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FOOD STANDARDS EMERGING SCENARIO Anil Jauhri Director National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies Quality Council Of India Slide 2 INTERNATIONAL SCENARIO Food a highly regulated sector on grounds of health Countries imposing stringent food safety standards Shift in focus from end product requirements and testing to preventive systems for management of food safety GMP/GHP/HACCP Being introduced through regulations for compulsory compliance Codex standards accepted reference standards 2 Slide 3 VOLUNTARY/PRIVATE STANDARDS The terms 'private standards' and 'voluntary standards' are frequently used interchangeably. Indeed, private standards developed collectively by private sector actors are frequently referred to as 'private voluntary standards. Not all voluntary standards may be private sector standards 3 Slide 4 FORMS OF STANDARDS PublicPrivate MandatoryRegulations-PFA (now FSSA) Legally-mandated private standards VoluntaryPublic Voluntary standards- ISO 22000*, Restaurant grading, India HACCP Private voluntary standards- ISO 22000*, BRC, GLOBAL GAP Slide 5 Functions involved in making various standard operational 5 FunctionRegulationsPublic Voluntary Standards Legally Mandated private Standards Private Voluntary Standards Standard setting Legislature and/or public regulator Commercial or non-commercial private body AdoptionLegislature and/or public regulator Private firms or organizations Legislature and/or public regulator Private firms or organizations ImplementationPrivate firms or organizations Private firms Conformity Assessment Official inspectorate Public/Private auditor Private auditor EnforcementCriminal or Administrative courts Public/Private certification body Criminal or Administrative courts Private certification body Slide 6 WHY VOLUNTARY STANDARDS Increased concern about food safety Adoption of 'whole-chain' approaches Increasing controls over agribusiness value chains Retailers concerns about liability 6 Slide 7 DRIVERS OF INCREASED CONTROLS Reforms of food safety regulatory systems in response to real and/or perceived risks including a shift to process controls. Heightened interest among consumers and businesses in food production processes and their changes in conceptions of food safety and quality. The globalisation of food supply and increased role of coordination economies in defining competiveness. The devolution of the state and consequent 'privatisation' of market governance - responsibility is on owner Voluntary standards act as response to above mentioned drivers. 7 Slide 8 VOLUNTARY STANDARDS AS TRADE BARRIERS Economic costs of compliancenon- recurring and recurring costs Technical and administrative complexity 8 Slide 9 VOLUNTARY STANDARDS AS TRADE FACILITATORS They facilitate trade between two nations by assuring food safety through a conformity assessment system 9 Slide 10 IS CODEX ENCOURAGING PRIVATE STANDARDS Codex an intergovernmental body focussed on food regulations Provides standards for adoption by member nations in their food regulatory regime Codex does not implement or assess conformity with the international standards it develops - implementation is dependent on adoption by Codex member governments, in whole or in part and formally or informally, and/or incorporation into the standards of other bodies, including private standards setters Not all countries in a position to adopt Codex standards in regulations voluntary standards represent an excellent way to encourage adoption 10 Slide 11 IS CODEX ENCOURAGING PRIVATE STANDARDS (Contd) Especially true of developing countries Need for voluntary compliance reward those who can reach Codex standards Codex standards not certifiable guidelines or principles need for rewriting as requirement standards HACCP a classic example incorporated in BRC, IFS etc - national standards bodies, private players Implementation of these standards through conformity assessment bodies under accreditation system Private standards fill 'void' in international rules 11 Slide 12 WTO SCENE Codex standards are referral point under WTO Private standards have been under discussion in the SPS Committee since June 2005. The discussions have focused on three themes: Market access: Development of standards: WTO law Countries have no role in private standards 12 Slide 13 VOLUNTARY STANDARDS ISO 9001/ISO 22000 IAF system of accredited certification GlobalGAP MoU with IAF member bodies accreditation used NABCB accrediting for GAP Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarking schemes BRC, IFS, FSSC 22000, SQF etc MoU with IAF accreditation used 13 Slide 14 INDIAN SCENARIO Introduction of GMP/GHP based on Codex through Schedule 4 Licensing Regulations Across all sectors Provision to recognize certification to other standards Food safety audit by accredited organizations already notified/certified professionals on behalf of FSSAI FSSAI to provide reference India HACCP document for voluntary certification draft criteria developed awaiting endorsement FSSAI to recognize HACCP certification for demonstration of compliance to regulations 14 Slide 15 INDIAN SCENARIO (contd) FSSAI has already announced Safe Food Tasty Food initiative-Food establishment grading and certification FSSAI to provide reference India GAP standard draft developed by QCI no regulation possible Voluntary certification frameworks to be created by QCI MFPI initiative on industry demand voluntary certification mark for food processing sector QCI assigned to develop scheme 3-4 months 15 Slide 16 CHOOSING CERTIFICATION BODIES 16 Caution ABs not members of IAF in the market IAF, although voluntary, operates the only recognized system of international equivalence ABs not internationally equivalent Dubai, Pakistan etc Avoid CBs accredited by such ABs Insist on ABs logo on your certificate makes sure not only accredited but for your sector also Government increasingly relying on NABCB accreditation for assurance on quality & food safety MSME, MFPI subsidy schemes, FSSAI notified auditing agencies Slide 17 SUM UP Food industry faced with twin challenges Regulations domestic and importing countrys, if exporting Voluntary standards market demand in world market increasingly in Indian market Multiple audits Silverlining regulators may take cognizance of voluntary certifications 17 Slide 18 CONTACT Quality Council of India 2nd Floor, Institution of Engineers Building 2, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg New Delhi - 110002 INDIA Tel : +91-11-23379321/9260/0567/8057 Fax : +91-11-23379621 Email : dirnabcb@qcin.org, info@qcin.orgdirnabcb@qcin.org Website : www.qcin.orgwww.qcin.org Slide 19 19