Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
18.1 INTRODUCTION
Assuring food safety is a complex task. Food safety hazards can arise
at any stage of the food chain from primary production through to con-
sumption. Foods are governed by food laws and regulations, which are
collectively known as the
food control system
.
The ultimate goal of this
system is to ensure that food presented to consumers is safe and honestly
presented. It is in the interest of all stakeholders to optimize the efficiency
of the system in order to make the best possible public health impact with
limited resources available. Major principles that underlie strategies for
improving the efficiency and effectiveness of food control are:
• that efforts are focused on issues that pose the greatest risk;
• that the responsibility for producing safe food rest unambiguously
with the food businesses who are best placed to design and imple-
ment controls at the most appropriate point within the food produc-
tion systems to
prevent
or minimize food safety risks;
• that government establishes food safety requirements, facilitate in-
dustry's compliance with these and then ensure that the requirements
are met through a range of regulatory and nonregulatory measures.
The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Cli-
mate Change (IPCC 2007) dispelled many uncertainties about climate
change. Warming of the climate system is now unequivocal and according
to IPCC the increase in global temperatures observed since the mid-twen-
tieth century is predominantly due to human activities such as fuel burning
and land use changes. Projections for the twenty-first century show that
global warming will accelerate with predictions of the average increase in
global temperature ranging from 1.8°C to 4 °C. Other effects of climate
change include trends towards stronger storm systems, increased frequen-
cy of heavy precipitation events and extended dry periods. The contraction
of the ice sheets will lead to rising sea-levels. These changes have implica-
tions for food production, food security and food safety.
18.1.1 EFFECT ON FOOD CROPS AND ANIMALS
Crop production is extremely susceptible to climate change. It has been
estimated that climate changes are likely to reduce yields and/or damage
crops in the twenty-first century (IPCC, 2007). While the impact of biotic
