1. Risk based sampling and coordinated programmes Risk management structure in Germany Georg Schreiber BVL - Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety

2. Organisational chart on food safety in Germany Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) Coordination Risk management The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) Scientific risk assessment Risk communication Cooperation Data Scientific counsel Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) Competent national authority for food safety Cooperation with the European Commission Risk communication Legislation Scientific counsel Federal research institutes Counsel 16 Federal States

3. Organisation of competent authorities BVL: Coordination at national level, authorisations, reports European Commission coordination, legislation Inspections of FBOs, sampling, food law enforcement Official expertise, assessment of compliance 16 Federal States > 400 supervision authorities > 400 supervision authorities 35 official laboratories

4. Page 4 Braunschweig Bundesallee Head Office, Central Services (Legal Affairs, Administration) Messeweg Plant Protection Products, Central Services (Information Technology) Berlin Mauerstraße Press Office, Food Safety Mittelstraße Veterinary Drugs, Genetic Engineering Diedersdorfer Weg Reference Laboratories approximately 500 employees Basic Facts about the BVL

5. Page 5 Quality Manager Gender Equality Officer Z Central Services Head Office President BVL – Organisational structure 1 Food Safety 2 Plant Protection Products 3 Veterinary Drugs 4 Genetic Engineering 5 Analyses 1.1 Crisis Manage ment 1.2 Safety of the Food Chain

6. BVL - Risk Management in Food Safety Page 6 “From Farm to Fork” Actions of BVL (examples) farms of origin plant protection products veterinary drugs genetically modified organism manufacturers coordination of control programs i.e. federal control program wholesalers Rapid Alert System in Food and Feed retailers press/public information reports (i.e. about pesticide residues) consumers

7. BVL Federal Ministry (BMEL) BfR 16 Federal State Ministries Ministerial Conferences LAV risk management risk assessment communication consultations on legislation and risk management regional councils, regional authorities official laboratories food or feed companies municipal and local authorities complaints of consumers audits coordination assignment communication experts‘ opinions request for analysis audits coordination registration authorisation official controls registration authorisation official controls Coordination among authorities

8. General Administrative Procedures (AVV) -Legal norms directed towards the administration (not to citizens or companies). -Govern the competencies of Federal Government and Federal States in questions concerning food, feed, veterinary supervision and plant protection, Examples for current AVVs: - AVV “Framework of food control“ - AVV “Rapid alert system” - AVV “Data exchange”

9. -Substantiates demands of the European legislation for the German food control system where necessary. Aims at a harmonised enforcement of food control throughout Germany, Examples for the content of this AVV: -minimum number of samples to be analysed (5/1000 inhabitants/year), -criteria and model for the risk based control of establishments, -criteria for the risk based control of products, -risk based import controls of products of non-animal origin, -coordinated control programs, -measures in case of non-compliance, -crisis management, -information and communication system for food safety (FIS-VL) AVV on principles for the enforcement of the official controls in the field of food and feed AVV “Framework of Food Control“

10. Page 10 Coordinated Federal control plan Aims Survey of compliance with legal requirements including the protection of consumers’ interests Collection of data for the review of current questions as well as for the specification of new regulation limits It consists of Programs for control of products and establishments, Programs concerning food, cosmetics and commodities, Programs covering the analyses of chemical and microbiological parameters, the application of specific treatment (radiation e.g.), labelling of products AVV “Framework of Food Control“

11. Examples Labelling of azo-colours in food (Annex V of Reg 1333/2008) Dioxin in beef meat from extensively held cattle Microbiological status of … near “best before date” Sole fish in restaurants labelled as “sole” Labelling of “joghurt” made of oils of plant origin in restaurants Traceability in SMEs Nickel in toys made of metal Cosmetics labelled as “free of parfum” Page 11 Coordinated Federal control plan (cont.) AVV “Framework of Food Control“

12. Registered users may upload, download, print or edit documents via web platform (according to their rights). Working groups, committees etc. have their own work spaces. Information and Communication System (FIS-VL)

13. Report to BMELV queries formats BVL assessment, queries, evaluation, report on results Request for support Request for support EU intends to define a new exposure limit for fumonisins data addenda Enquiry to member states Enquiry to member states Request for details data format Request for details data format Report to EU Report to EU 16 Federal States evaluation of Federal States‘ databases Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) asks BVL and Federal States for support AVV „Data management“

14. National contact point of RASFF in BVL Upstream - Contact point for Commission. Member States and Third countries Downstream - Contact point for 16 German Federal States AVV „Rapid alert system“

15. 1 VSMK decision 09/2012: Crisis coordination (federal government and Länder) Crisis council (political level) Coordination of communication Crisis task force (operative level) Data- management Task Force Situation room Scientific risk assessment Government and Länder authorities Crisis coordination

16. Fight against food fraud Interdisciplinary approach (participation of experts in the fields of food and feed safety, economy, statistics, customs and police services and public prosecutor‘s offices) Analyses of incidences in the past, evaluation of websites Coordination of activities on national level (coordinated programs) Publication of official methods for tests on authenticity Development of early warning system

17. Early warning system Possible elements Issue monitoring Data analyses on international level Monitoring of new technologies Interviews with experts from industry, trade and control bodies Support of whistle blowers Evaluation of facts on a scientific basis

18. Coordinated control programmes (1) Fight against food fraud JahrTitle of the programmes 2006Carbon monoxide treatment of salmon and tuna 2006Increased water content in boiled ham - improper addition of foreign protein 2007Use of cheese imitations without labeling 2008Labelling of vanilla in vanilla ice cream, vanilla pudding and custard 2008"Low in sugar", "sugar free" and "no sugar added" in accordance with the Health Claim Regulation 2009Use of starch in boiled sausages 2009Quality of boiled ham and ham imitations in the catering

19. Fight against food fraud Coordinated control programmes (2) JahrTitle of the programmes 2011Fish species identification in fish portions labelled as sole in gastronomy 2012Boiled sausage without labelling the use of poultry meat 2012Imitated yogurt in gastronomy (yogurt with vegetable fat) 2014Analysis of meat, meat products and ready meals which are labelled as "beef" on other, non-declared species (except for horse meat) 2014Use of MSM (mechanically seperated meat) in finely minced boiled sausage with emphasizing indication of quality

20. Support of whistle blowers Fight against food fraud

21. Special task forces (example: Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority Bavaria, LGL) Established as a result of the rotten meat scandal in 2006 Team of experts: Food inspectors, butchers, layers, computer specialists, food technologists, agriculture engineers, administration officers etc. Joint controls of food establishments together with the local food control authorities Competence for supraregional measures, enforcement competence In five years more than 1630 inspections, disclosure of more than 170 cases of serious deficiencies like food fraud Fight against food fraud

22. G@ZIELT Central unit “Control of e-commerce of food, feed, cosmetics, commodities and tobacco” since 1 July 2013 Decision by all Länder Ministers of Consumer Protection –Online research conducted by a central unit (6 member staff) –Financed by the Länder –Administrative agreement between federal government and Länder Objective: Create an internet marketplace with a similar level of product safety as on conventional markets 22 Control of e-commerce

23. Actions and measures of G@ZIELT Identification of risky products –Search of products offered in German language Identification of online traders situated in Germany –Subject them to official risk based control Allowing consumers to make well-informed choices –Trust marks, information material Information of merchants about their responsibilities/obligations –Information material European cooperation –FLEP WG e-commerce 23 Control of e-commerce

24. Actions and measures of G@ZIELT EU & Third countries Requests by Länder Annual plan (Länder/BVL) Product searches Other requests Transfer acc. to §38a LFGB Xpider (BZSt) Product searches Company data G@ZIELT Data transfer (Länder/BVL) 24 Control of e-commerce

25. 25 Annual plan Elaborated in the run-up to the following year –Researches concerning vendors of specific product groups –Products which may have a certain risk Annual plan 2014: –Fresh meat/fish (focus: transport to the consumer) –Tattoo ink sellers –Products containing algea –Tooth bleaching agents Control of e-commerce

26. Annual plan Examples for fresh meat products sold online 26 Control of e-commerce

27. Annual plan Examples for fresh meat products sold online 27 Cooling packs do not always ensure sufficient temperature control (Source: Task Force Lebensmittelsicherheit Hessen) Control of e-commerce

28. Annual plan Examples for fresh meat products sold online 28 no cooling packs  cold chain interrupted (Source: Task Force Lebensmittelsicherheit Hessen) Control of e-commerce

29. Annual plan Examples for fresh meat products sold online 29 Hygiene? (Source: Task Force Lebensmittelsicherheit Hessen) Control of e-commerce

30. Seite 30 Information Online merchants are responsible for the safety of their products –BVL: http://www.bvl.bund.de/internethandelhttp://www.bvl.bund.de/internethandel –Information for companies/sellers on eBay, amazon.de and seal providers Consumers can minimise risks –Buying from shops with seals –Check contacts –Be careful with unrealistic promises –Be careful with purely online products –Flyer with online shopping advice: www.bvl.bund.de/flyer_internethandel 30 Control of e-commerce

31. 10th December 201310th December 2013 P a g e 3131 Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety The spirit of freedom of information acts from Professional confidentiality Principle of official secrecy Principle of restricted file access to Freedom of information Transparent administration Access to files for every citizen Development Information of consumers

32. 1 P a g e 3232 F Public warnings on food products Authorities shall inform consumers risk to public health, misleading or disgusting Entrepreneur has to inform the public If food may have reached the consumer Information of consumers

33. 10th December 201310th December 2013 P a g e 3333 Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety Latest warnings: ten most recent warnings All warnings: all relevant warnings Warnings in Federal States: all warnings of a Federal State www.lebensmittelwarnung.de

34. 1 P a g e 3434 F For each warning details with all relevant information are given on a subpage (Batch no, expiry date, ect). Information allows consumer to easily identify the product and its health hazard www.lebensmittelwarnung.de

35. 10th December 201310th December 2013 P a g e 3535 Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety Information on pesticide residues Exceeding legal maximum residue levels of pesticides –Pressure of NGO towards retailers and authorities –Increased official controls –Action of retailers Task Force in BVL –Dialogue with all stakeholders to identify problems –Find solutions Regular publication of control results –Exceedance rate for German and EU products below 1 % Information of consumers

36. 10th December 201310th December 2013 P a g e 3636 Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety Clarity and truth about food products www.lebensmittelklarheit.de Consumers can complain about specific products Producer is allowed to respond to complain Consumer organisation

37. 10th December 201310th December 2013 P a g e 3737 Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety Thank you for your attention! Contact: Dr. Georg Schreiber BVL - Safety of the Food Chain gruppe12@bvl.bund.de