Alignment of the Global Food Safety Strategy of the World Health Organization with the National Health Surveillance System in Brazil: strengthening of the health authorities and the regulated food sector

• Grant number: 23/10161-3
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research in Public Policies
• Start date: May 01, 2024
• End date: April 30, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Elke Stedefeldt
• Grantee: Elke Stedefeldt
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Alexandre da Silva Simões ; Ana Lúcia de Freitas Saccol ; Diogo Thimoteo da Cunha ; ESTHER LUNA COLOMBINI ; Janne Mikael Lundén ; Laís Mariano Zanin
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/17033-3 - Cooperation in the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) of the revision of the Good Practice legislation for food services, BP.TT; 24/10056-8 - Understanding and literacy about legislation by health authorities in the context of the Global Strategy for Food Safety, BP.MS; 24/11086-8 - Development and implementation of an distance learning course in risk management for managers of the National Health Surveillance System, BP.TT

Abstract

Unsafe food increases the prevalence of foodborne diseases, creating a global public health problem and a vicious cycle of disease, malnutrition, and nutritional deficiency. It particularly affects groups that are in a vulnerable situation. There is no food security without food safety. To mobilize Member States towards this problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) 2022 published the Global Strategy for Food Safety (GSFS). GSFS-WHO impacts on the sustainable development goals: 1: poverty eradication; 2: zero hunger and sustainable agriculture; 3: health and well-being; 8: decent work and economic growth; 12: responsible consumption and production; 17: partnerships for the goals. Through the participation of a professor from the Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) in the Technical Advisory Group on Food Safety for preparing the GSFS-WHO, Brazil has corroborated this mobilization. Thus, in line with the National Health Surveillance Policy and the coordination of the National Health Surveillance System, the Management of Inspection and Sanitary Inspection of Food, Cosmetics, and Sanitary Products of the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) presented to UNIFESP three demands aimed at mitigating foodborne diseases aligned with the GSFS-WHO: 1. Development of subsidies for the Regulatory Impact Analysis of Resolution 216/2014 which provides for the Technical Regulation of Good Handling Practices for Food Services; 2. Strengthening the technical training of health authorities from the National Health Surveillance System in Good Manufacturing and good handling practices and of managers in risk management; 3. Development of instruments for harmonizing the assessment and compliance with food Good Manufacturing and good handling practices. This project aims to combine the priorities and objectives of the GSFS-WHO with the National Health Surveillance System in Brazil. It is characterized by a public and scientific nature, in a collaborative way between the researcher and the public manager, to produce and systematize scientific knowledge on food safety relevant to improving the National Health Surveillance Policy and the National Health Surveillance System in execution. The product development process for public management is presented in line with the research. Nine products will be generated, and the scientific results will be relevant to advancing knowledge and its technological application through dissemination in articles and scientific events. The appropriation and application of scientific knowledge by the National Health Surveillance System will be based on updating and internal training of health authorities in good manufacturing and good handling practices topics, focusing on risk analysis; in the development of work tools based on scientific evidence; in innovation in the context of systems resilience and the perception of risk and its associated phenomena. The use of artificial intelligence will subsidize the different products. The eight planned studies will be submitted for evaluation by the Research Ethics Committee, and methodological accessibility will be a fundamental requirement of the project. The evaluation of the achievement of the project's objective and the monitoring of the performance of the products will be presented in annual and final reports according to pre-established criteria. Both for public management and research, the degree of risk of non-execution of the project is low compared to the interest of the Research and Partner teams and the provision of preventive measures for eventualities. Integrating a differentiated approach that complements and walks alongside good manufacturing and handling practices will contribute to building a National Strategy for Food Safety in Brazil. It is through public policies that the positive results of scientific research conducted in microenvironments can support decision-making in macro environments. (AU)