The Congress will attempt to shed light on the elaborate reasons for the loss of confidence in food despite food never having been safer and despite the industry's continued efforts to guarantee the quality and safety of our food never having been greater.
This, in turn, will be followed by a discussion on the extremely important topic of public perception of food and food safety. Consumer representatives, scientists and the media will be asked to give their views on the current situation and on changes needed to help resolve the problem of a loss of confidence. This debate will lead into a panel discussion between the various links of the food chain
Finally, representatives from the food and drink industry will talk about the industry's on-going efforts to ensure quality and safe food, and to restore the confidence of the consumer which it has clearly lost.
On 24 July 2000, CIAA launched two projects of approximately 2.9 million euro, co-funded by the European Community under the PHARE Business Support Programme (BSP) aimed at supporting actions of the food and drink industry federations of Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC). The projects that will last for a period of 2 years involve food industry federations from seven CEEC.
The first project (CIAA BSP 1) is focussed on the efficient structuring and organisation of national federations. In two cases (Bulgaria and Slovenia), this will mean the creation of a food federation. The objective is to help improve and strengthen the federations through various actions such as twinning operations, communication-lobbying seminars, "on-the-job training" etc.
The second project (CIAA BSP 2) addresses the problem of taking up Community acquis in the CEEC. Several actions are envisaged to respond to specific needs of federations in promoting EU food legislation at national level and to support implementation in the CEECs. The definition and/or use of codes of manufacturing (including hygienic) practices is one of the main element of the CIAA project.
On 17.07.00, the Commission adopted food safety hygiene proposals, contained in four regulations. The regulations aim to merge, harmonise and simplify the detailed and complex hygiene requirements, previously scattered over seventeen directives on food hygiene, whilst at the same time widening their scope of application.
The package will certainly go some way to addressing the need to make the hygiene rules coherent for all foodstuffs, including, as it does, legislation on foodstuffs of animal origin (dairy products, meat and meat-based products, fish products, etc.) and ensuring that food safety is an absolute and non-negotiable priority for all food businesses at all stages of the food supply chain.
The legislation seeks to achieve a single market where there are common standards of hygiene and safety in comparable circumstances within and between Member States, regardless of who produces the food or where it is purchased.
Modern food processing involves the use of ingredients from all sectors, combined into a growing range of complex recipes. It is, therefore, increasingly difficult and costly to operate factories and equipment within a complicated framework of conflicting legal requirements, based on specific raw material, rather than recognising the need to ensure food safety using the most appropriate methods. As the production of processed compound foodstuffs becomes more and more complex, it is essential that the rules on hygiene, as applied, are compatible between themselves and correspond to the latest requirements such as those laid down in the General Principles of Food Hygiene, as agreed at international level by the Codex Alimentarius.
There are three underlying principles in the Commission's legislative proposal: the integrated approach towards food security "from farm to fork"; the responsibility of each link in the food chain and the implementation of the "HACCP" approach (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) to ensure food safety; and traceability.
The Food and Drink Industry has applied these rules since the entry into force of Directive
93/43 and is pleased that these principles will henceforth become the general rule for all units of production, regardless of the stage along the food chain. Likewise, the development of codes of good hygiene practice describing the specific rules of hygiene to be applied sector by sector and including artisanal and small-sized companies will help producers implement correctly the requirements laid down in the legislation.
New requirements in the area of traceability are considered in the Commission proposal. These general requirements are welcomed but it is important to mention that traceability systems, developed to meet the specific needs of the industry, are already in place in the food industry.
As the proposed consolidated hygiene legislation passes through the legislative process, it is essential that it remain proportionate to the risk involved in the food production process, flexible enough to allow adaptation as appropriate and focussed on safety provisions only.
CIAA will make available further comments on the views of the food and drink industry in due course.
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Trade in food products in 1999
Exports of food and drink products to third countries is an activity of strategic importance to a large number of European companies. In 1999, such exports amounted to 33 billion euros or 70% of world consignments of food and drink products.
However, this is a reduction of nearly 5%, in large part due to a decline in exports to Russia. The main destination for food products remains the United States, with almost a quarter of total exports.
The trade balance in euros for food and drink products remained mostly positive in 1999, with imports also being in decline.
The complete brochure "1999 Trade statistics for Food and Drink products � is available from CIAA.
For further information, please contact Ms Nicky Denning, Communications Officer, at the CIAA secretariat.
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