Expert Interview: Paul Young, Ph.D., Speaks about Food Safety Capacity Building
Food Safety Magazine (FSM) sat down with Paul Young, Ph.D., to discuss a range of food safety and security issues, particularly efforts to increase the capabilities and capacity for food safety.
What are the top food safety issues facing the industry today? According to the EU RASFF [European Union Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed] annual report for 2013, the presence of pathogenic micro-organisms remains the single most notified food safety issue, accounting for almost 25 percent of all notifications. Among the wide range of chemical contaminants reported, mycotoxins, pesticide residues and veterinary drug residues collectively accounted for more than 30 percent of all notifications. One notification type that increased significantly in 2013 over 2012 was that of fraud/adulteration. This was probably directly related to the horsemeat scandal that was uncovered in the EU, but represents an area of growing concern and reflects the fear that any food subject to fraud is unlikely to have been controlled for safety in any other regard.