The risk of reintroduction-recirculation of Schmallenberg virus in Belgium in 2012

The Scientific Committee is of the opinion that the risk of reintroduction/recirculation is very high but the impact will be largely dependent upon the in-herd and between-herd seroprevalence. Therefore it is very important to gain knowledge on the seroprevalence of the Belgian livestock. Preliminary results indicate that the seroprevalence can be up to 70% (Netherlands). If such a high seroprevalence is also present in Belgium, circulation of SBV during the vector season 2012 and accompanying clinical symptoms will probably be minimal. Regarding the surveillance for SBV during the vector season 2012, the Scientific Committee proposes to base it on 3 pillar

Carcinogenic and-or genotoxic risks in food; process related contaminants

The Scientific Committee started a self tasking study on carcinogenic and/or genotoxic risks in food. In a first advice (Sci Com Advice 26-2008), the issue was introduced and an overview of relevant carcinogenic and/or genotoxic contaminants in food was presented. This second advice focuses on the group of “process contaminants”, i.e. undesired chemical substances that are formed during food processing processes, such as heating, fermentation, storage. The dietary exposure to these contaminants (in particular of the Belgian population) and the coupled risk, as well as the gaps in the current knowledge are considered. Other aspects, such as occurrence and formation, toxicity, mitigation, etc. are briefly discussed in the annexe of this advice by means of scientific flash cards. Based on the available information following relative ranking is proposed: - First priority: acrylamide, furan, 3-chloropropanediol (3-MCPD) and the 3-MCPD and glycidol esters; - Second priority: benzene, 1,3-dichloropropanol (1,3-DCP), N-nitrosamines (NDMA), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); - Third priority: heterocyclic aromatic amines, ethyl carbamate, formaldehyde, semicarbazide, nitro-PAHs. The proposed ranking concerns only the presence of these contaminants in food. However, there might be different, and sometimes more important exposure pathways for the considered contaminants. In addition, it is noted that besides the carcinogenic and/or genotoxic effects, other potentially harmful properties of these contaminants could be relevant (e.g. endocrine disrupting properties)

Development of an animal health barometer

The aim of this advice is to present an instrument to measure the general health of the livestock population on a yearly basis in Belgium and to monitor its evolution over time. This instrument is, alongside the food safety barometer (Advice 28-2010) and the plant health barometer (Advice 10-2011), one of the 3 instruments to provide a bird's eye view on the overall status of the safety of the food chain in Belgium. In order to measure the animal health situation, it is proposed to work with a set of indicators , the composition of which may change over time. Quantitative data must be available for these indicators in order to allow for a trend analysis over time. In total, 13 animal health indicators (AHI's) were identified and the results of 12 indicators (for one indicator the results were not yet available) were monitored between 2007 and 2010. Compared to 2007 (the reference year) an improvement of overall animal health in Belgium was observed in 2008, 2009 and 2010, on the basis of these 12 indicators. The real significance of this positive evolution must however be assessed over the long term. Lastly, a proposal for the visual presentation of the animal health barometer has been develope

Development of an animal health barometer -appendix

Appendix to Development of an animal health barometer - F

Advice of the Scientific Committee of the Belgian Food Safety Agency on the evaluation of the risks and benefits of the consumption of raw milk from animal species other than cows

please see: http://www.favv-afsca.fgov.be/scientificcommittee/advices/_documents/Advice11-2013.pd

Development of an animal health barometer - Appendix NL

Appendix to Development of an animal health barometer - N

Interests of Pregnancy Follow-Up in Cows after Embryo Transfer_Special Focusing on IVP and NT

In this work, pregnancies were obtained after extreme in vitro conditions, (i) IVM/F/C of the donor embryos, (ii) IVM, enucleation and artificial activation of the recipient oocytes, (iii) nuclear transfer and (iiii) IVC of the reconstituted embryos. Cumulative information recorded, - in vitro and in vivo embryonic mortality, - bPAG concentrations follow-up, - placental, - umbilical cord and newborn examinations, showed that most alterations are mainly localized in the trophoblastic compartment. This complex syndrome observed, associating large calf, trophoblastic hypertrophy and abnormal profiles of bPAG is probably originated from uncomplete oocyte competence associated to very long in vitro culture

Rapid Advice of the Scientific Committee of the Belgian Food Safety Agency on the evaluation of a proposal to stop with the routine removal of specified risk materials during bovine slaughter

The Scientific Committee was asked to evaluate a proposal to stop with the routine removal of specified risk materials during bovine slaughter given the Belgian OIE status of ‘negligible risk’ with regard to BSE. The Scientific Committee is of the opinion that the risk evaluation has to be done in the light of the European or even global factual sanitary situation in regard to BSE taking into account the uncertainties related to the topic. Removal of specified risk materials from cattle at slaughter prevents infected materials from entering the food chain. The Scientific Committee is of the opinion that, given the actual epidemiological BSE situation in the EU and taking into consideration the uncertainties in regard to early detection of asymptomatic BSE and the zoonotic significance and true prevalence of Atypical BSE, stopping in Belgium with the routine removal of specified risk materials during bovine slaughter will increase the risk for public health

Advice of the Scientific Committee of the Belgian Food Safety Agency on the list of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to control in

The Scientific Committee is asked to give an opinion on the list of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to be included in the analysis of feed and on the action limits to be used. Currently, 12 PAHs (acenaphthene, acenaphthylene, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, chrysene, dibenzo(a, h)anthracene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, fluoranthene, phenanthrene, and pyrene) are analyzed in feed while 4 PAHs (benz(a)anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene and chrysene) are analyzed in the human diet

Advice 05-2014 of the Scientific Committee of the Belgian Food Safety Agency on the food safety of the short supply chain

food. Foodstuff that is made available via this short supply chain have a positive image. Farmers and food companies from both the conventional chain and the short supply chain must comply with European and national legislation. In the European legislation, a certain flexibility is foreseen in terms of short supply chain, giving Member States the possibility to lay down certain own national rules for producers (both primary producers and processing companies) in the short supply chain. There are a number of initiatives in our country to assist farm producers in this, such as the ‘Steunpunt Hoeveproducten’, an initiative of the npo KVLV in Flanders and ‘DiversiFerm’, a project of the Walloon Region. In this advice, an evaluation of some food safety aspects of the short supply chain was made, based on the results of inspections conducted by the FASFC and on the results of analyses conducted by the ‘Steunpunt Hoeveproducten’ and ‘DiversiFerm’ in the short supply chain. The findings were already discussed at the symposium “Food safety of the short supply chain”, which was organized by the Scientific Committee in 2012. Further, also results from the scientific literature and expert opinion were taken into account