیص ال ، وأخذ عینات من الأغذیة وتحلیلھا، ةالغذائی اتسلسلة الإمداد سلامة ء المشورة بشأن سلامة الأغذیة الغذائیة، وإسدا عوارضالوإدارة والتواصل بشأن عة الأغذیة، صنا دوائریة لغذ الأ ولوائح تنظیم سلامة الأغذیة مع الجمھور. قضایا ودعم سلامة الأغذیةلمراقبة ةم الوطنیالنظ نزاھةعلى وحفاظا ً سیتعین على كّلٍ من الإمدادات الغذائیة الدولیة،سلسلة التجارة و ة حیویلخدمات ذات الأھمیة الالسلطات المختصة إعطاء أولویة ل الجاریة. وقد یشمل ذلك استحداث عملیات 91-أثناء جائحة كوفید تعلیق مؤقت للأنشطة الرقابیة الأقل خطورة التي لا تؤثر مباشرة ً نشطة الرقابیة الأقل لإمداد بأغذیة مأمونة. فمن شأن تعلیق الأاعلى الحفاظ على صحة الاستمرار في تیح للسلطات أن یمؤقتا ًخطورة لتنصّب علىالمبذولة الجھود إعادة تركیزھا مع ن بالعاملیوسلامة الحیویة ھمیةالأذات نشطةالأ وباتجاه المجالات الأكثر خطورة . وتبعا ًللأولویات الوطنیة، قد تقرر بعض السلطات مة الأغذیةلسلا التفتیش نشطة مختارة، على سبیل المثاللأ إیلاء الأولویةالمختصة ، أو إصدار یةفي مجال الأغذ الأعلى خطورة على قطاعات الأعمال إدارة تراخیص التصدیر، أو خدمات مراقبة الاستیراد، أو أو التحقیق في شكاوى الأغذیة. ومن الأھمیة الغذائیة، العوارض بمكان أن تواصل السلطات المختصة رصد مستجدات الأوضاع إجراء التعدیلات الضروریة بجابة والاست 91-بشأن جائحة كوفید لأغراض ھذه المبادئ التوجیھیة، یعني مصطلح السلطة المختصة الجھة ا أ الحكومیة الرسمیة صاحبة الاختصاص على النظام الوطني لمراقبة سلامة ( 9002-17 LG/CACالأغذیة )وفق التعریف المحدد في دستور الأغذیة على التي تحافظ على برامج عملھا ومواصلة تقدیم الخدمات الحیویة .سلامة الأغذیةھا الخاصة بمنظنزاھة ما یلي:إلى التحدیات التي تواجھ السلطات المختصة الوطنیة رجعوت ؛تنفیذ خطط الطوارئ • للتفتیش على تماما ً ةفاعلامج بر وضعالقدرة على انحسار • ة إعادة تخصیص العاملین إلى أفرقة نتیج سلامة الأغذیة من وعمل الموظفین، 91-معنیة بالاستجابة لطارئة كوفید لعزل الذاتي؛وخضوعھم ل ینعامللااعتلال والمنزل، اختبارات الأغذیة في ة على إجراءقدرالانخفاض • الاختبارات جراء الُمعاد تخصیصھا لإالمختبرات الغذائیة ؛ 91-السریریة لكوفید التي تھدد نزاھة سلسة الإمدادات الغذائیة المخاطر ازدیاد • الأغذیة؛اء غش جر ّ على عدد متزاید من الاستفسارات ردّ الحاجة إلى ال • صناعة الأغذیة دوائروالأسئلة المقدّمة من الوزراء و الإعلام. ط والمستھلكین ووسائ وللسلطات المختصة دور حیوي علیھا أن تضطلع بھ أثناء ھذه یتسنىالجائحة للعمل مع جمیع قطاعات صناعة الأغذیة حتى والمعالجة مواصلة العمل بفعالیة وإبقاء الإنتاج ب القائمة جھاتلل خطوط الإمدادات الغذائیة مفتوحة. على والإرشادات إلى معالجة بعض القضایا الأساسیة، وتھدف ھذه وجھ التحدید كیفیة ضمان فعالیة البرامج المختزلة للتفتیش على حداث ؛ ویمكن استالقائمة المخاطر من بما یخفف سلامة الأغذیة على نطاق سلامة الأغذیةتدابیر مؤقتة لاحتواء المخاطر التي تھدد سلامة الأغذیةبرامج یصیب خطیر خللمن أي واسع والحدّ الوطنیة. المبادئ التوجیھیة في ام الوطني لمراقبة سلامة الأغذیة النظیرد وصف ب 96 LG/CAC-الغذائي )راقبة سلامة الأغذیة بموجب الدستور تدابیر م جازةلإ ( 8002 إرشادات مبدئیة - الوطنیّة لمراقبة سلامة الأغذیةوسلامة الأغذیة: إرشادات للسلطات المختّصة المسؤولة عن النظم 91-كوفید -2- متعددة والتخطیط للطوارئ جھات مستوىعلى التعاون في على جمیع السلطات المختصة أن تقوم بوضع خطط للاستجابة من 1لطوارئ باتِّباع الإرشادات المقدّمةحالات الطوارئ أو خطط ل منظمة الأغذیة والزراعة )الفاو( ومنظمة الصحة العالمیة وأن تكون تي تضعھا قادرة على تفعیلھا. وینبغي أن تشمل خطط الطوارئ ال تفاصیل عن أدوار ومسؤولیات السلطات ة مختصالسلطات ال المختصة على المستوى المركزي والإقلیمي والمحلي وآلیات یتعین أن تتضمن خطط كما ات. التعاون والتآزر في أوقات الأزم تقدیم الخدمات ل إعطاء الأولویةالطوارئ تفاصیل عن كیفیة دارة المعلومات، ظیم الأفرقة التشغیلیة لإالأساسیة؛ وتن ؛ الغذائیة م وإدارة المخاطر، وإدارة العوارضوالاتصالات، وتقیی لعمل ل وازتیسیر العمل من المنعلى ماتة نظم المعلووتعزیز قدر .بواسطة الإنترنت عن بعد وعقد المؤتمرات منالجھات الوطنیة ذات الصلة جمیع ویعدّ التعاون والتآزر بین على 91-ة بفعالیة لجائحة كوفید المكونات الأساسیة للاستجاب وتبدو الحاجة ماسةً أكثر من أي وقت . مستوى الحكومة بأكملھا بسلامة صحة العمومیة ومعنیة بالسلطات الاللتعاون بین مضى ل الأغذیة. للتفتیش على سلامة الأغذیة ةاعلف ةوطنی امجبر وضع قدرة على بشكل خطیرإلى التأثیر تقیید حركة الناسیمكن أن یؤدي السلطات المختصة على نشر العاملین المناسبین للتفتیش على وسائر أنشطة مراقبة الأغذیة یة في مجال الأغذ قطاعات الأعمال تفتیش یتطلب إجراء بات من غیر الممكن . وعلى سبیل المثال، ربما كما قد یصبح التواجد المادي لموظفي التفتیش في مواقع الأغذیة. أثناء التفتیش بسبب غذیة المأخوذةبار عینات الأمن المستحیل اخت ویتمثل الشغل الشاغل تراجع القدرات في مختبرات فحص الأغذیة. للسلطات الصحیة الوطنیة في ضمان الامتثال للتشریعات الغذائیة ویعكف الكثیر في فئات مواقع الأغذیة التي تشكل أعلى المخاطر. د یِّ یر جدیدة للأمن الحیوي تقحداث تدابمن قطاعات الأغذیة على است لتشمل مفتشي الأغذیة. غیر أنھ قد تمتدّ ودخول العاملین الخارجیین، یحق للمفتشین على سلامة الأغذیة الدخول دونما عوائق إلى أي للاعتقاد بوجود أنشطة أسباب معقولة بشأنھا مواقع تكون لدیھم للوائح لامتثال التحقق من ا ھدفجاریة لمعالجة الأغذیة، وذلك ب .بھا والتصدي لعدم التقیّد تنظیم الأغذیة المخاطر تقییم ى قائم علنھج تبنّي سلامة الأغذیةالبرامج الوطنیة للتفتیش على وضع ینبغي تنظیم في مجال تصنَّف قطاعات الأعمال على أساس المخاطر حیث یحدد ملامح وضع ملف ینبغي تواتر التفتیش. ومدى لتحدید الأغذیة علیھا لتفتیشفي مجال الأغذیة لعمال الأ اتقطاع منلمخاطر لكل ٍّا الأغذیة یة، مع مراعاة نوعالقطاع المعیناستنادا ًإلى طبیعة ونطاق )أغذیة التي یتم تداولھا ومعالجتھا وتوزیعھا؛ وأسالیب المعالجة ات المحتمل فئمطھیة، منتجات جاھزة للأكل(؛ ومدى التشغیل، وال من بینأن تكون عرضة للمخاطر في أوساط مستھلكي المنتجات. و القضایا التي یتعین أخذھا في الحسبان عند البّت في تصنیف مخاطر لامتثال للتشریعات تاریخ ا في مجال الأغذیةمال الأعقطاعات سلامة الأغذیةالغذائیة من عدمھ، والثقة في تنفیذ نظم مراقبة ، وسجلات التحقق. ویمكن أن یحدد ھذا النھج القطاعات المعنیةب مواقع الأغذیة سلامة الأغذیةالمخاطر للتفتیش على تقییم القائم على التعلیقیش. وقد یقتضي الأمر الأعلى خطورة التي تتطلب التفت یة التي تشكل مخاطر منخفضة للتفتیش على مواقع الأغذ المؤقت ھذه الجائحة. مدة متوسطة طوالإلى یتعین مواصلة وتمثل المجازر واحدة من المناطق الحرجة التي س المقررةضوابط مراقبة ال ھا، بما یشملعملیات التفتیش الغذائي فی قع یحتاج مفتشو الأغذیة في مثل ھذه المواوف قبل وبعد الذبح. وس ، وسیكون لزاما ًعلیھم إدراك أھمیة معدات للوقایة الشخصیةإلى التباعد الجسدي، وغسل الیدین، والتطھیر، والتعقیم خاصةً حال تغیُّر ظروف الإنتاج نتیجة زیادة سرعات خطوط الإنتاج على سبیل المثال. حرجة أخرى من قطاعات الأعمال ربما استلزم الأمر ة وثمة فئ علیھا، وھي تلك التي یعتمد الإنتاج فیھا بكثافة على تعزیز التفتیش شھده قطاع النقل الحاد الذي مكونات مستوردة. وفي ظل التراجع سلاسل لقطاعات، ربما كانت لدى ھذه احالات كثیرةالدولي في إمدادات مؤجلة أو متوقفة قد تثیر مخاوف بشأن سلامة الأغذیة یمكن أن تتطلب زیادة التفتیش والضوابط المقررة. وبالمثل، ربما و أن تسارع قطاعات الأعمال في مجال الأغذیة إلى الحاجة اقتضت موّردین جدد دون المرور عبر كامل برنامج الموافقة التعّرف على لامة المنتجات للخطر.مما قد یعرض سعلى الموردین، بتوسیع في مجال الأغذیةبعض قطاعات الأعمال وربما قامت ھنا الإنتاج نتیجة ازدیاد الطلب، مع الاستعانة بعاملین مؤقتین. و إلى ضمان الإشراف على ستحتاج السلطات المعنیة بسلامة الأغذیة العاملین المؤقتین ومنحھم التدریب الكافي. التدابیر المؤقتة تشمل أمثلة ضوابط سلامة الأغذیة التي قد تستلزم استحداث تدابیر ف استثنائیة ما یلي:مؤقتة في ظل ظرو الاستعانة مؤقتا ً بتبادل البیانات الإلكترونیة بدلاً من • الشھادات الورقیة الرسمیة الأصلیة والإقرارات الرسمیة نتِجة للأغذیة؛أن تصاحب شحنات الحیوانات الم ُ المطلوب لمختبرات الغذائیة بإجراء الاختبارات ل ا ً مؤقتالتصریح • والتحالیل تحت إشراف السلطة المختصة؛ تقدیم قطاعات الأعمال في مجال الأغذیة نتائج الفحوص • استمرار العملإلكترونیا ً للبرھنة على التي تجریھا (؛ةذاتی إصدار شھادات) الضوابط الداخلیةب لا تملك توفیرالسلطات المعنیة بسلامة الأغذیة كانتإذا • عدد كاٍف من العاملین ذوي المؤھلات والخبرات المناسسبة، یجوز الترخیص مؤقتا ً لھیئات تابعة للقطاع الخاص ومھنیین مؤھلین مستقلین بتأدیة وظائف التفتیش والعمل لسلطة، شراف اخضوع لإالعلى الأغذیة بشرط المھام ب فیما یتعلقبحیدة وبعیدا ًعن أي تضارب للمصالح ة؛المؤداّ التحلي بالمرونة بشأن بعض جوانب وسم الأغذیة )مثل • ان سلامة مع ضم طعمةتحدید التاریخ( تجنُّبا ً لإھدار الأ الأغذیة في الوقت ذاتھ. حمایة العاملین یش على قطاعات فتحیثما كانت ھناك حاجة إلى مواصلة عملیات الت ض ، ینبغي اتخاذ تدابیر لتجنّب تعر ّالأعمال في مجال الأغذیة إرشادات مبدئیة - الوطنیّة لمراقبة سلامة الأغذیةوسلامة الأغذیة: إرشادات للسلطات المختّصة المسؤولة عن النظم 91-كوفید -3- أن العاملین في السلطات المختصة لمخاطر صحیة جسیمة دون ن أن المخاطر التي تھدد سلامة الأغذیة. ویتعیّ درءر ذلك على یؤثّ انتقال شو الأغذیة تدریبا ً على الإجراءات الكفیلة بتقلیل ى مفتّ یتلقّ مفتّشي الأغذیة وسیتعیّن على. 391-الفیروس المسبِّب لمرض كوفید سیكون لزاما ًعلیھم كما ؛ 91-ھم من أعراض كوفید من خلو ّ التأّكد ممارسة التباعد الجسدي أثناء وجودھم في مواقع الأغذیة، ، بما في ذلك قبل وبعد دخول مواقع المداومة على غسل الأیديو حتاج مفتشو سیولآداب الجیدة للسعال/العطس. الأغذیة، ومراعاة ا إلى معدات للوقایة الشخصیة مثل الأردیة الفضفاضة أیضا ً الأغذیة الوحیدة الاستعمال، وواقیات الأحذیة، وكمامات الوجھ، والقفازات، 4وشبكات الشعر، على أن یتم تغییرھا بین كل تفتیش وآخر. التعلیق المؤقت للبرامج الرقابیة ترّصد التي بعض برامج المراقبة والمؤقت لتعلیق إجراء یمكن ھا السلطات المختصة بشكل روتیني أثناء ھذه الجائحة دون تنفّذ التأثیر على سلامة الأغذیة أو صحة المستھلك أو التجارة الدولیة. ت بھدف متبقیا ومن أمثلة تلك الأنشطة برامج الرصد السنوي لل تقل الحاجة إلى اختبار . كما سالملوثاتیم ضمان الامتثال للوائح تنظ عملیات التفتیش التي سیتم عدد تقلصعینات الأغذیة نتیجة في ظل إغلاق كثیر من الحانات والمقاھي والمطاعم.وذلك إجراؤھا، النظافة درجات حدید وفي البلدان التي توجد لدیھا مخططات لت عم، یجوز المطاتصنیف على اأبواب" " لوضعالصحیة أو برامج تمدیدھا تلقائیا ًلفترات محدودة دونما حاجة إلى إجراء تفتیش. تزداد أكثر من ،الأغذیة واختبارھاع تراجع عملیات أخذ عینات وم أھمیة تمكین السلطات المختصة الوطنیة من أي وقت مضى النظم العالمیة مثل عن طریقالوصول إلى المعلومات وتقاسمھا أن یُفَرض وینبغي 5.سلامة الأغذیةلسلطات المعنیة بلشبكة الدولیة ال إبلاغ السلطات المختصة قطاعات الأعمال في مجال الأغذیة على ق. اسوونة في الأأغذیة غیر مأم طرحي أو عند علمھا بتلقّ إعفاءات مؤقتة یلزم إصدارقد –یة تنظیم الأغذلوائح یلزم أن تتواصل السلطات المختصة بشكل وثیق مع قطاعات لتقییم مدى الحاجة إلى إجراء تعدیلات غذیةالأفي مجال الأعمال التحدیات التي جّراءأو تسویات مؤقتة في تشریعات الأغذیة عدم الإضرار بالإمدادات الغذائیة. بما یكفل 91-یطرحھا كوفید وسوف تحتاج السلطات المختصة إلى تقییم ما إذا كان یمكن تطبیق لأغذیة، مع ضمان اإنفاذ الجوانب التقنیة للوائح تنظیم المرونة عند سلامة الأغذیة. عند ویمثل وسم الأغذیة أحد المجالات التي تطرح تحدیات خاصة المواد المستخدمة لتغلیف بمداد الإعدم توفُّر مكونات معیّنة أو توقُّف وعند الواردات. نقص انقطاع عملیات النقل أو جّراءالأغذیة تمدا ًة مكونا ً معفي مجال الأغذیاستخدام أحد قطاعات الأعمال یجوز أن من قبل، ا ً احكان متمكون مع التقنیة تماما ً ھواصختتماثل یكون ذلك مبرراً لإصدار تصریح مؤقت بشرط مراعاة شواغل التتبُّع. وإمكانیة الأمان، مثل متطلبات وسم المواد المثیرة للحساسیة لادعاءاتالمنّظِ مة للوائح الفیما یتعلق بتراخي الولا یمكن ھذا ألا یكون ب الذي یقضيالمبدأ أو التھاون بشأن جازة م ُالصحیة غیر ال خادعا ًللمستھلك. الأغذیة وسم المزمع قیامھا غذیة الأفي مجال طاعات الأعمالوفیما یتعلق بق الآن یلزم علیھاقد ، باحتیاجاتھ قطاع تورید الأغذیة الجاھزة بإمداد التي المطاعم ربما كان علىإیجاد أسواق بدیلة للمنتجات. وبالمثل، ك المنتجات ت غذائیة إیجاد أسواق لتلمنتجات أو مكوناقامت بشراء تصریح إصدارھا لإنتاج أغذیة المطعم. وینبغي ة إلیاجالتي لم تعد بح ھذه الظروف بشرط استخدامظل مؤقت ببیع تلك المنتجات في سم البیانات وب تُعفي من التقیُّد فوق الًملصقات مؤقتة قصاصات یتماشى ( وبماغیر ُمجازة صحیةدعاءات الغذائیة )یُحَظر استخدام ا .القائمة تعلیمات التخزینو ُمدّونةالتاریخ البیانات مع إنفاذ بعض المرونة عند التحلّي بالسلطات المختصة علىوینبغي أنھ لا یمكن التغاضي عن إلا؛ الجوانب التقنیة ّللوائح تنظیم الأغذیة سلامة الأغذیة، ویجب توفیر المعلومات الأساسیة حتي یمكن إبداء شئ من نیرة. ویمكن النظر في تبنّي خیارات مستللمستھلكین یشكل خطورة على إذا كان ذلك لا الامتثال للوسمبشأن المرونة المعلومات المھمة مثل بعض یمكن معالجة أو تخفیفالمستھلك، و العمرعن المواد المثیرة للحساسیة، ومدة الصلاحیة ) علانالإ للتخزین أو شروطخاصة وأي شروط التتبُّعانیة (، وإمكالتخزیني ملصقات تحمل ھذه قصاصات فوق اللاستعمال عن طریق وضع ل في مجال المعلومات المھمة. ویُنَصح المشغلون لقطاعات الأعمال بالتفتیش علیھم قبل طرح ةالقائم الجھة بمناقشة الوضع مع الأغذیة ق. اسومنتجات أو مكونات تحمل ملصقات مخاِلفة مؤقتة في الأ عملیّات الاختبارات وإجراء المختبرات الغذائیة: التحلیل تراجع قدرات معیّنا ً یتمثل في تحدیا ً تواجھ السلطات المختصة جّراء مختبرات القطاع الخاص على إجراء اختبارات للأغذیة، . 91-ات السریریة الخاصة بكوفید تخصیصھا لاختبار العینإعادة ویلزم الحفاظ على حد أدنى من القدرات في مجال الأمان لى والكیمیائي دعما ً لعملیات التفتیش الغذائي ع ولوجيیكروبالم لتعامل مع شكاوى المستھلكینولقطاعات الأعمال الأعلى خطورة، فاشیات الأمراض المنقولة وإدارة وتقّصيوالعوارض الغذائیة، . وقد یتطلب ذلك التصریح مؤقتا ً لمختبرات غذائیة معتمدة اءغذ بال امج الوطني لمراقبة سلامة خاصة بإجراء اختبارات كجزء من البرن الأغذیة. إلا أنھ یجب على السلطة المختصة أن تضمن صحة نظم قد تعانيوموثوقیة نتائج الاختبارات. وبالإضافة إلى ذلك، قدرتھا انكماشمن الصحة العمومیة في مجال مراضالأترصد إلا على تحدید الحالات البشریة المصابة بأمراض منقولة بالغذاء، حفاظ على حد أدنى من القدرات الوطنیة.ن الضروري الم أنھ المختبرات الغذائیة استحداث تدابیر للحد من یتعین علىوسوف في البیئة 91-الفیروس المسبِّب لمرض كوفید مخاطر انتقال دریب العاملین في المختبرات المختبریة. وستشمل ھذه التدابیر ت اتِّباع مبادئ التباعد الجسدي، ، مع 91-للتعرُّ ف على أعراض كوفید ومراعاة آداب ،التطھیروستصحاح والمداومة على غسل الیدین والا بإرشادات ُملّمة السعال/العطس. وینبغي أن تكون كوادر المختبرات -شأن كوفید الأمان الحیوي الصادرة عن منظمة الصحة العالمیة ب 4. 91 قد یكون من الضروري تقلیل كثافة وتحقیقا ً للتباعد الجسدي، العاملین بالمختبرات عبر العمل بنظام تقسیم النوبات والتواصل عن في حیز م ھبمفرد عاملینعمل الالاتصال الداخلي عند طریق أجھزة مسافة أكثر من متر. فاصل ببقاء على الإ تعذُّرإذا مختبري صغیر تغییر وضع ترتیبات للتباعد الجسدي أثناء عملیات ثمة حاجة إلىو ینبغي ترتیب جداول العمل بحیث تستمر الأعمال والنوبات. في حالة إصابة أحد العاملین في المختبرات بالعدوى.الأساسیة إرشادات مبدئیة - الوطنیّة لمراقبة سلامة الأغذیةوسلامة الأغذیة: إرشادات للسلطات المختّصة المسؤولة عن النظم 91-كوفید -4- من الضروري تعلیق اعتماد المختبرات الغذائیة وفقا ً وربما كان مؤقتا ًفي حالة نقص حجم 52071للتقییس لمعیار المنظمة الدولیة العینات فیما یخص اختبارات معینة. وقد یأتي ذلك نتیجة تعلیق البرامج السنویة لرصد المتبقیات. الإمدادات الغذائیةة نزاھالمخاطر التي تھدد عن تعطیل سلاسل الإمدادات الغذائیة مع 91-أسفرت جائحة كوفید المنتجات أو المكونات أو المواد أو نقص عدم توفّر بعض جدد، قد تولي لتحدید منتجین ستعجالالمعروض منھا. وفي خضّم الا نزاھة سلسلة ا ًأقل لاھتمامبعض قطاعات الأعمال في مجال الأغذیة ا ًجدیدة لغش الأغذیة. ومع قیام السلطات أبوابفتح یالإمدادات، مما مؤقتا ً مع تعلیق أو إلغاء المختصة باختزال الضوابط الغذائیة ، قد ینتھز المحتالون مثل عملیات التفتیش وأخذ عینات من الأغذیة ھذه الفرص. وبالإضافة إلى التقلیص في الضوابط الرسمیة، من القطاع أعمال عملیات مراجعةالمحتمل أیضا ًأن یُجرى تخفیض في ومخططات الاعتماد. وینبغي اتإصدار الشھاد ص والخاص وفح ما یتم أن تقوم السلطات المختصة أثناء ھذه الجائحة بالتحقیق فی على تنطوي على غش للأغذیة، والعمل عوارضالإبلاغ عنھ من تقییم سرعة تأثُّر لنحو وثیق مع قطاعات الأعمال في مجال الأغذیة ذ الخطط الرقابیة.سلاسل الإمدادات وضمان تنفی ُمطالبة من الوجھة القانونیة قطاعات الأعمال في مجال الأغذیةإن وأصلیة. وبالإضافة إلى نظمھا بإنتاج وتسویق أغذیة مأمونة ، ینبغي أن تنظر قطاعات الأعمال سلامة الأغذیةة بمراقبة الخاص استنادا ًإلى في استحداث نظم لتقییم سرعة التأثُّر في مجال الأغذیة د ّمن غش الأغذیة. وعلى السلطات المختصة أن تسلط المخاطر للح الضوء على تزاید مخاطر غش الأغذیة. منازلھم، یتجھ عدد متزاید من المستھلكین في المواطنین مكوثومع بواسطة ئةلشراء الأغذیة بالتجز إلى التجارة الإلكترونیة والتسوق ویعكف كثیر من الأشخاص حالیا ً على شراء الأغذیة الإنترنت. العدید من مواقع التجارة من ي المباشرحاسوبتصال البالا الإلكترونیة التي ازدھرت منذ بدایة ھذه الجائحة. ویمكن أن تكون مخاطر غش الأغذیة في قطاع التجارة الإلكترونیة مرتفعة. ولحمایة المستھلكین من ممارسات التجارة الإلكترونیة المضللة، على السلطات المختصة أن تعزز الضوابط الغذائیة ومراقبة المبیعات الإنترنت. ولما كانت بعض السلطات شبكة التي تُجرى على وبرامج رقابیة قویة لتنظیم التجارة المختصة لا تملك تشریعات یانات والمعلومات عبر الشبكة الإلكترونیة، فإن من شأن تقاسم الب أن یساعد على الحدّ من سلامة الأغذیةالدولیة للسلطات المعنیة ب بأغذیة غیر مأمونة ومغشوشة. حالات الاتجار الحاسوبي تدریب العاملین یما تلك یلزم أن تكون الكوادر العاملة في السلطات المختصة، لاس ، على في مجال الأغذیةقطاعات الأعمال ل التي تقوم بعملیات تفتیش مؤّھلین . ویجب أن یكون العاملون 7-6-91-درایة بأعراض كوفید لتعرُّ ف على الأعراض مبّكِ را ًحتى یمكنھم التماس الرعایة الطبیة ل ، 7الملائمة، مع الإبلاغ الذاتي، واستبعاد أنفسھم من نطاق العمل وقد یحتاج العاملون إلى عدوى زملائھم. التسب�ب في مخاطر لتقلیل دورات تدریبیة تنشیطیة على المبادئ الأساسیة للنظافة الصحیة لیات التفتیش على والإجراءات التشغیلیة لإجراء عم 3للأغذیة ، خاصةً فیما یتعلق باستخدام قطاعات الأعمال في مجال الأغذیة في تلویث بیئة عدم المساھمة معدات الوقایة الشخصیة وضمان العمل. ویجب أن یظل العاملون في السلطات المختصة الذین یتواجھون مع قنوات التواصل عن طریقالجمھور على خطوط الخدمة أو الاجتماعي متابعین لأحدث المعلومات والنصائح المقدمة للعامة. عملیات التواصل، یدعمھ أخصائیون في فریق لتخصیص یلزمو لإعداد وتعمیم نصائح إلى ذیة، مجال الصحة العمومیة وسلامة الأغ لمستھلكین بشأن كیفیة حمایة أنفسھم وذویھم. وعلى كل سلطة ا موقعھا الإلكترونيعلى 91-ة لكوفید صفحة مكرس إنشاءمختصة وروابط للمواقع الإلكترونیة مستمدّة من الواقعتحتوي على نصائح ة منظمة الأغذیو لمنظمات مثل منظمة الصحة العالمیةالخاصة با والمنظمة العالمیة لصحة الحیوان.والزراعة ىلتقدیم شكاونظام ضعویلزم أن تكفل السلطات المختصة و مناسب.الوقت الفي على مثل ھذه الشكاوىلسلطات ورد ّا الجمھور قنوات إیصال الشكاوى عن طریق خط مساعدة أو ویمكن أن تكون الإلكتروني للسلطة صفحة إلكترونیة مخصصة على الموقع المعنیة. اِكبة لأحدث مومال في مجال الأغذیة كما یلزم أن تظل قطاعات الأع المتعلقة بأي تدابیر غذیة والنصائح الأ المعلومات بشأن لوائح تنظیم ةلأغذیة مأمونأن تكون إمدادات اإضافیة واجبة التنفیذ لضمان السلطات المختصة الذین ویتعین تدریب العاملین في . یةوكاف وإطلاعھم على لأعمال في مجال الأغذیة یتفاعلون مع قطاعات ا مجریات الأمور بشكل كامل حتى یمكنھم معالجة الشواغل والرد على الأسئلة. التواصل یقترن التطور السریع للجائحة بتنامي الحاجة إلى ضمان إتاحة جال الأغذیة في م معلومات دقیقة وموثوقة لقطاعات الأعمال ولعموم الجمھور. وعلى السلطات المختصة أن تضع استراتیجیة ة لمنع الشائعات والمعلومات المضللة وتوفیر أحدث المعلومات قوی ؤكدلجمیع أصحاب المصلحة. ومن الأھمیة بمكان أن ت الموثوقة الإبلاغ عن أنھ لم یتمللجمھور مجدداً أنھ رغم السلطات المختصة انتقال عبر استھلاك الأغذیة وأن 91-حالات لانتقال كوفید أي ، ینبغي من خلال الأغذیة أمر غیر محتمل إلى حد كبیر 91 -كوفید ن السلطات حیة المقدَّمة متوصیات النظافة الص تطبیقأیضا ً عند 91-الصحیة لتجنب انتقال الفیروس المسبِّب لمرض كوفید التوصیات والرسائل اءمةموالتسوق أو تداول الأغذیة. ویمكن منظمة الصحة العالمیة وتعمیمھا لتناسب السیاقات الصادرة عن الوطنیة. ة إلى قطاعات الأعمال وینبغي أن تقدم السلطات المختصة المشور بشأن منع أي انتقال محتمل للفیروس المسبِّب في مجال الأغذیة ملین )أنظر في سلسلة الغذاء وكیفیة حمایة العا 91-كوفید لمرض جة أیضا ً(. وقد تكون بحا8المبادئ التوجیھیة لمنظمة الصحة العالمیة لمشغّلین الذین یغیّرون طبیعة أعمالھم، على إلى تقدیم المشورة ل لجاھزة اسبیل المثال من المطاعم إلى مبیعات الأغذیة نشئ، أو المجموعات التطوعیة التي تللتداول/الوجبات السریعة عملیات غذائیة جدیدة. ، ستكون السلطات المختصة بحاجة 91-ومع تطور فھم جائحة كوفید قا ًلذلك. وإلى جانب موافاة قطاعات إلى مراجعة وتحدیث رسائلھا وف یة والمستھلكین بأحدث المعلومات، من في مجال الأغذ الأعمال الأھمیة بمكان ضمان إطلاع الوزارات ذات الصلة باستمرار على على مستوى الحكومة بأكملھااع تیسیرا ًلتبنّي نھج مستجدات الأوض دارة ھذه الأزمة. لإ إرشادات مبدئیة - الوطنیّة لمراقبة سلامة الأغذیةوسلامة الأغذیة: إرشادات للسلطات المختّصة المسؤولة عن النظم 91-كوفید -5- رصد ومنظمة الأغذیة والزراعة وتواصل منظمة الصحة العالمیة الوضع عن كثب لمتابعة أي تغیّرات یمكن أن تؤثّر على ھذه دات المبدئیة. وإذا طرأ تغییر على أّيٍ من العوامل ذات الإرشا ر إرشادات محدّثة إضافیّة. وبخلاف ذلك، تبقى صدُ الصلة، فسوف تَ تاریخ وثیقة الإرشادات المبدئیّة ھذه صالحة لمدة عامین من إصدارھا. المراجع . 0102منظمة الصحة العالمیة. /منظمة الأغذیة والزراعة -1 خطط وضعإطار مشترك بین الفاو ومنظمة الصحة العالمیة ل سلامة الأغذیةشأن بستجابة للطوارئ وطنیة للا cnegreme/snoitacilbup/ytefasdoof/tni.ohw.www//:sptth /ne/esnopser_y . طرق انتقال الفیروس المسبِّب 0202منظمة الصحة العالمیة. -2 بشأن التوصیات الآثار المترتِّبة على: 91- ض كوفید لمر ة للوقایة من العدوى ومكافحتھا، موجز علميالتدابیر الاحتیاطیّ -swen/ra/tni.ohw.www//:sptth -suriv-fo-noissimsnart-fo-sedom/liated/seiratnemmoc/moor -noituacerp-cpi-rof-snoitacilpmi-91-divoc-gnisuac snoitadnemmocer . 9002ة. منظمة الأغذیة والزراعة/منظمة الصحة العالمی -3 الدستور الغذائي. النظافة الصحیة للأغذیة: النصوص الأساسیة fdp.00e2551a/e2551a/3/gro.oaf.www//:ptth إرشادات بشأن السلامة . 0202منظمة الصحة العالمیة. -4 9102مرض فیروس كورونا البیولوجیة المختبریة في سیاق snoitacilbup/tni.ohw.www//:sptth-( 91-)كوفید yrotarobal/liated-ytefasoib-ecnadiug-detaler-ot- cnorosuriva-esaesid-9102-divoc(-)91 سلامة الأغذیة )الشبكة الدولیة شأن لاستجابة للطوارئ با -5 (سلامة الأغذیةللسلطات المعنیة ب -doof-ot-gnidnopser/seitivitca/tni.ohw.www//:sptth nasofni-seicnegreme-ytefas (91-)كوفید رونامرض فیروس كونصائح للجمھور بشأن -6 levon/sesaesid/seicnegreme/ra/tni.ohw.www//:sptth cilbup-rof-ecivda/9102-surivanoroc- (: أسئلة وأجوبة91- مرض فیروس كورونا )كوفید -7 -levon/sesaesid/seicnegreme/ra/tni.ohw.www//:sptth sesurivanoroc-a-q/cilbup-rof-ecivda/9102-surivanoroc . 0202منظمة الأغذیة والزراعة/منظمة الصحة العالمیة، -8 لأغذیة: إرشادات لقطاعات الأعمالوسلامة ا 91-كوفید الغذائیة -doof-dna-91-divoc/liated-snoitacilbup/tni.ohw.www//:sptth sessenisub doof-rof-ecnadiug-ytefas بعض الحقوق محفوظة. ھذا المصنف متاح بمقتضى . 0202 ومنظمة الأغذیة والزراعة للأمم المتحدة,منظمة الصحة العالمیة © YB CC-CN-OGI 0.3 AS الترخیص 1.0202/seitirohtua_ytefaS_dooF/VoCn-9102/OHW :rebmun ecnerefer OHW
-1- COVID-19与食品安全:对负责国家食品安全控制 系统的主管部门的指导 临时指导文件 2020年 4月 22日 背景 当前的 2019 冠状病毒病(COVID-19)大流行对 负责国家食品安全控制系统 a的主管当局 b来说,是一 项特殊和前所未有的挑战,以便根据国家法规和国际 建议,继续开展日常职能和活动。在许多国家,主管 当局工作人员主要在家工作,远程办公是正常做法, 所有面对面的会议都已取消或改为电话会议。不间断 地保持日常活动,如食品企业的业务检查、出口认 证、进口食品管制、食品供应链安全监测和监督、食 品抽样和分析、食品事件管理、为食品行业提供食品 安全和食品法规咨询以及就食品安全问题与公众沟通 等,都具有挑战性。 为了维护国家食品安全控制系统的完整性并支持 国际贸易和食品供应链,每个主管当局都需要在目前 COVID-19 大流行期间优先考虑至关重要的服务。这 些措施可能包括暂时停止不会立即影响安全食品供应 的低风险控制活动。暂时停止低风险控制活动将使当 局能够继续保障其工作人员的健康和安全,同时将工 作重点放在更高风险领域和对食品安全至关重要的活 动上。根据国家优先事项,一些主管当局可能会决定 优先开展某些活动,例如检查高风险食品企业、出口 认证、进口管制服务、食品事件管理或对食品投诉的 调查。重要的是,主管当局必须继续监测 COVID-19 大流行的事态发展并做出反应,对工作规划做出必要 的调整,并继续提供关键服务,维护其食品安全系统 的完整性。 国家主管当局面临的挑战来自: • 实施应急计划; a 《食品法典关于验证食品安全控制措施的指南》(CAC/GL 69-2008)对国家食品安全控制系统进行了描述 • 由于工作人员调配到国家 COVID-19应急反 应小组、工作人员在家工作以及工作人员 生病和自我隔离,造成维持充分运作的食 品安全检查规划的能力下降; • 由于食品实验室被指派进行 COVID-19临床 检测,造成食品检测能力减弱; • 食品欺诈对食品供应链完整性造成的风险 增加了; • 需要答复部长、食品行业、消费者和媒体 越来越多的询问和问题。 主管当局在这次疫情期间可发挥关键作用,与食 品行业所有部门合作,使生产商和加工商能够继续有 效运作,并使安全的食品供应线能够保持畅通。 本指导文件旨在解决一些关键问题,即如何确保 规模缩小的食品安全检查规划在减轻风险方面的有效 性;以及可采取的临时措施,以遏制广泛的食品安全 风险,减少对国家食品安全规划的严重干扰。 多机构合作和应急计划 所有主管当局都应根据粮农组织/世卫组织的指 导 1制定突发事件应对计划或应急计划,并能够实施 这些计划。主管当局的应急计划应包括中央、地区和 地方主管当局的作用和责任以及危机期间合作与协作 机制的详情。应急计划应包括以下方面的详情:如何 优先提供基本服务;组织业务团队负责信息管理、沟 通、风险评估和风险管理以及食品事件管理;扩展健 全的信息技术系统,以方便在家工作、远程办公和在 线会议。 所有相关国家机构之间的合作和协作是政府所有 部门参与有效应对 COVID-19 大流行的重要组成部 b 为本指导文件的目的,“主管当局”一词是指对国家食品安 全控制系统拥有管辖权的官方政府组织(如《食品法典》中所 定义的,例如在 CAC/GL 71-2009中) COVID-19与食品安全:对负责国家食品安全控制系统的主管部门的指导:临时指导文件 -2- 分。公共卫生和食品安全当局之间合作的必要性从未 如此迫切。 维持一个运行良好的国家食品安全检查 规划 由于限制人员流动,主管当局部署适当工作人员 检查食品企业和开展其它食品控制活动的能力可能会 被严重削弱。例如,要求管制人员亲临食品场所的食 品安全检查可能不再可行。由于食品检测实验室的能 力减弱,可能不再能够检测在检查期间采集的食品样 本。主管当局面临的关键问题是确保在构成最大风险 的各种食品场所中遵守食品法规。许多食品企业正在 采取新的生物安全措施,限制外部人员进入,而这可 能包括食品检查员。但是,食品安全检查员有权不受 阻碍地进入他们有合理理由相信正在进行食品加工活 动的任何场所,以便核查遵规情况并制止不遵守食品 法规的情况。 基于风险的方法 国家食品安全检查规划应以风险为基础,对食品 企业进行排名,以确定检查频率。出于检查的目的, 每个食品企业的风险概况应基于食品企业的性质和范 围,同时考虑到处理、加工和分发的食品类型;加工 方法(熟食、即食产品);经营规模,以及产品消费 者中可能的风险群体。在决定食品企业风险分类时要 考虑的问题包括以往遵守或违反食品法规的情况、对 实施食品企业食品安全管理系统(FSMS)的信心以 及验证记录。这种基于风险的食品安全检查方法可以 识别需要检查的高危食品场所。在本次疫情期间,可 能有必要暂时停止对中低风险食品场所的检查。 需要继续进行食品检查的关键领域之一是屠宰 场,包括监督屠宰前后的管控措施。此类场所的食品 检查员将需要个人防护装备(PPE),并且需要意识 到保持身体距离、洗手、清洁和消毒的重要性,尤其 是在生产条件发生变化时,例如由于生产线速度提 高。 另一类需要加强检查的关键企业是生产严重依赖 进口原料的企业。由于国际运输常常急剧减少,这些 企业可能面临供应链延误或中断的情况,从而可能构 成食品安全问题,并可能需要加强检查和管控措施。 同样,食品企业可能需要在不经过完整的供应商批准 规划的情况下迅速确定新的供应商,这就可能对产品 的完善性造成风险。 由于需求加大,一些食品企业将扩大生产,并将 招聘临时工作人员。食品安全当局需要确保临时工作 人员得到监督和适当培训。 临时措施 在特殊情况下可能需要采取临时措施的食品安全 管控措施的例子包括: • 临时使用电子数据交换,而不是在运输用 于生产食品的动物时一起提供的正式纸质 证书和正式证明原件; • 临时授权经认可的私营食品实验室在主管 当局的监督下进行检测和分析; • 食品企业以电子方式提交自己的检查结 果,以证明内部控制措施仍在运作(自我 认证); • 如果食品安全当局不能获得足够数量的合 格和有经验的工作人员,私立部门机构和 合格的独立专业人员可以暂时获准履行食 品检验职能,前提是他们受到当局的监 督,公正行事,在履行职能方面没有任何 利益冲突; • 在食品标签的某些方面(例如日期标记) 具有灵活性,以避免食品浪费,同时确保 食品安全。 保护员工 在需要继续检查食品企业时,应采取措施,避免 对主管当局工作人员造成严重的健康风险,同时不危 及对食品安全风险的防范。食品检查员应接受培训, 了解尽量减少 SARS-CoV-2(导致 COVID-19 疾病的 病毒)传播的程序 3。食品检查员需要确保自己没有 COVID-19 的症状;他们需要在食品场所保持身体距 离,经常洗手,包括进入食品场所之前和之后,并实 施良好的咳嗽/打喷嚏礼仪。食品检查员还将需要个 人防护装备,如一次性防护服、鞋套、口罩、手套和 发网,这些都需要在每次检查后更换 4。 暂时中止管控规划 主管当局例行开展的一些监测和监督规划可以在 本次疫情期间暂时中止,但不应损害食品安全、消费 者健康或国际贸易。这类活动的例子是年度残留物监 测规划,其目的是确保遵守关于污染物的规定。由于 许多酒吧、咖啡馆和餐馆关门,食品检查数量将减 少,因此对食品样本进行检测的需要将减少。在餐馆 有卫生评级计划或“门上评分”计划的国家,这些计 划可以自动延长有限的一段时间,而无需进行检查。 COVID-19与食品安全:对负责国家食品安全控制系统的主管部门的指导:临时指导文件 -3- 由于减少了食品的抽样和检测,国家主管当局更 有必要通过国际食品安全当局网络(INFOSAN)5等 全球系统获取和分享信息。当意识到收到或在市场上 投放不安全的食品时,食品企业应当有义务向主管当 局报告。 食品法规——可能需要临时豁免 鉴于 COVID-19 带来的挑战,主管当局需要与食 品企业密切联络,评估是否需要对食品法规进行临时 修订或调整,以便确保食品供应不受影响。主管当局 需要评估在执行食品法规的技术条例方面是否能够有 灵活性,并同时确保食品安全。 食品标签是一个特别具有挑战性的领域,因为由 于运输或进口中断,某些原料可能无法获得,或者不 再供应食品包装材料。如果食品企业使用与以前可用 的原料具有相同技术功能的经批准的原料,则可以有 理由进行临时授权,前提是标签上对过敏原的标示和 可追溯性要求等安全问题得到考虑。不能放宽对未经 批准的健康效益声明的管控以及食物标签不应误导消 费者的原则。 为餐饮业供货的食品企业现在可能需要为产品寻 找替代市场。同样,已购买了食品或原料的餐馆可能 需要寻找市场,以处理不再需要用于制作餐馆食品的 此类产品。在这种情况下,应提供销售此类产品的临 时授权,规定可临时性覆盖标签,但不得使用营养标 签(禁止使用未经批准的健康效益声明),并应遵守 关于现有日期标记和储存的说明。 主管当局在执行食品法规的技术规定时应具有一 定的灵活性;但是,食品安全不能受到影响,而且必 须提供关键信息,使消费者能够做出知情的选择。只 要对消费者不构成风险,就可以考虑在标签合规性方 面给予某种灵活性,并且可以通过贴上含有关键信息 的覆盖标签来提供或处理这些关键信息,例如过敏原 声明、耐久性(保质期)、可追溯性和任何特殊存储 条件或使用条件。建议食品经营者在将带有不合规临 时标签的产品或原料投放市场之前,与检查员讨论有 关情况。 食品实验室:检测和分析 主管当局面临的一项特别挑战是公立部门实验室 检测食品的能力下降了,因为这些实验室被指派对 COVID-19 临床标本进行检测。需要保持微生物和化 学品安全方面的最低能力,以支持对高风险企业的食 品检查,处理消费者投诉和食品事件,以及调查和管 理食源性疾病暴发。这可能需要临时授权经认可的私 立食品实验室进行检测,作为国家食品安全管控规划 的一部分。但是,主管当局必须确保测试结果的有效 性和可靠性。此外,公共卫生疾病监测系统发现人类 食源性疾病病例的能力可能下降,但必须保持最低限 度的国家能力。 食品实验室需要采取措施,降低 SARS-CoV-2在 实验室环境中传播的风险。这些措施将涉及培训实验 室工作人员识别 COVID-19 的症状,遵循保持身体距 离的原则,经常洗手并进行清洁和消毒,以及遵守咳 嗽/打喷嚏礼仪。实验室工作人员应熟悉世卫组织与 COVID-19有关的生物安全指南 4。 为了做到保持身体距离,可能需要分班工作以及 使用对讲机进行沟通(当工作人员独自在狭小的实验 室空间工作,因为除此之外无法保持相隔超过一 米),从而降低实验室工作人员的密度。在轮班交接 期间,需要做出安排,以保持身体距离。如果有实验 室工作人员染病,工作日程的安排应能够使基本工作 继续开展。 如果特定检测的样本数量减少,可能需要暂停根 据 ISO 17025 对食品实验室的资格认证。这可能是由 于暂停了年度残留物监测规划。 对食品供应完善性的风险 COVID-19 大流行导致食品供应链中断,一些产 品、原料或材料无法获得或供不应求。在急于寻找新 的供应商时,食品企业可能较少关注供应链的完善 性,从而为食品欺诈开辟了新的机会。由于主管当局 暂时减少食品管控措施,暂停或取消检查和食品抽 样,欺诈者可能会利用这种机会。除了减少官方管控 措施外,私立部门对证书和认证制度的审计和检查也 有可能会减少。在这次疫情期间,主管当局应调查报 告的涉及食品欺诈的事件,与食品企业密切合作,评 估供应链的脆弱性,并确保管控计划得以实施。 食品企业必须依法生产和销售安全和正宗的食 品。除了食品安全管理系统之外,食品企业还应考虑 引入基于风险的脆弱性评估系统,以制止食品欺诈。 主管当局需要强调食品欺诈风险有所增加。 由于公民被限制在家中,越来越多的消费者开始 转向电子商务和网上食品零售购物。许多人现在从各 种电子商务网站在线购买食品,这些网站是从这次疫 情开始以来兴起的。在电子商务方面,食品欺诈的风 险可能很高。为了保护消费者免受误导性电子商务行 为的影响,主管当局需要加强食品管控措施以及对互 联网销售的监督。由于一些主管当局没有管理电子商 务的立法和强有力的管控规划,通过国际食品安全当 局网络分享数据和信息将有助于减少网上交易不安全 和欺诈性食品的事件。 COVID-19与食品安全:对负责国家食品安全控制系统的主管部门的指导:临时指导文件 -4- 员工培训 在主管当局工作的人员,特别是在食品企业开展 检查的人员,需要了解COVID-19的症状 6,7。工作人 员必须能够及早发现症状,以便寻求适当的医疗护 理,进行自我报告,并停止工作 7,从而尽量减少感 染同事的风险。工作人员可能需要参加关于食品卫生 基本原则 3和食品企业检查工作操作程序的进修培训 班,特别是关于使用个人防护装备并确保自己不会造 成工作环境污染。 通过服务热线或社交媒体渠道与公众联系的主管 当局工作人员必须及时了解向公众提供的最新信息和 建议。需要一个专门的沟通小组,由公共卫生和食品 安全专家提供支持,为消费者准备和传播关于如何保 护自己及其家人的建议。每个主管当局应在其网站上 建立一个专门的 COVID-19 页面,提供实事求是的最 新建议,并链接到可信的网站,例如世卫组织、粮农 组织和世界动物卫生组织的网站。 主管当局需要确保有一个系统,供公众进行投 诉,并使当局能够及时对这类投诉做出反应。投诉渠 道可以包括服务热线或当局网站上的专用网页。 食品企业还需要随时了解食品法规和关于为确保 安全和充足食品供应而必须采取的任何额外措施的建 议。与食品企业互动的主管当局工作人员需要接受培 训并充分了解情况,以便处理各种关注并回答问题。 沟通 随着这次疫情的迅速演变,越来越需要确保向食 品企业和广大公众提供准确和可信的信息。主管当局 需要制定强有力的沟通战略,以防止谣言和错误信 息,并给所有利益攸关方提供最新的可靠信息。主管 当局必须向公众重申,虽然未报告发生通过食品消费 传播 COVID-19的情况,而且 COVID-19极不可能通 过食品传播,但消费者在购买或处理食品时还是应当 遵循卫生当局为避免 SARS-COV-2的传播而提出的卫 生建议。世卫组织发布的建议和消息可根据各国情况 加以调整和传播。 在预防 SARS-CoV-2在食物链中的可能传播以及 如何保护工人方面,主管当局应向食品企业提供建议 (见世卫组织的指南 8)。可能还需要向改变其业务 性质(例如,从餐馆改为食品外卖)的经营者或建立 新食品业务的自愿团体提供建议。 随着对 COVID-19 大流行的了解不断演变,主管 当局将需要相应地审查和更新提供的信息。除了为食 品企业和消费者提供更新的信息,必须确保相关部委 不断了解情况,以便利采取政府所有部门参与的做法 来管理这场危机。 世卫组织和粮农组织继续密切监测情况,以发现 可能影响本临时指导文件的任何变化。如果任何因素 发生变化,将发布更新。否则,本临时指导文件将在 公布之日起两年后失效。 参考文献 1. FAO/WHO. 2010. FAO/WHO framework for developing national food safety emergency response plans https://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/e mergency_response/en/ 2. 世卫组织。2020年。导致 COVID-19的病毒 传播模式:对感染预防和控制方面的预防建 议的影响。科学简报。 https://www.who.int/news- room/commentaries/detail/modes-of- transmission-of-virus-causing-covid-19- implications-for-ipc-precaution- recommendations 3. FAO/WHO. 2009. Codex Alimentarius. Food hygiene: Basic texts http://www.fao.org/3/a1552e/a1552e00.pdf 4. WHO. 2020. Laboratory biosafety guidance related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) https://www.who.int/publications-detail/laboratory- biosafety-guidance-related-to-coronavirus-disease- 2019-(covid-19) 5. Responding to food safety emergencies (INFOSAN) https://www.who.int/activities/responding-to-food- safety-emergencies-infosan 6. 就2019冠状病毒病(COVID-19)对公众的建议 https://www.who.int/zh/emergencies/diseases/novel -coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public 7. 2019冠状病毒病(COVID-19)专题问答 https://www.who.int/zh/emergencies/diseases/novel -coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub/q-a- detail/q-a-coronaviruses 8. FAO/WHO, 2020. COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for Food Businesses https://www.who.int/publications-detail/covid-19- and-food-safety-guidance-for-food-businesses ©世界卫生组织和联合国粮食及农业组织,2020年。部分版权保留。本作品可在 CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO许可 协议下使用。 WHO reference number: WHO/2019-nCoV/Food_Safety_authorities/2020.1