1. Animal Production Food Safety: the role of the OIE
High level forum on food safety
Beijing, November 2007
Willem Droppers
Chargé de Mission

2. Role and mandate
of the OIE
Animal production
food safety work
program
Future priorities

3. SOME KEY FACTS Established in 1924: 172 Members
Intergovernmental organisation – predates the UN
Permanent Regional Representations: Bamako (Mali), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Tokyo (Japan), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Beirut (Lebanon)
Sub-regional Offices: Bangkok (Thailand), Gaborone (Botswana), Panama, Brussels (Belgium)
Regional Commissions: Africa, America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Middle East 50 13 29
Go through OIE objectives that are related to the subject of this conference
Guarantee the transparancy of the world zoosanitary information
To encourage international solidarity in the control of animal diseases : avian influenza does not need a passport
To provide healt standards for international trade: to give the CVO’ s recommendations on the trade of animals and animal products in case of an outbreak of one of the listed diseases. This will provide unjustified trade barriers, lead to fairer trade and is of benefit for the developing countries.
Provide a better guarantee of the safety of food of animal origin. 52 28

4. OIE's standard setting mandate
WTO SPS Agreement recognises OIE as a reference organisation for international standards
(one of the “ 3 sisters”)
The WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement)

5. OIE's WTO mandate Standard-setting organisations CODEX IPPC OIE
food safety
CODEX
plant health
IPPC
animal health and zoonoses
OIE
Codex = Codex Alimentarius Commission (FAO/WHO)
OIE = World Organisation for Animal Health
IPPC = International Plant Protection Convention (FAO)
The WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) .

6. Why OIE standards necessary
safety of international trade
transparency in reporting diseases
harmonisation of national legislation and control measures
fewer unjustified trade restrictions
promote fairer trade
benefits developing countries
International Public Good!

7. OIE Standards
sanitary measures to be used by veterinary or other competent authorities faced with animal diseases including zoonoses
health regulations, including surveillance guidelines, to prevent importations of pathogens, including those transmissible to humans, while avoiding unjustified sanitary barriers
diagnostic methods to be used by laboratories
OIE standards help in controlling animal diseases and zoonoses world wide

8. OIE International Standards
Terrestrial Animal Health Code – mammals, birds and bees
available on the
OIE Website (
Aquatic Animal Health Code – fish, molluscs and crustaceans
Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals
Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals

9. Animal Production Food Safety
OIE objective
to reduce food borne risks to human health by preventing, eliminating or controlling hazards arising from animals
Animal Production Food Safety
Working Group
Control and/or reduction of hazards of public health and animal health importance at level of production and by ante- and post-mortem inspection is a core responsibility of Veterinary Services.
Governments are increasing resources to protect public health against food-borne diseases of animal origin. Globalization of trade in food is resulting in increased attention to biosecurity and the potential for transmission of animal pathogens via food.
60% of human pathogens are zoonotic 80% of animal pathogens are multi-host 75% of emerging diseases are zoonotic
Worldwide
2 million people die from diarrhea caused by contaminated food and water each year
Historically, Veterinary Services have focused on animal disease control and export certification
Veterinary Public Health is not well addressed by Veterinary Services or Veterinary Curriculum
Food Safety aspects have often been dealt with by other Agencies, and even other Ministries
Food-borne disease is generally recognized as an important public health problem and an important cause of decreased economic productivity in both developed and developing countries.
3rd OIE Strategic Plan for recommended that "OIE should be more active in the area of public health and consumer protection," and noted that this should include "zoonoses and diseases transmissible to humans through food, whether or not animals are affected by such diseases", with the object of improving the "production to consumption" food safety continuum worldwide. The recently adopted 4th OIE Strategic Plan continues this mandate recommending that the Working Group "continue to work with other relevant organisations, especially the Codex Alimentarius Commission, in reducing foodborne risks to human health due to hazards arising from animals".

10. APFS Working Group Terms of reference
to consider food-borne hazards arising from animals before slaughter and before processing of the product
...primary focus is on food safety measures applicable at the farm level
...work programme takes into account food safety priorities and work of relevant international organisations, especially Codex
The Working group acts as a steering committe on food safety for OIE.

11. APFSWG work programme recommendations on food borne zoonoses
antimicrobial resistance
animal identification and traceability
defining the role and functions of VS in food safety
guide to good farming practices
recommendations on animal feeding
model certificates

12. OIE - Codex cooperation
to ensure ”seamless” standards:
”from farm gate to plate”
to avoid gaps and duplication in the development of standards
cooperation also within countries
OIE – Codex cooperation

13. Antimicrobial Resistance
Existing OIE standards
harmonisation of national surveillance and monitoring programmes
monitoring use of antimicrobials in animal husbandry
responsible and prudent use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine
risk assessment on use of antimicrobials in animals

14. Antimicrobial Resistance
Ongoing work
OIE/FAO/WHO expert meetings
OIE ad hoc Group on AMR
Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on AMR, hosted by Korea.
23-26 october 2007

15. Guide to good farming practice
joint OIE/FAO publication
for Competent Authorities (CA) and stakeholders, especially producers
to complement the responsibilities of the CA at the farm level

16. Veterinary Services: role and functions in food safety
a guidance document
..to assist in providing effective linkages between animal health and public health functions..
Veterinary Services’ activities associated with meat production systems extend beyond public and animal health, ensuring adequate animal welfare and preventing degradation of the environment by contamination with animal wastes and animal products.
Collaboration and interdependence between public health and animal health authorities at a national, regional and international level are crucial in the control of the food safety risks of today, but more importantly, they are essential for confronting the emerging food-borne diseases of the future.

17. Veterinary Certification
collaboration with Codex on combined certificates for animal products.
OIE ad hoc Group reviews current OIE model veterinary certificates
takes account of Codex and UN-CEFACT work in this area and
ensuring compatibility with electronic certification systems
Cooperation with CCIFICS. UN-CEFACT = United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business

18. Veterinary Public Health
Appendix to the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code (2006)
“Guidelines on the control of biological hazards of animal health and public health importance through ante- and post-mortem meat inspection”
Link with CCMH. The collaboration between authorities responsible for public and animal health must also occur at national levels. The duality of objectives at ante- and post-mortem inspection is just one of the areas for integration and collaboration.
The public and animal health risks associated with animals at slaughter vary significantly in different regions and husbandry systems, therefore the ante- and post-mortem inspection must be tailored to each individual situation and designed according to a risk-based approach.
Veterinary Services’ ante- and post-mortem inspection include: Risk assessment
Establishment of policies and measures
Design and management of inspection programs to deliver public and animal health objectives
Assurance and certification of appropriate delivery
Dissemination of information throughout the chain
Notification of presence of notifiable diseases
Conformity with WTO obligations
Risk-based approaches to meat-borne risks to human health are demonstrating that unseen microbiological contaminants, rather than grossly-apparent abnormalities at ante- and post mortem inspection are the most important source of hazards. This has led to combat these hazards through HACCP systems, Veterinary involvement in risk assessment associated with ante- and post- mortem inspection is essential. Institutional approaches that bridge public and animal health sectors at national level replace traditional focus on regulating individual production systems, shifting to one of ensuring confidence overall regulatory frameworks at all levels
Risk-based approaches to zoonoses is will illustrated in the OIE Chapter on BSE. Surveillance and mitigation strategies should be determined by, and be commensurate with the outcome of a risk assessment.

19. Bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis
food safety aspects are addressed in Code articles on meat and milk, references to Codex Codes of Hygienic Practice
updating chapters on brucellosis and tuberculosis is ongoing
Actually only Bovine tuberculosis deals with food safety aspects. Ante- and post-mortem meat inspection can be used as surveillance system for Bovine tuberculosis.

20. Animal identification and traceability
Comments (with copyright) / Commentaires (soumis au Copyright) :

21. Animal identification and traceability
general principles are in the Code
......with references to relevant Codex texts
OIE ad hoc Group
defining objectives and outcomes rather than prescribing specific standards
......Codex Principles for Traceability/Product Tracing makes reference to OIE texts
in 2009 Joint OIE / Codex conference in Buenos Aires
The health status of the farm of origin and the husbandry of the animals has a significant effect on the safety and wholesomeness of the meat and should therefore influence the ante- and post- mortem inspection. Adequate animal identification and record keeping systems are essential

22. Animal feed OIE ad hoc Group
OIE guidelines will be complementary to Codex guidelines
general principles will be developed first
then specific recommendations on commercial and on farm feed production systems

23. Salmonellosis OIE ad hoc Group
Code chapter on on-farm methods for detection, control and prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium in laying hens
....taking account of other international standards (Codex) and risk assessments

24. Ongoing work of the OIE antimicrobial resistance animal feeding
salmonellosis in broilers
food borne zoonoses
terrorism involving the food supply
preventing fraud in international trade
International Conference on Animal identification and traceability
- Buenso Aires 2009

25. Thank you for your attention

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Organisation Mondiale de la Santé Animale
World Organisation for Animal Health
Organización Mundial de Sanidad Animal
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