1. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Statistics Related to Food Safety and Quality Food and Nutrition Division. FAO.

2. Content Need of data and information at national and international levels Type of data needed Current availability of data Existing problems and limitations Recommendations

3. Data / information use at national level Risk based systems for food control along the food chain Food-borne disease and diet-related chronic diseases surveillance and control programs Interrelationship between food safety, food quality and adequate and nutritious food Formulation of health, agriculture and trade policies

4. Data / information use at international level FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA): food additives, contaminants, natural ocurring toxicants and residues of veterinary drug residues FAO/WHO Experts Meetings on microbiological hazards in food (JEMRA) Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) Ad hoc expert consultations

5. Type of data needed Different in accordance with the specific purpose of a particular activity or measure. Different at different steps of the food chain Could include technical and economic data for cost-benefit analysis

6. Data needs: Food production, consumption and trade Food production, import/exports: identification of priority products requiring major attention for both nutrition and food control purposes Food consumption: evaluation/prediction of potential hazards for particular target population. Food trade: detention/rejection of foodstuffs – facilitate international trade and consumer protection from imported/exported products.

7. Data needs: Risk assessment Prevalence and/or concentration of the hazard in food Prevalence and/or concentration of the hazard in food Data on effect of various steps and processes of the food chain in the fate of the microorganism or chemical hazard in food Data on effect of various steps and processes of the food chain in the fate of the microorganism or chemical hazard in food Information on the human health impact of exposure to the hazard in different populations Information on the human health impact of exposure to the hazard in different populations Possible source of contaminants and mechanisms of contamination Possible source of contaminants and mechanisms of contamination Epidemiological and toxicological studies Epidemiological and toxicological studies Dietary exposure: national dietary intake and national monitoring basket surveys. Dietary exposure: national dietary intake and national monitoring basket surveys.

8. Data needs: GMO’s Consumption of genetically modified foods Allergenicity associated Volume and value of GM food products traded Results of certification programs Traceability/product tracing of GM products and post market monitoring

9. Some international data sources FAOSTAT: agricultural production statistics, food balance sheets, trade flow, Codex Alimentarius MRL’s for pesticide and veterinary drug residues Global Environment Monitoring System. Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment Program: GEMS/Food FAO/UNU International Network of Food Data Systems (INFOODS)-LATINFOODS.

10. Sources of data at regional and national levels Food contamination monitoring programs Food consumption surveys Good agricultural and manufacturing practices programs Surveillance programs

11. Problems to be addressed Data from certain countries is sparse or lacking all together Existing data is sometime not available due difficulties to identify proper source or due confidentiality issues Data in scientific literature is incomplete Disaggregate data is not available or information on sampling/analytical methods of analysis are lacking

12. Harmonization needs New data needs to be generated using standard methodology: Sampling protocols Validated analytical techniques Appropriate data analysis methods and approaches Development of statistical models which has the potential to allow greater use of limited data and prevent data incompatibility problems.

13. Actions to be promoted Strengthen and integrate statistical data for food safety purposes. Promote integration of data from food- borne surveillance programs, food monitoring contamination programs and national food consumption pattern data. Better communicate benefits of integrated use of data

14. Recommendations Develop/enhance networks to facilitate the collection of data for use in food safety related work Enhance capacity building programs to assist developing countries in their efforts Promote public/private partnership to enhance these capacity building efforts

15. Recommendation Countries from the region to make concrete steps towards identification/integration of data needed for food safety and quality purposes and the harmonization of the methodologies with international efforts in this area.

16. Additional information FAO Food and Nutrition Division http://www.fao.org/es/ESN/index_en.stm#