Scottish Food Advisory Committe

DIRECTORS REPORT

In the absence on holiday of the FSA Scotland Director, Charles Milne, Elspeth MacDonald reported that on 23 June Scottish Ministers announced that they had set up an independent expert panel to consider the feasibility of establishing a dedicated Scottish FSA, and also the merits of establishing a standalone meat inspection delivery service in Scotland.

The review team will be chaired by Professor Jim Scudamore, former Chief Vet and members will be Sue Davies (chief policy adviser Which?), Pam Whittle (Former Director of Health in Scotland), Alistair Donaldson (formerly MLC, QMS and SAMW) and Professor Mack Johnstone (Public Health expert).

The review was initiated as a consequence of the UK Government's decision in 2010 to transfer nutrition policy and labelling to the Department of Health in England and some non-safety-related food labelling and composition policy to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in England. The effect of these changes has resulted in the FSA having a different scope of policy responsibility for food in different parts of the UK.

Meat Charging: An Impact Assessment has been completed and stakeholder meeting will be held on Friday 8th July with a video link to Scottish stakeholders. The impact assessment should demonstrate increased support to small processors.

In August and September this year there will be an audit in the Highland, Aberdeen City and Argyll and Bute local authority areas to review compliance in approved establishments.

Elspeth reported that there were now 20 local authorities using the Food Hygiene Information scheme and that covered over 23,000 food businesses in Scotland. EatSafe Awards total 840 in 21 Scottish local authority areas.

FSA RESPONSE TO THE FARMING REGULATION TASK FORCE

The independent Farming Regulation Task Force, chaired by Richard Macdonald, published its report on 17 May 2011. The Task Force's remit was to identify ways to reduce the regulatory burden on farmers and food processors through a review of relevant regulations and their implementation, and to advise on how best to achieve a risk-based system of regulation while maintaining high environmental, welfare and safety standards.

Task Force Recommendations included:-

that Defra, its agencies and delivery partners, including the Food Standards Agency produce a coherent plan for Ministers of how they intend to further reduce and rationalise the process and paperwork for farming and food-processing businesses, with aim of improving efficiency and effectiveness.

that the Government makes maximum use of existing derogations in EU legislation, fully supports moves to more proportionate and risk-based TSE controls, and implements changes without delay once revised EU legislation comes into effect

that consistently competent FBOs should be able to use accredited private sector bodies to provide meat inspection services. We recommend that the FSA should approve and designate these accredited private-sector bodies as control bodies.

There are three recommendations on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) controls. FSA fully supports the approach taken by the European Commission in the TSE Road Map 2 and fully accept the need to keep the official Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) controls in approved premises under review. One of the TSE related recommendations that requires further consideration is in relation to allowing authorised cutting plants to harvest head meat. This is currently allowed only in slaughterhouses. This decision has to be based on safety considerations and robust evidence. Research that will help to inform the decision on this matter is due to report soon. FSA are currently aware of a single cutting plant that wishes to harvest head meat.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST 2010/11

This report considers trends in foodborne disease and it provides an update on: the FSA's work on Campylobacter, the most common cause of food poisoning; an update on Listeria, which is associated with the highest mortality rate; and details of the FSA's programme of work aimed at exploring potential sources of infection, transmission routes and control options for foodborne viruses.

Campylobacter remained the most frequently reported cause of foodborne illness and hospital admissions in England and Wales in 2009. There were an estimated 371,300 cases of Campylobacter infection resulting in 17,500 hospitalisations and 90 deaths. In comparison, foodborne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes is relatively rare with only 420 estimated cases, although it is associated with the highest mortality, with approximately 40% of deaths (n=150) from foodborne disease caused by this pathogen.

There were also 227,460 estimated cases of norovirus in England and Wales in 2009. However, it is difficult to estimate what proportion of the burden of disease caused by norovirus is attributable to food as there are significant gaps in the available data.

Campylobacter
In the early part of the previous decade there was a downward trend in the number of confirmed cases of Campylobacter being reported. However, more recently the number of confirmed cases has begun to increase. Across the UK, there were 56,767 cases of Campylobacter in 2010 compared with 52,617 cases reported in 2009 and 52,567 cases in 2000. This represents an increase of about 8% on the figures reported in both 2009 and 2000. The reasons for this upward trend in Campylobacter cases are unclear and may be due to a true increase in incidence, increased reporting, or a combination of these two factors. This increase in Campylobacter is being explored by the Agency's Epidemiology of Foodborne Infections Group (EFIG), and as part of the work under the Foodborne Disease Strategy 2010 to 2015.

Listeria monocytogenes
There was a decline in number of laboratory-confirmed cases of Listeria monocytogenes from 234 in 2009 to 174 in 2010 (down 26%). The decrease was seen in both pregnancy and non-pregnancy associated listeriosis and the population at risk appears to have remained largely unchanged in terms of underlying medical conditions and age, with the majority of cases reported in those aged 60 years and over. The reason for this decrease in listeriosis cases is unclear but it is not thought to be the result of a reporting artefact. Despite this recent drop, the number of laboratory-confirmed cases of listeriosis was still 53% higher in 2010 compared to 2000 (114 cases).

Norovirus
Disease figures for norovirus are only reported from 2005 onwards. Prior to this, the molecular methods which are used for diagnosis of norovirus today were not in routine use by laboratories. The data suggests that there has been an increase in laboratory-confirmed cases of norovirus since 2005, with 15,529 cases reported in 2010. However, much of this increase is due to improvements in surveillance systems for norovirus, better diagnostic methods and increasing uptake of these methods by laboratories. It should also be noted that most cases reported in national surveillance tend to be linked to outbreaks in healthcare settings, rather than community cases, and may therefore be less likely to be associated with a foodborne source.

E. coli O157
A total of 924 laboratory-confirmed cases of E. coli O157 were reported in the UK in 2010 in comparison to 1,160 cases reported in 2009 and 1,036 cases reported in 2000. This represents a decrease of 20% and 11% on the figures reported in 2009 and 2000 respectively. However, 2009 saw the highest number of confirmed E. coli O157 cases reported in the period since 2000, which may be partly due to a large outbreak linked to Godstone Farm in Surrey (approximately 100 reported cases). This outbreak was linked to animal contact at the farm, and was not a foodborne outbreak.

Salmonella
Across the UK, there were 6,613 laboratory-confirmed cases of Salmonella in 2010 compared with 7,677 cases reported in 2009 and 12,784 cases in 2000, which indicates that there is a continuing downward trend in cases particularly for those serovars (S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium) responsible for the majority of human infections. The reason for this trend has not been established although the control of Salmonella in eggs and poultry and improved hygiene throughout the food chain is likely to have made an important contribution.

97 reported foodborne outbreaks, affecting 3,440 people, reported in the UK in 2009. The pathogens most often associated with foodborne outbreaks were Salmonella (31%), norovirus (18%) and Campylobacter (14%).

A food source was identified in 76% of the outbreaks reported in 2009. The most commonly detected food in the outbreaks was poultry meat (24%), followed by composite/mixed foods (15%) and crustacea/shellfish (13%). The most common foods associated with foodborne outbreaks in 2009 according to pathogens were:

Salmonella: 26% poultry meat, 23% composite foods, 17% eggs
Norovirus: 71% oysters
Campylobacter: 90% poultry meat
E. coli O157: 57% red meat

NEXT MEETING: Wednesday 31st August in Aberdeen