Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Risk Assessment Tools for Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus Associated with Seafoods, 13-17 September 2010
Based on the FAO/WHO risk assessment on Vibrio vulnificus in oysters and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in seafoods, the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) has developed Guidelines on the Application of General Principles on Food Hygiene for the Control of Pathogenic Vibrio Species in Seafood, which have been forwarded for adoption by the 33rd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in July 2010.
However, in doing so the 41st Session of CCFH recognized the need to provide countries with tools to assist them in the implementation of the guidelines under the various conditions that exist in different regions and countries. Such tools are envisioned to support countries in their efforts to use risk based approaches in the selection of control measures appropriate for their seafood species, primary production and post-harvest practices. Such a tool has already been developed for application in the United States of America (USA). However, as it is based on the conditions and data of the USA, its broader application could not be recommended without a review of its validity when applied to non-USA scenarios. Therefore, CCFH requested FAO/WHO to implement an expert meeting with a view to constructing more applicable models for wide use among countries.
In response to this request from CCFH, FAO and WHO convened an expert meeting, 13-17 September 2010. The responses to the questions posed by the CCFH are summarized (paragraph 3, Progress report on the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment [JEMRA] and Related Matters, CX/FH 10/42/3). The full report of the meeting will be made available in due course.