Page 8 - DIVA_2_2008_No.33

Is our food really safe?

Interview with Dr JORGEN SCHLUNDT,

Department of Food Safety, Zoonoses and Foodborne

7 Diseases, World Health Organization

us. We wanted to the experts together and find information-to anybody
know more, so we out if it's a real problem. Is it about food safety. That is the
went knocking on something we have to do reason why we have
Dr Jergen something about? If so, what developed the "Five keys to
Schlundt's door should be done about it and safer food" messages. The
the director of the what is the scientific idea behind this initiaive was
Department of knowledge bed it? We do to say that there are some
Food Safety, that for acrylamide, for simple, global messages that
Zoonoses and salmonella in chicken or for everybody can use in order to
Foodborne whatever other problem that prepare safer food. When we
Diseases. He is a seems important. We big started thinking about these
pleasant, dedica- the scientists together in "Five keys", we wondered
ted Danish veteri- expert meetings to produce a whether or not they were
nary doctor who report, which can show the global, and we found out that
kindly answered world what the scientific -yes, they are! So these five
all our numerous agreement is in relation to keys have been translated

questions ... so tbis issue. This is the first into forty-five languages, and
We do not often think we leave the floor to Dr thing we do. we know that they can be
used at a global level!
about it, but food and Schlundt.
food safety are two Secondly, we are producing
important issues for our Q: We hear a lot about standards and guidelines. Q: Consumers may have
health and well-being. In food safety and we may This is what we call normati- a certain feeling that the
the press we read about sometimes have a cer- ve work. ff countries want to food we are eating is not
food - what you might tin feeling that we do have guidelines on how many safe-there are too
eat on holidays, how to not really know what we bacteria (such as salrnonella) many chemicals and
eat in order to lose are actually eating. are allowed in this or that additives, etc., in food.
weight and how to eat Could you tell us what product, or how much lead is With all the existing
for a healthy life style = WHO is doing in this allowed in letiuce, etc., they guidelines, can we be
but very seldom do we field? contact us. These inter- sure that the food we are
think about what is national standards are set by eating is really safe?
connected with food so I would say that WHO is the Codex Alimentarius
that we can "safely" eat working in three different Commission, which is a ff I were translate your
our meat, fish, lettuce, major areas. The first one is joint-progratnme under the question into the question: is
etc. It has been shown to achieve scientific agree- auspices of WHO and FAO. all food 100 per cent safe? l
that there is a link bet- ment on the issues relating to It has 175 member states, a would say NO, it is not! Is
ween the food we eat food and food safety. aIn'iis huge commission that meets there any country in the
and the diseases we would include, for instance, every year, with 25 commit- worldwhere it is 100 per cent
might subsequently finding out whether it's a tees dealing with different safe? The answer is NO, there
develop, even cancer, so problem or not that we have issues meeting basically is not! That is the only thing
food safety is indeed acrylamide in food. every year or every two we know for sure-that it is
more important than years. So this is a huge not 100% safe in any countg.
many of us think. Acrylamide is a substance system involving thousands Secondly, you seem to be
wich may cause cancer and ofpeople and experts, such as suggesting that the sihiation
Here in Geneva we have that you may find present, for people from the ministries. is getting worse. The things
the whole team at the instance, when you prepare They set international you mentioned are not really
World Health Organi- French fries or chips at 120 standards for food based on getting worse. However,
zation (WHO) looking degrees or more. This scientific advice from our there are some matters that a
into all aspects of food problem was discovered by expert meetings. number of consumers
safety, ranging from Swedish researchers only five perceive to be problems; they
genetically modified years ago. Thirdly, we tiy to get infor- are probably getting worse.
food to chemicals additi- mation out-more simple
yes, and how they affect So, in a case like this, we get information or more concise First, you mentioned some-

6 2 2008 Diva

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