Course: Food legislation - Prof. Pierina Visciano - a.y. 2023/2024

General information about the course

Presentation

Graduation cum laude in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Naples.

PhD in "Inspection of Food of Animal Origin" at the University of Naples.

Specialist in "Inspection of Food of Animal Origin" at the University of Naples.

Assignment of collaboration as Coadjutor Veterinary at the Department of Food Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Ministry of Health in Rome.

Full Researcher (S.S.D. VET 04, Inspection of Food of Animal Origin) at the University of Teramo (years 2000-2020).

Associate Professor (S.S.D. VET 04 - Inspection of Food of Animal Origin) at the University of Teramo since 2020.

Guest Associate Editor of the international journal Foods for 3 Special Issues (Rapid Methods for Assessing Food Safety and Quality; Biogenic Amines in Raw and Processed Foods: Detection and Control; Advances in Fermented Meat and Meat Products).

Associate Editor of the international journal Frontiers in Microbiology, and Topic Editor of 2 Research Topics (Biological hazards in food; Foodborne pathogens: hygiene and safety).

Co-author of the book “Igiene degli alimenti – Aspetti igienico-sanitari degli alimenti di origine animale” - Schirone M., Visciano P. (2014), Collana Edagricole Università & Formazione, Bologna.

Co-author of the book "Igiene nei processi alimentari - Progettazione della sicurezza degli alimenti" - Paparella A., Schirone M., Visciano P. (2023), Editore Ulrico Hoepli, Milano.

Info

OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

Monodisciplinary course. Preparatory subjects are not compulsory, but food microbiology and hygiene, biochemistry and human nutrition constitute important preliminary knowledge for this course. At the beginning of the course, the teacher will verify the basic information on food safety assimilated by the students in order to make the level of learning homogeneous for the specific topics of the course.

DUBLIN DESCRIPTORS

1) knowledge and understanding

The students will have to acquire the necessary knowledge of food legislation and regulatory mechanisms that regulate the agro-food sector. In particular, they will have to understand the importance of harmonizing national laws with community legislation according to the principle of the hierarchy of sources, and of the rules underlying the production and marketing of food, free movement of food among Member States, international trade and multilateral or bilateral agreements between Third Countries and the European Union. They must also be constantly updated on the regulations currently in force, those repealed and those modified, acquiring the ability to understand and interpret the legislative acts to be applied in the food sector.

2) applying knowledge and understanding

The knowledge acquired during the course will allow students to enter the complex sector of agro-food production starting from raw materials up to distribution and catering, and in the evaluation of their quality and safety. They will show to understand and apply the principles and regulations concerning food safety, providing valid support to food business operators (FBOs) both in primary production and in food processing companies, through prevention measures and targeted and effective actions to identify and manage non-compliances of products and processes according to the law actually in force.

3) making judgements

The knowledge of legislation will allow students to demonstrate full autonomy in the application of specific food safety requirements. They will be able to operate in both small and medium or large enterprises, implementing the self-control procedures required by current legislation, which attributes primary responsibility to FBOs through an approach of risk analysis, transparency, communication and collaboration with the competent authority, and appropriate traceability and withdrawal/recall systems for food considered at risk for consumers.

4) communication skills

The students will have to show the ability to transfer to FBOs the information and knowledge of the general requirements of food legislation acquired during the course. They must be able to describe in detail the procedures relating to food safety through various strategies. Among them, there are the constant updating of staff training programs, according to the recent provision of promotion of the food safety culture, the publication within the company of advertising or descriptive posters on good hygiene practices to be followed during production, and technical sheets to be included in the self-control manual. They will also show the ability to interact with the competent authorities responsible for official controls demonstrating to have an accurate management of health emergencies.

5) learning skills

The students will acquire the ability to independently identify and investigate any topic relating to the agro-food sector from a legislative point of view. For this purpose, at the end of the course the students, divided into groups, will carry out a research project on legislative topics not covered in class, demonstrating autonomous learning and problem solving skills.

Teaching units

Unit 1.

The foundations of law. The legal system. The hierarchy of sources.

The decision-making institutions of the European Union: the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Commission.

The other institutions of the European Union: the European Court of Justice and Court of First Instance, the Court of Auditors, Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions.

The ordinary legislative procedure or codecision.

Unit 2.

Sources of Community law.

Primary law: Treaties and Agreements.

Secondary legislation: Regulations, Directives, Decisions, Recommendations, Opinions.

The European Food Safety Authority: functions, tasks, structure, and functioning organs.

Unit 3.

General and specific requirements for food hygiene and safety.

Obligations of food business operators (Reg. 178/2002; Reg. 852/2004).

The microbiological criteria in foods and food processes (Reg. 2073/2005).

Unit 4.

Specific requirements for food of animal origin (Reg. 853/2004).

Procedure of registration and approval of establishments.

Identification marking of foodstuffs.

Unit 5.

The chain of meat.

Food chain information, transport and animal welfare, animal identification.

Slaughter hygiene and hygiene process criteria of carcasses.

Specific requirements for meat of domestic ungulates.

Unit 6.

Specific requirements for meat from poultry and lagomorphs.

Specific requirements for meat of farmed game.

Specific requirements for wild game meat.

Trichinellosis (Reg. 1375/2015).

Unit 7.

The chain of fishery products.

Primary production and requirements of vessels.

Health standards for fishery products.

Parasites. Poisonous fish.

Freshness criteria according to the European Union law.

Unit 8.

Marketing and health standards for live bivalve molluscs.

Requirements for production areas of live bivalve molluscs.

Marine biotoxins.

Unit 9.

The chain of milk and dairy products.

Hygiene of milking and milk collection.

Health requirements for raw milk production.

Process hygiene criteria for dairy products.

Unit 10.

Evolution of legislation on contaminants in food.

Categories of contaminants (Reg. 915/2023).

National Residue Plan and sampling rules.

Unit 11.

Official controls and other official activities carried out to ensure the application of food and feed legislation (Reg. 625/2017; Reg. 627/2019).

The multi-annual national control plan on official controls.

European Union reference laboratories and national reference laboratories.

Sanctions applicable to infringements of food law.

Unit 12.

Case studies involving the management of non-compliances in food production.

Group research projects on topics of current legislation not exposed during the course.

Lessons Calendar

The teaching activity will be carried out through lectures with the support of learning aids.

Number of class hours per week: 4 h

Face-to-face teaching: 36 h

Case studies/final project: 12 h

Course books

Paparella A., Schirone M., Visciano P. Igiene nei processi alimentari. Hoepli Editore, 2023.

Bernd van der Meulen, Bart Wernaart. EU Food Law Handbook. 2020. ISBN: 978-90-8686-350-1.

Regulations from the European Union website (https://www.eurlex.com)

National law from the Gazzetta Ufficiale (https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/)

Slides of the lessons from E-learning platform (https://elearning.unite.it/)

Research material

In addition to the regular office hours for students, tutoring activities are planned aiming at clarification on the topics exposed in class or which are part of the program of the course. The teacher is available for internship in food companies, research institutes, and experimental thesis on topics related to the course.

Intermediate tests

The achievement of the training objective will be verified through two intermediate tests (30 multiple choice questions), a group project on a topic of current legislation not covered during the course, and a final oral exam.