Author details

Caspar Diederich von der Crone

Address all correspondence to: info@cvdc.de

Doctoral School of Alexandre Lamfalussy, Faculty of Economics, University of Sopron, Sopron, Hungary

## References


[8] IFS certification, website: https://www.ifs-certification.com/index.php/de/

considered criminal. Environmental residues or soil contaminations, on the other hand, are difficult to assess for producers and pose a risk that is hard to perceive. Oftentimes, these findings are caused by so-called inherited contaminations, as can be seen in the organic egg industry during the Nitrofuran crisis. Producers cannot be held accountable for this; however, they do bear the full risk and consequences associated with this. Unfortunately, it has shown repeatedly in the past that economic factors alone led to crises. The initial use of cheap additives and other ingredients, which did not appear to contain contaminations but did in the end, have contributed to this. Therefore, the food producer should be aware of the responsibilities associated to these activities. However, it can certainly be recommended to inspect purchased feed and similar products before use. Suppliers should have a certain certification. Product recalls by authorities and public disclosure, as well as rapid alert systems (EC), are further sensible measures. However, prevention is better than cure, and high-quality produc-

The author likes to thank Dr. Markus Grube, RA KWG, Gummersbach for his support and

Doctoral School of Alexandre Lamfalussy, Faculty of Economics, University of Sopron,

[2] von der Crone, Managing Director KAT. Verein für kontrollierte alternative. Germany:

[3] EUR-LEX, website: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/?uri=celex:32002R0178

[4] JURIS, website: https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/lfgb/BJNR261810005.html

tion, as well as adherence to stringent standards, is paramount.

[1] RAPEX, website: https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/rasff\_en

Tierhaltungsformen e.V. http://www.kat.ec

[5] Quote from the Food Law Risk Assessment Manual

[7] Standards QS GmbH, website: https://www.q-s.de

[6] KAT egg production requirements, website: http://KAT.ec

Acknowledgements

16 Food Safety - Some Global Trends

Author details

Sopron, Hungary

References

critical reading of the manuscript.

Caspar Diederich von der Crone

Address all correspondence to: info@cvdc.de


**Chapter 3**

**Provisional chapter**

**Food Safety Legislation in Some Developing Countries**

Developing countries have uniquely intriguing challenges to implementation of food safety regulations as presented at a global scale and thus would benefit from a scientific approach that best suits them. Some common characteristics of food processing industries in the developing world include: they are small scale, cottage in size, mostly start at backyard or in dingy premises, more often than not, are managed by non-food technologists and who are reluctant to engage food technologists whom they believe could be more expensive or unnecessary addition to their current needs. At the same time, they are a bit skeptical of regulating institutions, have no idea as to the acts and legal requirements regulating food business premises and hence prefer keeping their business unofficial. From the foregoing, it is critical that approaches that address these challenges are applied in implementing food safety standards. This chapter reviews these unique challenges and presents case studies from Asia, West Africa and East Africa as well as innovative approaches/*strategies* that could accelerate implementation of food safety leg-

Food safety systems in developing countries are weak, fragmented, and not effective to protect consumer's health or help countries competing for export markets. Improving food safety often costs much (or is associated with additional costs which could only be recouped by the items fetching more money) and many developed countries experience real challenge in making food safety legislations work. At least, this is the perception of majority of SMEs. Many years later after the unveiling of codex and ISO standards, these countries' domestic markets suffer from sustained food safety-related issues ranging from food-borne illnesses to food

**Food Safety Legislation in Some Developing Countries**

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

© 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,

distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

DOI :10.5772/intechopen.75587

Benard Oloo, Lanoi Daisy and Ruth Oniang'o

Benard Oloo, Lanoi Daisy and Ruth Oniang'o

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.75587

islations in the developing world.

**Keywords:** developing countries, food safety, food safety legislation

**Abstract**

**1. Introduction**

#### **Food Safety Legislation in Some Developing Countries Food Safety Legislation in Some Developing Countries**

DOI :10.5772/intechopen.75587

Benard Oloo, Lanoi Daisy and Ruth Oniang'o Benard Oloo, Lanoi Daisy and Ruth Oniang'o

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.75587

#### **Abstract**

Developing countries have uniquely intriguing challenges to implementation of food safety regulations as presented at a global scale and thus would benefit from a scientific approach that best suits them. Some common characteristics of food processing industries in the developing world include: they are small scale, cottage in size, mostly start at backyard or in dingy premises, more often than not, are managed by non-food technologists and who are reluctant to engage food technologists whom they believe could be more expensive or unnecessary addition to their current needs. At the same time, they are a bit skeptical of regulating institutions, have no idea as to the acts and legal requirements regulating food business premises and hence prefer keeping their business unofficial. From the foregoing, it is critical that approaches that address these challenges are applied in implementing food safety standards. This chapter reviews these unique challenges and presents case studies from Asia, West Africa and East Africa as well as innovative approaches/*strategies* that could accelerate implementation of food safety legislations in the developing world.

**Keywords:** developing countries, food safety, food safety legislation

#### **1. Introduction**

Food safety systems in developing countries are weak, fragmented, and not effective to protect consumer's health or help countries competing for export markets. Improving food safety often costs much (or is associated with additional costs which could only be recouped by the items fetching more money) and many developed countries experience real challenge in making food safety legislations work. At least, this is the perception of majority of SMEs. Many years later after the unveiling of codex and ISO standards, these countries' domestic markets suffer from sustained food safety-related issues ranging from food-borne illnesses to food

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

fraud. In spite of this, a lot of stride has been made with regard to development or adoption of international standards; however, what remains to be seen is the full implementation and hence marked decrease in food safety-related incidences [1].

are most rudimentary, archaic and at times not based on sound science. For these legislations to benefit the rest of the countries, there must be a push to align them to World Trade Organization (WTO)'s agreement on the application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) agreements and the Codex standards and codes of practice. Some of the standards are not science-based as required by Codex in a bid to help facilitate regional and international trade among different countries. This then curtails international trade and sometimes creating a bad notion of standards among processors. Several factors hamper the push to realize the implementation of food safety legislations in the countries such as inadequate technical capacity, lack of awareness of economic loss arising from poor quality foods, and weak enforcement of regulations among others [1]. The unveiling of the ISO allowed for HACCP to be upgraded through the International Standard ISO22000:2005 (Food Safety Management Systems—Requirements for any organization in the food chain). The ISO technical committee on food safety created in 1947 is one of ISO's oldest and most fruitful committees, with over 830 published regulations and 125 more in the pipeline. ISO standards have played a crucial role in promoting global standards, development of harmonization and awareness creation. In many developing countries, ISO 22000:2005 is not a mandatory food safety requirement and perhaps due to its complexity, cost of compliance or technicalities, only few companies that most of the times have qualified food safety experts

Food Safety Legislation in Some Developing Countries http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.75587 21

**2.1. Key food safety regulations at the world stage with an impact on developing** 

Africa has been reported to enjoy over 5% annual economic growth in the recent decade, and this growth rate is predicted to continue or even improve in the next couple of years. For African countries, opulence and affluence among her populace is creating a reason for demand of high quality safe and mostly longer lasting products [2]. This can also be said accurately of the rest of the developing economies especially in Asia as well as South America. The Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS), World Trade Organization (WTO)'s— Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) agreements are some of the regulations that require attention of all countries involved in any trans-border trade particularly of agricultural produce. The developing economies are huge exporters of raw or semi-processed agricultural goods, and these put them directly under the requirements of these legislations. Though there exists food safety standards in almost every country in one form or the other, these standards do not adequately help to improve food safety because of two main reasons. First, imports even of poor quality foods are not curtailed sometimes due to laxity, incapacity, or corruption. Some of the regulations are far stricter even beyond the codex requirements this more often than not hinders trade especially inter-regional trade. Second, there is very low level of implementation of regulations across board. This is why the regularization of laws and their harmonization should come into play. There are few global organizations that are at the forefront and with the expertise and neutrality to help countries navigate this concept of global standards harmonization. One such initiative is the Global Harmonization Initiative (GHI). More about the structure strategies and aims of the GHI and other such bodies are

manage to get the certification.

discussed in a later subheading.

**economies' food safety**

Food safety concept continues to gain attention particularly in developing countries. Many countries rely purely on small scale (subsistence) and street vendors to feed their populations. Yet, these traders are not usually included in the mainstream food safety systems. In flow of substandard and poor quality goods, corruption, low income, unjust trade, and political turmoil are ills deviling developing economies, and this adds to the challenge of food safety systems' operation. Generally, few of the developed countries have formalized agriculture systems. To this extent, farm implements, fertilizers, seeds crop management practices, and manufacturing are scattered across vast geographical locations. Food insecurity, political instability, outbreaks of communicable diseases and natural disasters are challenges that compete for government attention; hence, food safety is often not prioritized. Yet, the definition of food security from the 1996 World Food Summit Plan of Action mentions access to sufficient, safe, nutritious and affordable food to all people at all times. Often, it seems that in developing countries, not enough emphasis is put on the safety aspect of food security [2].

According to published data by FAO and WHO, about 2000 food-borne-related deaths occur daily in Africa. Over 700,000 food-borne illnesses recorded annually are due to diarrhealrelated illnesses and from contaminated food and water. *Salmonella*, *Shigella flexneri*, *Shigella sonnei*, *Clostridium perfringens* and other parasites are major culprits. An alarming average of 3.3–4.1 episodes of diarrheal diseases among children in Africa has also been recorded annually. Coupled with malaria, HIV, TB, these become more debilitating, creating a huge dent on the public health's integrity. Food-borne illnesses lead to reduced productivity, disability, early deaths, low incomes and hence low access to food and the problem becomes cyclic. Illegal use of food additives, (E110, E102, E104, and E124) in local and imported foodstuff including infant foods, is an alarming case. Unless an approach that understands the unique challenges of developing economies are employed, the great food safety legislations may remain in revered books of codex without having a real impact on food safety situation in the developing world [2].
