Canadian Food Inspection Agency On-Site Assessment Report of Guatemala's Food Safety Control System for Fresh Blackberries, Raspberries and Peas - 2016
Executive summary
This report summarizes observations made during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)'s September 2016 on-site assessment of Guatemala's government oversight of food safety controls.
The main objective of the visit was to increase CFIA's understanding of Guatemala's food safety control system for fresh blackberries, raspberries and peas, and to observe how Canada's import requirements and public health expectations are achieved.
The results of this assessment will help Canada direct oversight resources to areas of highest risk, increase food safety, and promote consumer confidence in imported products, while contributing to market access benefits. It was also intended to foster our relationship with the Guatemalan competent authorities (CAs) and to increase awareness of Canadian import requirements.
The scope of the visit was Guatemala's fresh berry and green pea industries, with a particular interest in the control of Cyclospora during pre-harvest and post-harvest activities associated with the export of fresh raspberries, blackberries and peas to Canada.
The mission included visits to facilities involved in primary production, packing, storage and export, as well as to laboratories engaged in the testing of food for export. The key elements of the assessment included:
Government organization of food control systems
- The roles and responsibilities of the various government departments and authorities involved in food safety and food control activities
- An overview of:
- the resources, responsibilities, functions, and coordination between the entities
- methods of determining priorities for action
- processes for allocating resources
Food legislation and compliance
- Current food legislative arrangements, including regulations, standards, and codes of practice
- Information on the organizations responsible for food safety regulations and standards, and how they consult and coordinate their activities with industry and consumer organizations
- Authority to carry out microbiological risk assessments, monitoring and surveillance activities
- Authority to respond to non-compliances where risk has been identified, for example, recalls, other control and enforcement activities
Inspection, enforcement and surveillance activities
- Organization and coordination of inspection, surveillance, and enforcement activities (national, provincial, and local levels)
- Number and qualifications of inspection personnel
- Resources within the inspection agency(ies), as well as strengths and weaknesses
- Analytical support facilities and programs, for example, number of laboratories, facilities and equipment, accreditation, monitoring programs, etc.
- Codes of hygienic practice, for example, Good Agricultural PracticesFootnote 1 (GAPs) and Good Manufacturing PracticesFootnote 2 (GMPs)
- Licensing arrangements for food premises
The assessment determined that the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Feeding (MAGA) – the CA in Guatemala – has developed an oversight system as required by their legislation for the safe production (growing, harvesting, storing, and transportation) and trade (import and export) of unprocessed agricultural products. In addition, the industry in Guatemala has a strong commitment to meet the food safety requirements of both the CA and their trading partners. Since the government of Guatemala has limited resources, they rely on private-public partnerships for the implementation of their food safety programs.
This report makes a number of recommendations which identify opportunities for improvement and enhancement of the implementation of their food safety control system measures.
The observations and recommendations contained in this report are based on information provided to the assessment team through the Canadian Assessment Standards tool, personal interviews, and on-site observation. They represent the collective understanding of the members of the assessment team.
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