Food safety incidents
During the second quarter of 2021, the INFOSAN Secretariat was involved in 63 food safety incidents involving 77 WHO Member States. There were 38 incidents involving a biological hazard [Salmonella spp. (19), Listeria monocytogenes (9), Clostridium botulinum (4), Hepatitis A (3), Yersinia enterocolitica (2), Escherichia coli (1)]; 11 involving an undeclared allergen/ingredient [milk (6), cashew (1), eggs (1), gluten (1), shellfish (1), soy (1)]; nine involving a physical hazard [glass (4), plastic (2), metal (1), rubber (1), insects (1)]; and five involving a chemical hazard [histamine (4), methanol (1)].
The food categories most commonly involved in the 63 incidents during the second quarter of 2021 were fish and other seafood (10), herbs spices and condiments (7), snacks, desserts, and other foods (7), vegetables and vegetable products (7), meat and meat products (6), fruit and fruit products (4), nuts and oilseeds (4), milk and dairy products (3), legume and pulses (3), cereals and cereal based products (2), composite food (2), products for special nutritional use (2), food for infants and small children (1), alcoholic beverages (1), and four with unknown source.
Remarkably, the second quarter witnessed an increase in activity for the Network, reaching a record 63 incidents. Due to the active engagement of INFOSAN members, 52% of those incidents were communicated to the Secretariat by INFOSAN members (Emergency Contact Points and Focal Points), 39% through the RASFF (European Commission’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) and 13% through various WHO channels.
Increased capacity at the INFOSAN Secretariat has enabled wider coverage and a more efficient response to food safety incidents, thereby allowing the Secretariat to better adapt to Member States’ requests and needs as they arise.
Geographic scope
These incidents involved 77 Member States from all WHO regions. During this quarter, the following number of incidents were reported in each WHO Member State: Europe (37), followed by the Western Pacific (23), the Americas (18), the Eastern Mediterranean (11), Africa (8), and finally South-East Asia (7)*.
Multi-country outbreaks of Salmonella Braenderup potentially linked to the consumption of melons
On 3 May 2021, the INFOSAN Secretariat was notified of an outbreak of Salmonella Braenderup infections in several European countries epidemiologically linked to the consumption of melons, with an unknown country of origin. In total, over 300 cases were reported in 11 RASFF member states, the United Kingdom and United States of America. The INFOSAN Secretariat liaised with the Emergency Contact Points of involved countries, RASFF and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to facilitate communication and the sharing of information to identify the source of this outbreak. Through this communication, it was revealed that the source of the outbreak in the United Kingdom was epidemiologically and microbiologically linked to melons imported from Honduras. These findings were provided to the Secretariat by the ECP in the United Kingdom after the investigation conducted by Public Health England (PHE) showed a link between microbiological evidence, Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of isolated strains, and the epidemiological results collected from countries with reported cases. With the support of the ECP in Honduras, the INFOSAN Secretariat provided distribution details of the implicated melons from Honduras to the recipient countries that enabled them to implement appropriate measures.
A comprehensive summary of this incident was published on the INFOSAN Community Website that allowed the involved Member States to stay updated during this outbreak.
Investigations are still ongoing to determine if melons from other countries could also be involved in this outbreak. More information will be shared once they become available.
Salmonella occurrence in the second quarter
During the second quarter of 2021, the INFOSAN Secretariat was informed of 19 food safety incidents involving the presence of Salmonella spp. in food commodities. Those 19 incidents represent 30% of the total incidents and 50% of those involving a biological hazard. The food commodities involved were mainly herbs, spices and condiments (4), nuts and oilseeds (4), followed by products for special nutritional use (2), fruit and fruit products (2), milk and dairy products (2), vegetable and vegetable products (2), fish and other seafood (1), composite food (1), and lastly snacks desserts, and other food (1). These incidents involved Member States from all WHO regions: Europe (10), Western Pacific (6), the Americas (6), Eastern Mediterranean (4), Africa (4) and South-East Asia (3).
* An incident can be linked to one or more countries in different regions.
News & Activities
INFOSAN Capacity Building Activities
Morocco: Introductory Webinar - 20 and 21 April 2021
With the Moroccan Ministry of Health, the heads of regional epidemiological surveillance, public health services, and the regional focal points for environmental health in Morocco, the INFOSAN Secretariat organized an introductory webinar to present the Network, clarify the roles of INFOSAN members, and create a collective understanding on how to actively participate and contribute to the Network. The webinar was a success and encouraged the designation of new members in Morocco who will join INFOSAN and contribute to the effective sharing of information during food safety emergencies.
Cameroon: Workshop – 6 and 7 June 2021
On 6 and 7 June 2021, the INFOSAN Secretariat organized a workshop with the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development in Cameroon, in collaboration with the FAO and WHO Regional Offices in Africa. The overall objective of this workshop was to strengthen food safety emergency response in the country by improving the participation and engagement in INFOSAN from relevant national authorities. During the workshop, participants covered the following topics: defining frameworks for responding to emergencies; proposing crisis management procedures related to INFOSAN; and evaluation of the food crisis systems in Cameroon including information management systems. As a result, a draft national INFOSAN/IHR communication protocol was prepared with collaboration of all relevant national sectors. A roadmap is currently being finalized by authorities in Cameroon that will include the strengthening of INFOSAN membership in the country, the implementation of the INFOSAN/IHR communication protocol, monitoring of food safety related information, establishment of a data analysis unit, and raising public awareness about the importance of food safety.
Senegal: Simulation exercise as part of a national workshop – 23 and 24 June 2021
With the FAO and WHO Regional Offices in Africa, the INFOSAN Secretariat organized a national workshop with INFOSAN members in Senegal, held on 23 and 24 June 2021. This virtual workshop included a simulation exercise and brought together representative officials from each of the relevant national authorities involved in food safety in Senegal.
The objective of the workshop was to identify priorities and develop actions to strengthen the national INFOSAN network, build capacity for increased country participation in global and regional INFOSAN activities, and improve national coordination and communication mechanisms between sectors during food safety emergencies.
World Food Safety Day
Cape Verde – 7 June 2021
On 7 June 2021, authorities in Cape Verde (Entidade Reguladora Independente da Saúde, ERIS) joined the commemoration of the third World Food Safety Day by celebrating an online event to launch the "Manual of Good Hygiene Practices for Food Establishments".
The event included the participation of ERIS staff, the INFOSAN Secretariat, and the WHO Country Office and FAO representative in Cape Verde. The INFOSAN Secretariat was delighted to be part of this event by delivering a presentation to introduce the theme of this year’s World Food Safety Day: Safe food now for a healthy tomorrow. The event was dedicated to the presentation of the “Manual of Good Hygiene Practices for Food Establishments” by the staff at ERIS.
More information on the event is available on the World Food Safety Day website, here.
Africa – 8 June 2021
To commemorate the World Food Safety Day 2021, the FAO and WHO Regional Offices in Africa and the Coordinating Committee for Africa (CCAFRICA) organized a regional virtual event on 8 June 2021. With the ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement coming into effect, this year’s event focused on the needs of African countries to fully benefit from boosting intra-African food trade. INFOSAN participated in this event due to the role of the Network in enhancing cross-sectoral networking and collaboration in order to respond effectively to food safety emergencies. The participants were from different backgrounds including food regulators, authorities responsible for food safety from the different ministries, nutrition program managers, FAO, WHO and other UN agencies, NGOs in the field of food safety and nutrition, Codex Contact Points in the region, INFOSAN members in the region, national food and nutrition research institutes, and academia.
The INFOSAN Secretariat focused on the crucial role of the Network in facilitating international collaboration to respond to food safety emergencies and exchanging knowledge and experience to help understand the challenges faced. The Secretariat encouraged countries to continue to get involved and participate in the Network.
Launch of the new INFOSAN Community Website
The INFOSAN community of over 600 members is sustained by constant communication between INFOSAN members and the INFOSAN Secretariat, as well through direct communication between members themselves. The main tool through which this occurs is the secure INFOSAN Community Website.
In 2012, the first INFOSAN Community Website was launched. Over time its features became outdated, so to encourage the important collaboration that members expect, and enable greater sharing of important food safety information, a new INFOSAN Community Website was designed and built.
Over the past 12 months, the INFOSAN Secretariat has developed the new INFOSAN Community Website to be an innovative and modern platform for INFOSAN members, and on 5 July 2021, we were proud to successfully launch the new, modern website and open it up to our members. It has a host of new features that members can use to report and review international food safety incidents through improved online interaction mechanisms, a comprehensive member database so that INFOSAN members across the globe can contact each other, and a modern, user-friendly interface.
We are excited to continue our collaboration with INFOSAN members from across the globe through this modern platform.