INFOSAN Quarterly Summary, 2020 no

Food safety events

During the fourth quarter of 2020, the INFOSAN Secretariat was involved in 23 food safety events involving 37 Member States. There were 11 events involving biological hazards [Salmonella (5), Listeria monocytogenes (2), E.coli (2), Rotavirus (1)
and Clostridium botulinum (1)], 6 which involves a chemical hazard [histamine (2), ethylene oxide (1), hydrogen peroxide (1), methanol (1), and an unspecified chemical solvent (1)], 3 which include an unreported allergen [milk (1), mustard (1) and
peanut (1)]and 3 involving physical danger [metal (2), and bone fragments (1)].

The food categories most frequently involved in these 23 events were milk and dairy products (7), herbs, spices and condiments (3), fish and other seafood (2), fruit and fruit products (2), nuts and oilseeds. (2), snacks, desserts and other food (2), alcoholic beverages (1), cereals and cereal-based products (1), meat and meat products (1) and special food products (1). The category of food involved in one of the events is unknown (1).

These events included Member States from Europe (12), the Americas (8), the Western Pacific (8), Southeast Asia (4), the Eastern Mediterranean (3) and Africa (2).

During such international food safety events, the INFOSAN Secretariat relies on the prompt action of the national INFOSAN Emergency Contact Points to respond to requests for information. The rapid exchange of information through INFOSAN allows members to implement appropriate risk management measures to prevent disease in their countries.

News and activities

Capacity Building Workshop on Rapid Response to Food Safety Crisis for Southeast Asian Member States, October 8 and 9, 2020

In October, the Secretariat supported a virtual capacity building workshop on rapid response during food safety crises, coordinated by the National Agency for Drug and Food Control in Indonesia with the support of several international experts. Participants were members of INFOSAN and other food safety experts from Member States belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Using a virtual classroom, facilitators and participants connected from more than a dozen countries to exchange ideas and learn from each other’s experiences. Participants reviewed the principles emergency response plans for food safety, risk communication during food safety crises and roles and responsibilities of INFOSAN members during the coordination of the international food safety emergency response. The Secretariat continues its work to ensure complementarity between INFOSAN and regional systems such as ASEAN’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed.

A series of regional webinars for INFOSAN members in Africa, November 2020

In November, the Secretariat, in collaboration with the African Union and the FAO and WHO Regional Offices for Africa, hosted a series of webinars on strengthening national and international food safety networks and response systems. Participants were members of INFOSAN and other food safety stakeholders from the region. During the webinar, participants improved their understanding of INFOSAN processes and procedures and clarified the roles and responsibilities of network members. International experts also shared their experiences and introduced participants to useful tools and resources that support emergency response activities to food safety. For example, this included a review of recently published sources of materials that can be used to develop a national protocol for the exchange of information with national and international partners during food safety events and outbreaks of food-borne diseases. The Secretariat has committed itself to supporting Member States in the region to strengthen their capacity to participate actively in INFOSAN and to respond more effectively to future food safety emergencies.

INFOSAN webinar for Member States in Europe and Central Asia, 26 November 2020

Later in November, the Secretariat supported the organization of training webinars for Member States in Europe and Central Asia with regional counterparts from FAO and WHO. During the webinar, it was pointed out that there were several of them Joint external evaluationsconducted in the region under the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework of International Health Regulations stressed the need to strengthen the emergency response system to food safety, including the active participation of countries in INFOSAN. Participants were therefore introduced to INFOSAN and how it can be used to facilitate the rapid exchange of information between national authorities and across borders during food safety incidents and emergencies. INFOSAN members from Portugal and Northern Macedonia shared countries’ perspectives on their use and engagement with INFOSAN. An important work arrangement between INFOSAN and the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed is also highlighted. The Secretariat will continue to work with partners and Member States in the region to strengthen food security and strengthen active participation in networking activities.

Seventh Regional Meeting to Strengthen INFOSAN in the United States, December 10 and 11, 2020

In December, the Secretariat and colleagues from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean held the seventh Regional Meeting of INFOSAN members in America, hosted almost by Argentina. Network members from across the region joined the online meeting to review the achievements and challenges it has faced over the past year and highlight progress in several technical areas of particular interest in America. For example, colleagues from Guyana elaborated on their efforts to coordinate food safety activities in all sectors and between agencies at the national level, and also referred to a recent emergency communication simulation exercise conducted by the Secretariat. Other Member States are invited to provide such simulations to test their national communication protocols during international food safety incidents, and the Secretariat is ready to assist. During the meeting, INFOSAN members from Argentina, Brazil, Canada and the US shared their experiences regarding COVID-19 and incidents of over-expansion in the food sector and described different impacts on the food chain. Finally, members from Argentina, Mexico and the Caribbean Public Health Agency provided an overview of their activities related to the use of Sequence of the whole genome to address antimicrobial resistance in the food sector. The Secretariat is grateful for the active participation of all members during the online meeting and expresses its gratitude on behalf of the entire network to the national authorities of Argentina for hosting the virtual event.

2020. in review

As described in INFOSAN Secretariat Strategic Plan for 2020-2025, work is underway to develop a comprehensive list of indicators and annual targets for each of these strategic actions. For 2020, special attention is paid to the number of Member States with a registered INFOSAN emergency contact point, which increased from 172/194 (89%) in 2019 to 178/194 (92%) in 2020. The number of Member States with at least one or more registered INFOSAN focal points have increased from 138/194 (71%) in 2019 to 155/194 (80%) in 2020. Outreach continues to all Member States to develop a network and ensure that members are appointed from all national bodies with a role in food safety.

This year, the number of notifications coming directly from members or members through the European Commission Contact Point has increased slightly from 84% in 2019 to 87% in 2020. This is important because it means that information on these food safety incidents is exchanged faster of those incidents detected by other means of event-based surveillance (e.g. media monitoring). However, the average number of days between the Secretariat’s request for information on food safety incidents and the provision of information requested by INFOSAN members was five days in 2020. This is faster than a historical average of seven days, but not yet according to the three-day goal proposed in the strategic plan. Faster provision of information means that national authorities are able to implement the necessary risk management measures more quickly and protect consumers from potentially unsafe food.

The Secretariat will continue to work with members and partners to halt the international spread of contaminated food, prevent the outbreak of food-borne diseases and strengthen global food safety systems to reduce the burden of foodborne illness.

The voice of an active network member