food safety national committee (cnsa) - Ministero della Salute

EFSA, TEN YEARS OF RISK ASSESSMENT
AND RISK COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES
New risk assessment methodologies, risk communication and
cooperation with Member States
Prof. Ferdinando Romano
President, CNSA
Ministry of Health – Auditorium Biagio D’Alba
Rome, 21 September 2012
Ministero della Salute
Direzione generale per l’igiene e
la sicurezza degli alimenti e la nutrizione
FOOD SAFETY NATIONAL COMMITTEE
(CNSA)
FOOD SAFETY NATIONAL COMMITTEE - FUNCTIONS
…DECREE 26 July 2007
according to the Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the
Council about risk assessment of the food chain
Article 2
Food Safety National Committee
1. The Food Safety National Committee is a technical-advisory body for
the topics reported on the REGULATION (EC) No 178/2002:
a) it acts in close collaboration with EFSA, according to the article 22,
section 7, of the REGULATION (EC) No 178/2002;
b) it takes part in the EFSA Advisory Forum with its own representative
according to the article 27, section 7, of the REGULATION (EC) No
178/2002.

EFSA - MISSION
REGULATION (EC) No 178/2002 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
AND THE COUNCIL of 28 January2002
laying down the general principles and requirements of food law,
establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures
in matters of food safety
Article 22
Mission of the Authority
7. The Authority shall carry out its tasks in conditions which enable it to serve as a
point of reference by virtue of its independence, the scientific and technical quality of
the opinions it issues and the information it disseminates, the transparency
of its procedures and methods of operation, and its diligence in performing the tasks
assigned to it.
It shall act in close cooperation with the competent bodies in the Member States
carrying out similar tasks to these of the Authority
…………………………..
EFSA – ADVISORY FORUM
REGULATION (EC) No 178/2002 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
AND THE COUNCIL of 28 January2002
laying down the general principles and requirements of food law,
establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures
in matters of food safety
Article 27
Advisory Forum
1. The Advisory Forum shall be composed of representatives from competent bodies
in the Member States which undertake tasks similar to those of the Authority, on the
basis of one representative designated by each Member State. Representatives may
be replaced by alternates, appointed at the same time.
…………………………..

MINISTRY OF HEALTH - ORGANIZATION
Department of Veterinary Public Health, Food Safety and Collegial Bodies for Health
Protection
Directorate General of Collegial Bodies for Health Protection
The Directorate General of Collegial Bodies for Health Protection, identified as the
competent Italian authority for the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),
performs functions related to the following:
• physical, chemical and biological risk assessment in food
safety
• Supports the Food Safety National Committee activities
• ensures a link with the regions also in relation to planning
risk assessment activities and the operation of the Forum of
consumer and producer associations
……………………………………
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
Strategic Advisory Committee
Food Safety National Committee

FOOD SAFETY NATIONAL COMMITTEE - TASKS
…DECREE 26 July 2007
according to the Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council about risk
assessment of the food chain
Article 2
Food Safety National Committee
…………………………..
2. It provides scientific and technical support on food safety to
the Administrations working on risk management in food
safety
3. It provides scientific opinions at the request of the Strategic
Advisory Committee, of the Central State Administrations and of
the Regions
FOOD SAFETY NATIONAL COMMITTEE– COMPOSITION
…DECREE 26 July 2007
according to the Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council about risk
assessment of the food chain
Article 2
Food Safety National Committee
…………………………..
4. … is composed of 18 members with specific expertise in the following topics:
a) food additives, flavourings, processing aids and materials in contact with food;
b) additives and products or substances used in animal feed;
c) plant health, plant protection products and their residues;
d) genetically modified organisms;
e) dietetic products, nutrition and allergies;
f) biological hazards;
g) contaminants in the food chain;
h) animal health and welfare.

FOOD SAFETY NATIONAL COMMITTEE – COMPOSITION
…DECREE 26 July 2007
Organization of the functions according to the Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and
of the Council about risk assessment of the food chain
Article 2
Food Safety National Committee
…………………………..
8. The Committee may appoint further independent
scientific experts on specific issues under evaluation, through
setting ad hoc workgroups.
FOOD SAFETY NATIONAL COMMITTEE – CONFLICT OF INTEREST
…DECREE 26 July 2007
Organization of the functions according to the Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and
of the Council about risk assessment of the food chain
Article 2
Food Safety National Committee
…………………………..
9. For the members of the Committee it is mandatory to deliver
scientific advice in the public interest independently of any
external influence.
For this purpose, they have to declare any conflicts of interest
that may be considered prejudicial to their independence.

STRATEGIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE - TASKS
…DECREE 26 July 2007
Organization of the functions according to the Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and
of the Council about risk assessment of the food chain
Article 3
Strategic Advisory Committee
……………………..
1. The Strategic Advisory Committee performes the following tasks within the risk
assessment of the food chain:
a) it defines the programme of activities on a pluriannual basis;
b) it defines the priorities for the actions
c) It defines the communication policy
2. In order to comply with the above, the Committee takes into account also the
problems rised by the Forum of the Consumers and Producers Associations
STRATEGIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE – COMPOSITION
…DECREE 26 July 2007
Organization of the functions according to the Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and
of the Council about risk assessment of the food chain
Article 3
Strategic Advisory Committee
……………………..
1. … is composed of:
a) the Minister of Health, or her/his delegate, as President
b) the Minister of Agricolture, Food and Forestry Policies or her/his delegate
c) the Coordinator of the Regional Assessors responsible for Health
d) the Coordinator of the Regional Assessors responsible for Agricolture
e) the Head of the Department of Veterinary Public Health, Food Safety and Collegial Bodies for Health,
Ministry of Health
f) the Head of the Department of Development Policies, Ministry of Agricolture, Food and Forestry Policies
g) the Director of the National Secretariat for Risk Assessment of the Food Chain
h) three technical representatives of the Regions, appointed by the Assembly of the Regions
i) the President of the National Health Institute
j) the President of the National Institute for Research on Food and Nutrition
k) the President of the Food Safety National Committee
l) one member of the Food Safety National Committee, appointed by by the Minister of Health and the
Minister of Agricolture, Food and Forestry Policies
m) one representative of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institutes, appointed by the Minister of Health.

FOOD SAFETY NATIONAL COMMITTEE – MEMBERS
PROF. FERDINANDO ROMANO
Dr. LEONELLO ATTIAS
Prof. LUCIANA AVIGLIANO
Prof. BARTOLOMEO BIOLATTI
Prof. GAETANO CREPALDI
Prof. MARIA LUISA CORTESI
Dr. AMLETO D’AMICIS
Prof ADRIANA IANIERI
Dr. ALBERTO MANTOVANI
Start on 15 September 2011
Prof. AUGUSTO PANA’
Prof. GIAMPAOLO PECCOLO
Prof. GIANFRANCO PIVA
Prof. GIORGIO POLI
Dr. ANTONIA RICCI
Prof. GIORGIO RONDINI
Prof. GIUSEPPE ROTILIO
Prof. MARCELLO TICCA
Prof. GIAN VINCENZO ZUCCOTTI
(independent scientific experts)
COMITATO NAZIONALE SICUREZZA ALIMENTARE – INTERNAL REGULATION
Internal Regulation
Article 7
(Procedures for the release of Scientific Opinions)
�define the question
�study objectives
�information sources
�available data description
�evaluation of data quality
�selection of the eligible data
�data analysis
�Interpretation of the results
�Scientific opinion
Methodology

FOOD SAFETY NATIONAL COMMITTEE – DOCUMENTS
� Scientific opinion on Energy drinks
� Scientific opinion on Food allergies and consumer
safety
� Scientific opinion on Transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies (TSEs) in sheep and goats
� Scientific opinion on Modernization of swine meat
inspection
FOOD SAFETY NATIONAL COMMITTEE – ENERGY DRINKS
Energy drinks – issues related to safety and accurate
information to consumers
“Considerando la mole dei dati disponibili e i limiti dell’attuale
legislazione, è necessario intervenire, in particolar modo
rivolgendosi in maniera diretta, comprensibile e specifica al
giovane consumatore. E’ pertanto fondamentale poter garantire
l’ampia diffusione e l’accesso ad informazioni dettagliate e
chiare relativamente all’esistenza, alla tipologia e alla potenziale
severità degli effetti negativi del consumo associato di EDs ed
alcol. E’ inoltre necessario contrastare, con opportuni strumenti
normativi, l’eventuale diffusione anche in Italia di EDs alcolici
acquistabili anche online, in particolare nelle fasce di popolazione
più deboli, come nel caso degli adolescenti.”

FOOD SAFETY NATIONAL COMMITTEE – TSE
� Risk of exposure to PrPSC in the case of adopting derogations from Reg.
(CE) 727/2007
� Risk of disease related to consumption of sheep and goat meat coming
from farms with cases of TSE
…RITIENE
che, in applicazione delle deroghe previste dal regolamento CE
727/2007, il rischio di esposizione del consumatore a seguito
dell’assunzione di carni provenienti da animali sensibili alla malattia
o da focolai di encefalopatia spongiforme trasmissibile (EST ) possa
definirsi accettabile; in mancanza di evidenza scientifica che
dimostri la trasmissione di EST all’uomo il rischio di contrarre la
malattia è da considerarsi trascurabile e quindi accettabile;
AUSPICA
un incremento dei piani di selezione genetica di animali resistenti già
previsti dall’attuale normativa;
FOOD SAFETY NATIONAL COMMITTEE – MEAT INSPECTION
Modernization of swine meat inspection
(EFSA Scientific Opinion on the public health hazards to be covered by inspection of
meat (swine) n. 2351 adopted on 31 August 2011
…RITIENE
che allo stato attuale, in considerazione delle diverse tipologie di allevamento e
macellazione del suino in Italia e della difficoltà di estrapolazione ed aggregazione dei
dati raccolti dall’attuale sistema e relativi esiti dell’ispezione ante e post-mortem, non
risulti possibile escludere che l’eventuale modifica della normativa comunitaria
sull’ispezione delle carni suine aumenti i rischi per il consumatore;
AUSPICA
la realizzazione di progetti pilota da parte della Direzione generale per l’igiene, la
sicurezza alimentare e la nutrizione e della Direzione generale della sanità animale e dei
farmaci veterinari, volti ad acquisire, relativamente ai due modelli produttivi, i dati
necessari per motivare ed orientare la posizione dell’Italia;

THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION …