11. Consumer Rights
• John F. Kennedy’s Message to Congress on
March 15, 1962
• Four basic rights
– Right to safety
– Right to be informed
– Right to choose
– Right to be heard
11
12. 1982 Consumer International’s Charter of
Consumer Rights
• Eight rights
– Right to basic needs
• Food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, water and
sanitation
– Right to safety
– Right to information
– Right to choice
– Right to be heard
– Right to redress
– Right to education
– Right to healthy environment
Rights further re-enforced by adoption of UN Guidelines on Consumer Protection in 1985
and 1999 12
13. Food: Security and Safety
• International law recognizes the right to food
– Physical and economic access to food
– Access to food of adequate quality and quantity
– Having the means to obtain it
• By way of production or procurement
• Food security defined by FAO as food that is “safe,
nutritious and culturally acceptable and is available,
accessible and affordable to all people”
13
14. Application of Codex Standards in a National
Consumer Protection Programme
• To institute procedures and practices to ensure
quality and safety food products
• To ensure that labelling of food products is not
misleading and that the information is sufficient,
clear and understandable to enable the consumer to
make informed choices
• To provide information in order to enable national
food control authorities to improve food control
14
15. To represent consumer interests at:
• National level
– National Codex Committees & Subsidiary
Bodies
– Preparing for Codex meetings
– Formulating national positions on Codex
issues
• Regional level at Codex Regional Committees
• International Level
– Codex Alimentarius Commission
– Codex Worldwide Committees
– Expert Consultations/Meetings
15
16. • Technical Assistance and FAO:
– FAO Technical Cooperation Programme
– Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme
National and Regional Seminars on:
• Establishment/Administration of National
Codex Contact Points/Committees
• Risk Analysis
– Externally Funded FAO Projects
16
17. New Initiatives
• Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators,
Morocco 10/01
• Paneuropean Conference on Food Safety and
Quality, Budapest 2/02
• Food Safety and Quality Facility for the
World’s Least Developed Countries
• INFOSAN
17
18. FAO Initiatives in Consumer Protection
• The United Nations Economic and Social Council
(1970): “Guidelines for Consumer Protection”
(Resolution 39/48 of the United Nations General
Assembly, April 1985)
• Guidelines for Consumer Protection (United
Nations, 1986): calls upon governments to
develop/strengthen/maintain strong consumer protection
policies/programmes in the areas of physical
safety/economic interest/safety and quality of consumer
goods & services/measures enabling consumers to obtain
redress and consumer education.
18
19. Food safety
• Food safety risks are increasing
– Movement of food and live animals across borders
– Changes in food handling
– Emergence of new pathogens
• Risks greater in developing countries
• Pesticide risks
– Direct risk through application process
– Indirect risk through toxic residues in food
• Hormones, veterinary drugs and antibiotics in
animals
19
20. • Building food safety capacity is essential,
especially in developing countries
– Food borne disease has significant impact on both
health and development
• Many developing countries lack the resources
and expertise to implement food safety
policies
20
21. GM LABELLING and TRACEABILITY
Legislation since April 2004
• labelling required for ALL ingredients derived from GMOs
• ‘adventitious’ thresholds exemptions:
– 0.9% for all EU-approved GMOs and derivatives
– 0.5% for “non-EU approved” GMOs
– zero tolerance for non-approved varieties
• traceability required - “one up / one down” principle
– 5-year record-keeping – ‘standardised’ procedures
• post-market monitoring for all approved GM materials
• equivalent requirements for GM foods / animal feed / petfoods
21
27. Existing Scenario
• Study reports have indicated existence of food safety threat (
Chemical+ Microbial) in Nepalese foods and food products
• Food safety and Quality have received widespread media and
public attention.
• Consumers have a heightened concern for the safety of
commercially prepared foods.
• Food safety management system in the country-appears
insufficient to address the emerging issues and threats.
• Needs of strengthening National Food Control Agency- risk
based and Farm to Fork Approaches
27
28. Challenges of Food Safety Management in Nepal
• Harmonization of food safety & food quality standards &
Updating Acts/Regulations
• Rapidly changing technology in food production/ processing
• Emerging new categories of foods: functional
foods/nutraceuticals, GMO/Food from Biotechnology
• Laboratory upgrading/strengthening- Lab accreditation, Modern
methods, Sophisticated Equipment, Detection level
• New emerging feed borne hazards (Biological toxins, chemical
residue, GMO), Toxicology concerns.
• Developing food control system based on Risk Assessment, with
focus on consumer protection
• Growing consumer awareness on food safety and quality issues
• Delivering of information, education and advices to stakeholders
across the Farm-to-Table continuum
28
29. Way Forwards……………
Restructure of organizational network throughout Nation
Review & updating of food laws, regulations, standards
Farm to Fork Food safety approach with Food Safety Authority
System
Strengthening the food safety and quality control system with risk
based approach
Development of Accredited National Food Reference Lab
Updating the Regional and Food Quarantine Laboratories
Effective working relation with concerned stakeholders
Consumer Education, Training and Extension Activities
Involvement of consumer activist in integrated inspection
mechanism 29