Christmas Test- Food safety, EFSA and EHP

Question 1

what are the 8 ways that the European Food Safety Authority promotes food safety in relation to field to fork?

Answer 1

-plant protection
-animal health and welfare
-impact on the environment
-communication
-scientific assessment
-transportation and storage
-food production
-food consumption

Question 2

how do the EFSA promote good plant health and what is the impact on food safety?

Answer 2

-ensures safe pesticides are used
-evaluate the risks posed by pests and weeds to plant health
-overall increases food safety

Question 3

how do the EFSA promote good animal welfare and health and how does this promote food safety?

Answer 3

-many foodborne diseases that affect humans originate in animals e.g. salmonella virus
-the EFSA helps to manage issues such as animal housing, feeding and transport so that the risk of disease development/ contamination is minimised

Question 4

how do the EFSA consider the impact of the food chain on the environment and how does this relate to food safety?

Answer 4

-EFSA is required to acknowledge the impact of the food chain
-they do this by researching the impact of certain pesticides, food additives and GMOs (Genetically Modified Crops)
-as the food chain increases the risk for contamination increases also so the EFSA attempts to prevent this

Question 5

why do the EFSA communicate about food safety?

Answer 5

-communicate on all risks associated with the food chain to increase consumer knowledge

Question 6

how do the EFSA conduct scientific assessments and how does this relate to food safety?

Answer 6

-they support risk assessments and create policies to increase food safety
-they do this by creating legislation on food or feed, researching pesticides and food additives

Question 7

how do the EFSA manage transportation and storage of food to promote food safety?

Answer 7

-they assess the risk of contamination from foods contact with animals, food handlers, vehicles and packaging materials
-they provide scientific advise on how to limit this contamination

Question 8

how do the EFSA monitor food production to promote food safety?

Answer 8

-the EFSA performs scientific assessments on food and feed products before they are released in the EU
-some of the things that they will be testing for in these foods include food additives, enzymes, nutritional substances and pesticides to ensure that they are safe to eat

Question 9

how do the EFSA monitor food consumption to ensure their research in accurate in promoting food safety?

Answer 9

-they collate data on food consumption trends and habits
-this helps to inform their work on food safety, advice on nutrition and health

Question 10

what are the 7 reasons why food safety is a public health priority?

Answer 10

-unsafe food
-disease prevention
-long-term health problems
-climate change
-economy and society
-antimicrobial resistance
-globalisation

Question 11

why can unsafe food impact food safety?

Answer 11

-creates a vicious cycle of illness
-this threatens the health of the most vulnerable e.g. older adults, young children and pregnant women
-places where food is known to be unsafe people tend to shift to less healthy diets and consume a more unhealthy diet because of this (rising cost of living)
-in the unsafe foods its microbiological make up is what poses the risk to health

Question 12

how can diseases become of consuming unsafe food? what is the most common form of foodborne diseases?

Answer 12

-millions fall ill to foodborne diseases every year
-unsafe food can be contaminated with pathogens which causes this illness
-diarrhoeal diseases are most common

Question 13

how can unsafe food impact long-term health?

Answer 13

-food contaminated with heavy metals e.g. lead and mercury can cause long-term diseases including cancer and neurological disorders

Question 14

how can climate change cause foods to be unsafe?

Answer 14

-temperature changes can modify food safety risks associated with food production, storage and distribution
-it is predicated that it will have a major affect on food safety

Question 15

how can unsafe food decrease the economy and society we live in?

Answer 15

-food contamination goes beyond just public health
-it can undermine food exports, decrease tourism, decrease the life of food handlers and stunt economic growth

Question 16

how can antimicrobial resistance cause unsafe food for consumers?

Answer 16

-some harmful pathogens can become resistant to certain drug treatments meaning that their contamination cannot be reversed
-an overuse of antimicrobials in agriculture can cause this resistance
-the harmful bacteria will then be transmitted to humans

Question 17

how can globalisation cause a threat to global health and increase unsafe food?

Answer 17

-as the food chain become longer and more complex the risk of contamination increases
-new foodborne diseases may come into contact with the longer food chain and so the risk of disease increases

Question 18

what are the 7 ways that Environmental Health Practitioners help to promote food safety?

Answer 18

-work with Health and Social Services Boards
-inspect places where food is handled
-tackle food fraud
-advise businesses on how to promote food safety
-protect consumers
-they have the power the enter any food premises
-they have created the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

Question 19

what are the 2 ways that EHP helps to promote good port health?

Answer 19

-they are responsible to ensure that all ports required health standards
-they do specific checks on products that may be an emerging risk

Question 20

what is the main job of an Environmental Health Practitioner? (3)

Answer 20

-work with Health and Social Services Boards to do surveillance, investigations and help to control food poisoning
-investigate notifications about foodborne diseases from the public, GP and other businesses
-main job prevent the spread of food related diseases

Question 21

why and how does an EHP inspect places where food is handled?

Answer 21

-they do this to control food safety
-check hygiene conditions and check food is not being contaminated

Question 22

how does an EHP tackle food fraud? what are some of the different types of food fraud?

Answer 22

-food fraud is very harmful to food safety
-investigate with polices those individuals/ companies involved
-selling food past use by date, mislabeling food, food that has been contaminated

Question 23

how do EHP protect consumers with allergens?

Answer 23

-prevent their harm by providing businesses with advice on allergens and creating policies and legislations to ensure food is correctly labelled

Question 24

how do EHP help businesses/ food handlers understand their responsibility in food safety?

Answer 24

-help food businesses identify where improvements can be made
-provide training to ensure standards are high
-make food handlers aware of their rights are responsibilities
-run courses om food safety
-hold lectures

Question 25

what is the effect of EHP being able to enter any food premises? what are some of the actions/ warnings they give out?

Answer 25

-they can enforce legal action on businesses who are violating the Food safety act
-they can give out detention notices and hygiene improvement notices
-they can also take samples of food for testing to check for contamination

Question 26

what is an example of a campaign that the EHP and FSA oversee?

Answer 26

-the Hygiene Rating Scheme
-the ratings are given 1-5 and have to be displayed where consumers can see
-this helps consumers to take responsibility over their own food safety

Question 27

how do EHP make sure that ports meet good health standards?

Answer 27

-they monitor ports for infectious diseases and check for pests
-the inspect ships and other vehicles involved with food transport to ensure that they do not pose a threat to food safety
-they also analyse the quality of water

Question 28

how are specific checks done by EHP at ports?

Answer 28

-all entering products must pass through a specific point of entry in the UK
-this helps with the detection of residues, pathogenic bacteria and other substances that cause a risk to health