BFSA - BUSINESS PLAN 2015-2017 Belgian Food Safety Agency

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The BFSA as an organization

Social, economic and administrative context

Stakeholders vision

Strategic and operational objectives 2015-2017

Inspection frequencies

State of affairs of the objectives

STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES 2015-2017 Theme 1 : An efficient organization of food chain monitoring with a view to maximally ensure food chain safety Theme 2 : An appropriate legislative framework and supporting measures to improve food chain safety Theme 3 : An agency accepted by food business FFBO’s and recognized by society and the consumers in particular, both nationally and internationally Theme 4 : An optimal level of services rendered to businesses in the framework of food chain safety and to governments concerning the delegation of tasks Theme 5 : An optimal organizational management

Theme 1: An efficient organization of food chain monitoring with a view to maximally ensure food chain safety Printable version   |   Last update on 22.04.2016 Vision Monitoring the food chain by means of controls remains the BFSA’s core mission. In the past, the BFSA has made considerable efforts to translate the broad and vague concept of risk-based checks into concrete inspection and sampling programmes based on objective and statistically substantiated parameters. The inspection programme is a multiannual programme that is aimed at inspecting all of the FFBO’s at a predefined frequency, and to this day, the sampling programme is determined annually based on the most recent data. The inspection frequencies can be adapted throughout the lifetime of the business plan. Like the analysis programme, they are no longer included in the business plan. The starting point is the inspection frequencies as included in the previous business plan. Modifications will be explained in the Advisory Committee and the (modified) inspection programme will be published on the website. When applying EU regulation regarding food safety, a pragmatic solution will be opted for, providing the legislation proves to be lenient enough. This approach will be maintained and further refined over the years to come. Additionally, specific actions based on indications and aimed at certain activities or products will also be carried out. For example, certain regulations are not being followed properly (e.g. the use of sulphite in minced meat), new practices (e.g. the consumption of insects) or (re-)emerging dangers. In addition to the programmed controls, there is a wide array of other control activities that originate from complaints, international alert messages (RASFF), requests for approval and authorization and special actions whether or not in collaboration with other public services, etc. All of these controls constitute the cornerstone of food chain monitoring. Therefore, the BFSA will on the one hand strive towards maximally maintaining the number of inspections by compensating for cutbacks in staff in other activities and by realizing further efficiency gains. On the other hand, the Agency will try to keep the restrictions regarding the sampling and analysis programme, which are necessary to realize savings, to a minimum and maintain checks on food safety criteria as much as possible. The underpinning of the control programme by means of a scientifically based risk assessment will be examined further in close collaboration with the Scientific Committee. Monitoring the health of animals and plants remains a core mission for the BFSA. In consultation with the organizations involved, choices will have to be made and priorities will have to be set regarding the different programmes, based on a risk assessment and taking into account the budgetary restrictions. The global (phyto)sanitary policy has to be updated continuously: the evolution regarding health and newly emerging diseases has to be taken into account. Also when it comes to implementing, a number of initiatives can be taken, in the animal sector in particular, as indicated by the results of the PVS audit. In this respect, a sufficient amount of attention should go the veterinarians in the field who play a central role in epidemiological surveillance and are the BFSA’s eyes and ears concerning animal health. The policy also has to be aimed at guaranteeing their professionalism, their integrity and their independence in order to maintain high-quality epidemiological monitoring. For the different programmes, choices will have to be made and priorities will have to be set based on a risk assessment in order to attain the budgetary objectives, all of which needs to be done in consultation with the sector organizations. The BFSA will have to adjust its fraud policy while taking the budget restrictions into account and it will have to focus its efforts on the most critical types of fraud. The BFSA will continue to participate in interdepartmental initiatives as much as possible. Strategic and operational objectives       S1.1 The BFSA has an annually updated control programme that is fully executed, complemented by specific actions. Unplanned, but necessary controls are carried out within reasonable terms.   O1.1.1 A scientifically based multi-annual control programme that is reviewed annually, both for the inspections and the analyses, and which is optimized for the entire food chain. In this respect, special attention goes to the control of self-checking systems and a more extensive classification of FFBO’s.   O1.1.2 Full implementation of the control programme, adjusted for the budgetary efforts.   O1.1.3 Carrying out of actions outside of the control programme to follow-up on specific problems concerning the activities as well as the products.   O1.1.4 Conducting unplanned controls within legal and/or reasonable and pre-defined terms (treatment of complaints, RASFF-files, approvals and authorizations, certification checks...)   O1.1.5 Efficient import controls which guarantee that the imported products meet the same safety level as EU products, taking into account the increasing globalization and complexity of the food chain, which are adjusted and based on a refined risk assessment.   O1.1.6 Optimal support of the control programme by guaranteeing the quality of the analyses within the shortest possible lead time, at the lowest possible cost and using the most cost-efficient distribution between internal and external analyses.   O1.1.7 Efficient fraud control in the food chain based on a policy that provides specific actions and which is aimed at creating awareness among staff.       S1.2 The monitoring of animal and plant health is organized and based on pre-defined programmes that are part of a global sanitary policy.   O1.2.1 Actively participating in the updating of the sanitary policy.   O1.2.2 Developing a structured approach for epidemiological surveillance and epidemiological monitoring, including new (emerging) animal and plant diseases, both in domestic and in wild animal species.   O1.2.3 Active participation in programmes with a focus on reducing resistance against antimicrobial and antiparasitic agents.

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