The document discusses MedISys, an early warning system developed by EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) to detect emerging and re-emerging food and feed hazards. It evaluates MedISys' ability to detect hazards earlier than the RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) system. A study of 9 case studies found that MedISys detected hazards an average of a few days to months earlier than RASFF. It recommends customizing MedISys to better detect food/feed hazards by improving language coverage and categories. Overall, MedISys shows potential as an early warning system when used alongside other monitoring systems like ProMED-mail and RASFF.

1. Agnès Rortais Emerging Risks Unit MedISys: an early warning system for the detection of (re-)emerging food- and feed-borne hazards IDRC, Davos, Switzerland, 30/05-04/06/2010

3. EFSA Directorates and Units

4. Mandate of the EFSA on Emerging Risks Analyse and filter Collecting and collating Article 34 Identification of emerging risks 1. The Authority shall establish monitoring procedures for systematic searching for, collecting , collating and analysing information and data with a view to the identification of emerging risks in the fields within its mission. REGULATION (EC) No 178/2002 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 28 January 2002 Laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety sharing

5. … . an emerging risk to human, animal, and/or plant health is understood as a risk resulting from - a newly identified hazard to which a significant exposure may occur or - an unexpected new or increased significant exposure and/or susceptibility to a known hazard. ESFA, 2007. Definition and description of « emerging risks » within the EFSA’s mandate. Statement of the Scientific Committee, 10 July 2007. Emerging Risks - EFSA’s definition

8. MedISys evaluation MATERIAL: Selection 9 food and feed case-studies (hazards) in the RASFF -Product category -country of origin and country of notification -Date of the event « x » METHODS: Hazards were traced back in two media monitoring systems: -MedISys Medical Information System -ProMED-mail International Society for Infectious diseases Searches were conducted: -in English over a 2 months period « x+1 » and « x-1 » (hazard only) -in different languages over longer periods (hazard + product) RESULTS: Dates of publication of the events (hazards + product) in each monitoring system

9. Selection of case-studies Total of 9 hazards -3 frequently and highly reported (e.g. mycotoxins, salmonella, heavy metals) -3 unfrequently but highly reported (e.g. dioxins, aluminium, melamine) -3 rarely reported (e.g. Vibrio cholera , DDT, radioactivity)

10. Restrospective searches RASFF hazards traced back on MedISys and ProMED-mail Early-warning signals in the media RASFF Hazards MedISys ProMED-mail Salmonella -3 - Mycotoxins -3 to -55 - Melamine +2 to +20 +1 to +24 V. Cholera - - DDT - - Radioactivity +72 - Dioxins - - Aluminium - - Heavy metals - - Rate of detection 44% 11% Rate of earlier detection 22% 11%

11. MedISys monitoring MedISys was monitored between January – March 2009 MedISys Hazards ProMED-mail RASFF Salmonella in peanut butter 0 -6 Ebola reston in swine -18 - Additives - - Enterobacter - -3 Clenbuterol -2 - Rabies -1 - Salmonella in pistachios -3 -2 Salmonella in pepper -3 - Rate of detection 75% 37.5% Rate of earlier detection 0% 0%

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