Food control system assessment tool: Dimension B

Book excerpt: The main objective of the Food control system assessment tool is to propose a harmonized, objective and consensual basis to analyse the performance of a national food control system. It is intended to be used by countries as a supporting basis for self-assessment to identify priority areas of improvement and plan sequential and coordinated activities to reach expected outcomes, and by repeating the assessment on a regular basis, countries can monitor their progresses. The Tool is based on Codex principles and Guidelines for National Food Control Systems as well as other relevant Codex guidance for food control systems, which are referenced throughout the document. Its scope is given by the dual objectives quoted in Codex guidance for these systems: protect health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade. Dimension B is part of the Food control system assessment tool and focuses on the processes and the outputs of the control activities inherent to a national food control system. It reviews the control functions exercised by CAs over Food Business Operators (FBOs), be it at domestic, import or export level, to guarantee food safety and quality for national consumers along the food chain and fair trade practices. It also maps the control functions and mechanisms at the overall food supply level, necessary to identify, monitor, predict and handle food safety hazards and emerging risks and to deal with food emergencies. The main mechanisms that should be in place include data collection programmes on food products (also referred to as monitoring programmes), data collection programmes on food-borne diseases (also referred to as surveillance programmes), as well as programmes aiming at managing food safety emergencies.