Cii Regulatory summit India16-17 Oct 2008

Making Regulations work for regional and Global Trade

ASEAN Perspective from Malaysia

Harmonization of food safety in ASEAN

Norrani EksanMinistry of Health Malaysia

ASEANThe Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 in

Bangkok by the five original Member Countries, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines,

Singapore, and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined on 8 January 1984, Vietnam on 28 July 1995, Laos and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and

Cambodia on 30 April 1999.

ASEAN CHARTER

• To create a single market and production base which is stable, prosperous, highly competitive and economically integrated with effective facilitation for trade and investment in which there is free flow of goods, services and investment;

• Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Charter Kuala Lumpur, 12 December 2005

• Signed by 10 AMC November 2007 in Singapore• ASEAN structure and working bodies revised.

Two “pillars” : To facilitate and liberalize trade and investment in the

region

• Harmonize national standards with international standards

• Implement mutual recognition arrangements on (MRA) conformity assessment

• To achieve its end-goal of “One Standard, One Test, Accepted Everywhere”.

Areas of Cooperation

• POLITICAL COOPERATION• ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

– ASEAN COOPERATION ON STANDARDS AND CONFORMANCE TO FACILIATE TRADE IN THE REGION (ACCSQ)

• EXTERNAL RELATIONS

ASEAN initiatives on Food safety

• ASEAN Expert Group on Food Safety (AEGFS)• ASEAN Consultative Committee for Standards and

Quality Prepared Foodstuff Product Working Group (ACCSQ- PFPWG)

• ASEAN Task Force on CODEX (ATFC)• Commodity Bodies under ASEAN

1

ASEAN FOOD BODY SENIOROFFICIALSMEETING

ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Livestock (ASWGL)

SOM-AMAF

ASEAB Sectoral Working Group on Fisheries (ASWGFi)

SOM-AMAF

ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Crops (ASWGC)

SOM-AMAF

ASEAN Experts Group on Food Safety (AEGFS) SOMHD

ACCSQ – Prepared Foodstuff Product WorkingGroup (ACCSQ PFPWG)

SEOM

ASEAN Task Force on Codex (ATFC) SOM-AMAF

ASEAN Food Safety Network (AFSN) SOM-AMAF

ASEAN Working Group on Halal (AGS Halal) SOM-AMAF

ASEAN Genetically Modified Food Network (AGMF Net)

SOM-AMAF

ASEAN Sub Committee on Food Science andTechnology (ASCFST)

COST

1

ACCSQ Prepared Foodstuffs Product Working Group

TRANSPARENCY

IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIFIED AREA FOR MRA

IMPROVING FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS

FOOD SAFETY FACILITATION OF TRADE

ENHANCING TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Food Safety Policy

– Goal• Increased protection of consumers’ health; and• Enhanced competitiveness of the ASEAN food industry

and improved food export potential globally.– Objectives

• To strengthen the food control system from farm to table with the involvement of relevant stakeholders;

• To increase the level of credibility and competency of regulatory authorities;

• To enhance the industry and consumer awareness, and participation in food safety;

• To coordinate ASEAN common positions in international fora, as and when appropriate;

• To facilitate the alignment of member countries’ food safety policies with obligations under the WTO SPS and TBT Agreements; and

• To facilitate the harmonization of national regulatory standards with Codex standards.

ASEAN Food Safety Policy Strategy

• support capacity building at the national level; and• implement joint regional activities in food safety • Identifying an AMC as a Programme Coordinator

to facilitate a specific activity • Identifying an AMC as Lead Country in a particular

discipline or activity relevant to food safety.• Facilitating accurate, relevant and timely

information exchange amongst AMCs and the international community.

• Engaging relevant international organization or donor countries to mobilize resources for the implementation of the Plan;

• Promoting the sharing of resources including technical expertise among the AMCs ; and

• Emphasizing the use of cost-sharing as a modality for implementing priority projects.

Components of the ASEAN Food Safety Improvement Plan

1. Food Safety Policy 2. Establishment of Capacity Building database (existing/

proposed/ offered/ needed)3. Identification of Program Areas and priorities4. Food Safety Improvement Plan

4.1 Proposed Activities and Priorities at Regional4.2 Proposed Activities under Each Programme – Identification of countries as programme coordinators (in

stages)– Matrix of Proposed Lead Countries/Regional Reference

centers– Terms of Reference of the Programme Coordinator and the Lead

Country

AFSIP – Master Plan

Country Existing

Activities

Proposed

Activities

Expertise

Offered

Expertise

Needed

2.Capacity Building Database

Programme 1. Standards2. Legislation (Philippines)3. Laboratories (Singapore)4. Monitoring And Surveillance (Malaysia)5. Implementation Of Food Safety Systems6. Inspection and Certification (Malaysia)7. Education And Training8. Information Sharing9. Research & Development10.International Participation11.Consumer Participation (Indonesia)

ECEC--ASEAN Project on ASEAN Project on Implementation of HACCPImplementation of HACCP

• Guidelines for HACCP, GMP and GHP for ASEAN SME’s

• APRIS 2 – ASEAN EC – Programme for regional support

• Pilot Projects

EUEU--ASEAN Rapid Alert SystemASEAN Rapid Alert System

“ASEAN Rapid Alert System for Food” (ARASF) meeting on 24-25 April 2007 in Bangkok – Pilot Project

Objective of this project • develop information exchange software • establish an information network on food safety among ASEAN

members countries

ARASF • is a tool to exchange information among the ASEAN members

country when a food safety risk is identified.• Rapid prevention measures taken by competent authorities to

ensure food safety among Asean member countries• real time and using web based application. • http://wwww.arasf.net

AFSIP – Master Plan

ASEAN Reference Laboratory Field of Expertise

Food Laboratory, Centre for Analytical Science, Health Sciences Authority, Singapore (CAS).

Mycotoxins

Veterinary Public Health Laboratory, Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (VPHL, S)

Pesticide Residues

Department of Chemistry, Malaysia (DOC) GMOs

Veterinary Public Health Laboratory, Dpt. of Livestock Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Thailand (VPHL, T)

Veterinary Drug Residues

Bureau of Quality and Safety of Food, Dpt. of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand (BQSF)

Heavy Metals and Trace Elements

Quality Assurance & Testing Centre 3, (QUATEST3) MOST, Vietnam Microbiology

• Extended APRIS 2 (Agro-Food and Fisheries)

• ASEAN General Handbook on Testing Services in Agro-based products

• Training for ASEAN ARL (Planned)

• Capacity Building for ASEAN Fish Reference Lab

AMAF InitiativesAMAF Initiatives

• ARASF – Thailand -EC• ASEAN Harmonized Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs)• ASEAN Criteria for Accreditation of Sheep and Goats for Breeding, Sheep

and Goats for Slaughter, Ducks for Slaughter, and Cattle Slaughterhouses for the Production of Frozen or Chilled Beef.

• Work plan for the ASEAN Genetically Modified Food Testing Network• The ASEAN Good Agricultural Practices (ASEAN GAP)• Promotion of HACCP, Good Aquaculture Practice (GAP), Good Hygiene

Practices (GHP) for fishery industry, especially SMEs.• ASEAN Network on Aquatic Animal Health Centre(29 AMAF)• Asean Network for diagnostic and certification capabilities for live aquatic

animals (29 AMAF)

Programme area : Monitoring & Surveillance

Strengthening ASEAN Risk Assessment Capability to Support Food Safety Measures Project - (2nd Phase)

6 case studies completed under Phase 1

Chemical risk assessment:

1.Chloropropanols in soy sauce and other food2.Cyclamate in food3.Aflatoxin in food

Microbiology Risk Assessment1.Salmonella sp. In chicken meat2.Vibro parahaemolyticus in shrimps3.Bacillus cereus in cooked rice

ASEAN Australia Development Cooperation Program (AADCP): AEGFS

Capacity Building in Risk Analysis

1st phase just ended. Final strategies Workshop(22-24/8/2007)To be follow through with Phase II.

ACCSQ-PFPWG

• Harmonization of Import-Export Certification and registeration Procedure

• Guidance document based on CCFICS

AFSIP – Master Plan

Implementation of Food Safety Systems

• Thailand to consider role as program coordinator

AFSIP – Master Plan

Consumer Participation and Empowerment in Food safety

• Framework endorsed• Indonesia to develop project proposal

ASEAN Common Food Control Requirements

Developed in the EC-ASEAN Cooperation in ASEAN Consultative Committee on Standards and Quality (ACCSQ)

Harmonization Initiatives under ACCSQ• Three Documents developed -

1. ASEAN Common Principles Food Hygiene. (ACR for compliance of Food Establishments in Gen Principles of Good Hygiene )

2. ASEAN Common Principles Food Control Systems 3. ASEAN Common Principles Food labeling4. Apris 2 – Training in CLV on Food Safety Legislation (Agro-foos

and Fisheries)

Establishment of ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Food Safety (ACCFS)

• A single coordinating mechanism on food safety

• To strengthen coordination among ASEAN bodies

AFSIP – Master Plan

Proposed Objective of ACCFS• to formulate and review the ASEAN food safety policy and agreements

which are in line with the WTO SPS and TBT Agreements;• to facilitate and monitor the implementation of the ASEAN food safety policy

and agreements effectively at the national and regional levels;• to coordinate the work and responsibilities of the various ASEAN bodies

related to food safety to avoid duplications of efforts;• to facilitate the process of economic integration in the food sector, through

the implementation of mutual recognition amongst food control systems of Member States;

• to facilitate Member States in meeting international trade requirements related to food safety;

• to promote cooperation of food safety matters with other international and regional organizations.

Challenges and Conclusions• Food safety, being an issue from farm to table,

cuts across the sectors of trade, health, agriculture, and science and technology, involving various ministries in ASEAN Member Countries (AMC)

• AMC have different food safety systems, regulations, standards and coordination mechanisms

• Existing capacity of the national food control system in AMC need to be review and analyze

Thank you

E-mail norrani@moh.gov.my

Websitehttp://fsq.moh.gov.my

Tel:603-8883-3511Fax:603-8889-3815