Third OIE/FAO-APHCA Regional Workshop on WTO-SPS Agreement (Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 8-11 July 2003)
The Third OIE/FAO-APHCA Regional Workshop on WTO-SPS Agreement was held at Chiang Mai University in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on 8-11 July 2003 in collaboration with Japan Livestock Technology Association (JLTA), Thai Department of Livestock Development (DLD), Chiang Mai University (CMU) and Free University of Berlin (FUB), aiming at providing the participants working for Veterinary Services in the Asia and Pacific region with information about and practices on important roles of the WTO-SPS Agreement, OIE normative work, FAO-WHO Codex Alimentarius and Food Safety.
The Workshop was attended by 37 participants: national participants from 14 countries, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam; speakers from Egypt, Germany and Switzerland; international organisations, namely OIE Regional Representation, Tokyo and FAO-APHCA, Bangkok, and the host, Chiang Mai University.
During the Opening Session, addresses were delivered by Dr Vishnu Songkitti, Liaison Officer of FAO-APHCA (who simultaneously moderated the opening session), Dr Suvichai Rajanasthien, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University/Chairperson of the Workshop Organizing Committee; Dr Teruhide Fujita, OIE Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific; Prof. Karl Zessin of Free University of Berlin/Coordinator of the Workshop programme; Dr Chaweewan Leowijak, Deputy Director General of Thai Department of Livestock Development (DLD)/Collaborator of the Workshop organisation; and Dr Thanan Anumarn Rachathon, Vice President of Chiang Mai University/Host of the Workshop.
In the Workshop, Dr Teruhide Fujita presented his paper on OIE’s roles in the WTO’s SPS Agreement which included the background information and outlines regarding the WTO’s SPS Agreement, OIE’s roles as the international standard setting organisation recognised by WTO, the OIE’s International Code and Manual of Standards, veterinary ethics and certification for international trade, import risk analysis, evaluation of veterinary services and harmonisation of veterinary drugs legislation.
Dr Vishnu Songkitti, Liaison Officer of FAO-APHCA, made an introduction to the trade-related international organisations: WTO, OIE, FAO and WHO, and to SPS, TBT and Codex Alimentarius (CA), including CA structure, subsidiary bodies, Codex and regional trade agreements and arrangements. He further covered milestones in the evolution of food standards in CA, and regional trade agreements and arrangements.
Dr Subhash Morzaria, Senior Animal Production and Health Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, further explained the evolution of the FAO-WHO Codex Alimentarius (CA) and its objectives and mandate. His presentation also covered emerging food safety concerns, including agents of food-borne diseases, economic impact, food safety and economic development, roles of international organisations and CA, and consumers and CA. He particularly emphasised the potential impact of SPS measures on poor livestock producers and the need for the developing countries to be more actively involved with the international organisations with regard to development of food safety standards for national, regional and international trade.
Prof. Ulrich Kihm, former Director of Swiss Federal Veterinary Services and now CEO of Safe Food Solution Inc. (SAFOSO), explained the concept of import risk analysis, and then about risk assessment for import risk analysis. He gave information about hazard identification, risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. The participants got further information about a model pathway regarding risk assessment. The participants joined group exercises on risk assessment with the examples of importation of anthrax-contaminated hides and of countries having imported live cattle and meat and bone meal (MBM) from BSE infected countries.
Dr Reto Wyss, BSE Unit of Switzerland, Swiss Federal Veterinary Services, spoke about the outline of BSE and TSE, including occurrences of BSE worldwide, nature of BSE (prion, etc.), epidemiological aspects and diagnosis including differential diagnosis and surveillance including active surveillance in EU and targeted surveillance in Switzerland, the most important measures concerning feed, BSE risk assessment, and lessons to be learned.
Prof. Nagah Hafiz of Cairo University, Egypt introduced the concept of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System. She continued her lectures on how to set up and conduct a HACCP study followed by a group exercise on a case study on chicken slaughter. She explained various stages to be applied when conducting the HACCP study, namely from defining terms of reference to reviewing the HACCP plan. Hot smoked fish was taken as an example case study on ready-to-eat food and discussed by different groups organised by the participants.
Dr Juliane Braeunig, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Germany, gave lectures on basic texts of Codex Alimentarius and on principles and guidelines for the conduct of microbiological risk assessment. She presented her paper on surveillance programmes for prevention and control of foodborne diseases including examples for Salmonellosis, Campylobacteriosis, Brucellosis, Trichinellosis and Botulinum intoxication. Quantitative microbiological risk assessment regarding Listeria monocytogenes based on German data was introduced as a model for risk assessment including hazard identification, hazard characterisation and exposure assessment. The microbiological risk assessment with the example of Vibrio spp. was made in groups organised by the participants.
Prof. Karl Zessin of Free University of Berlin explained, at the earlier stage of the Workshop, the methodology and good management of group discussions and exercises. His explanation included the importance of visualisation using pin boards, cards, etc., group work, collection of information from group members, formation of the discussion results and ways of presentation of the outcome to others. Group discussions were made on the pathway from farm chicken production to consumers, by using the example of a chicken pathogen. He spoke about quantitative risk assessment including the use of distributions in modeling, distribution functions commonly used in epidemiology, risk analysis software and simulation using @Risk. The participants joined practical exercises of quantitative risk assessment in a paper regarding food safety problems and import problems, using the @Risk model.
- FAO-APHCA = FAO-Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific
- WTO = World Trade Organization
- SPS = Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement
- TBT = Technical barriers to trade
- BSE = Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
- TSE = Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy