Thursday, 18 July 2019
The FSAI Scientific Committee was asked to consider the appropriateness of applying a risk ranking approach to sampling for chemical contaminants in food and to develop a suitable model.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has national responsibility for coordinating the enforcement of food safety legislation in Ireland. One aspect of enforcement is sampling and analysis of products on the Irish market and comparison of analytical results with legislative maximum levels.
The National Chemical Monitoring Programme is reviewed on an annual basis and agreed between the FSAI, the Environmental Health Service (EHS), and the Food Safety Laboratory Service (FSLS). The FSLS comprises three Public Analyst’s Laboratories (PALs). The plan incorporates a broad range of parameters, including mycotoxins and other natural contaminants, heavy metals, food processing contaminants, food contact materials, food additives and flavourings, and some quality parameters.
The FSAI Scientific Committee was asked to consider the appropriateness of applying a risk ranking approach to sampling for chemical contaminants in food and to develop a suitable model. In particular, the Committee was required to answer the following question: What is the most appropriate risk ranking system for prioritising selection of food/chemical analyte combinations for the annual national official controls testing programme, and what information and data are required to develop and implement the risk ranking system?
