Minimising contamination and food safety concerns

Contaminants can enter the food chain at any stage between production and consumption. Work to prioritise contaminants, as well as to identify and control vulnerable points where contaminants enter, is key to food safety concerns, says Professor Francis Butler of the Sigma Chain project.

 Food is a basic human need, and its safety is of correspondingly great importance to consumers, who rely on producers and regulators to ensure the food they buy is free of contaminants and safe to eat. However, with the inter-connected nature of modern trade meaning that countries import and export foodstuffs on a global scale, this is no easy task. Food chains are growing increasingly complex, and with multiple stakeholders involved in the production process, each must follow a rigorous approach if food safety standards are to be maintained. It is in this context that the work of the Sigma Chain project, an EU-funded initiative developing a stakeholders’ guide on the vulnerability of food and feed chains to dangerous agents and substances, must be viewed.

“The objective of the Sigma Chain project is to identify and address vulnerabilities in the food chain,” explains Professor Francis Butler, the project’s overall coordinator. “A vulnerability could be a contaminant – chemical, micro-biological or physical – or it could be any loss of information along the chain regarding the product and its integrity. Let’s say a country is importing salmon from South America for example. The host authorities might have done a whole range of tests for certain contaminants, but if that information doesn’t travel with the product then there’s a vulnerability, because information has been lost that could potentially be relevant later in the food chain.”

“The sheer length of many food chains is an important issue in this regard. The longer the food chain the more potential there is for contaminants to enter or propagate, and although a growing number of consumers are keen to use locally-sourced produce, the average supermarket is still stocked with food from all over the world.”

“We’ve established links with other food traceability projects funded by the EU, and we’re also linked, on an informal basis, with industry and the regulatory authorities in the countries we operate in. We aim to enhance the quality of food safety systems and improve the efficiency of food risk management.”

Contact Professor Francis Butler, Project Coordinator, at f.butler@ucd.ie

Published: Monday, 9th November 2009

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