Public Health Measures: Evaluation of the Efficacy of National Food Control Programs

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Abstract

This article addresses the evaluation of national food control programs (FCPs), which are designed and implemented to ensure a high level of public health protection with respect to the food supply in a particular country. The evaluation process should measure outputs from the FCP and the results achieved, and establish whether the system, activities, and/or processes as defined are fit for purpose and deliver satisfactory results. Evaluation of efficacy can be achieved by a number of approaches, and these techniques are elaborated. No evaluation tool is often sufficient in order to gauge efficacy due to their singularly narrow field of vision; however, collectively they can bring the true merits and performance of the FCP into sharper focus and allow objective assessments to be made.

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Dr. Anderson joined the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in 1999 as Chief Specialist: Food Science and is now acting Director of Food Science and Standards Division. Earlier, he spent 11 years in the food industry, 10 of which were with Unilever. His role in the FSAI involves direction of science, including risk assessment. Dr. Anderson has lectured nationally on risk analysis and has conducted quantitative risk assessments on fluoride in infant formula and also on marine biotoxins in shellfish. He has participated in the World Health Organization (WHO) microbial risk assessment program as well as the World Health Organization/Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (WHO/FAO) expert consultation on the use of risk assessment outputs in risk management. Dr. Anderson has published papers in the area of food preservation systems, predictive microbiology, and risk communication. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology Ireland and a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology, UK. He holds a primary degree in biochemistry and a PhD in predictive microbiology.

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