Request for Proposals (RFP 011) for Synthesis Research: Policy Development for the Control of Food borne Zoonoses*
*Foodborne zoonoses are diseases in humans that come from animals
Funding and General Information
Deadline for applications: December 3, 2002 (must be courier stamped
December 2, 2002 for next day delivery).
Up to $500,000 has been set aside in this competition for the
support of up to five projects.
Project final reports must be submitted by March 2004, in time
for advance distribution and presentation at a stakeholder forum
on a national strategy and action plan for control of foodborne
zoonoses.
Synthesis research is the identification, review, analysis and
appraisal of the best available existing knowledge. This can include
published literature, "grey" (unpublished) literature,
the practical experience of policy/decision makers and/or the knowledge
of experts in the field. The synthesis projects should provide
critical assessment of the present knowledge about theory and practice,
identify future knowledge needs and discuss the policy implications
for decision-makers.
Preference will be given to proposals that demonstrate an understanding
of both the agricultural and health sides of food safety.
Scope of Competition
Introduction
Reports from a number of countries have indicated that foodborne
diseases cause significant economic burden in developed and developing
countries. These studies are improving our understanding of both
the risk factors which contribute to disease and the effectiveness
of prevention and control approaches, and will contribute significantly
to development of intervention policy. Ideally, federal food safety
policy should address areas of the system where the greatest impact
in reduction of human illness can be obtained while being cost-effective
and practical to implement. Thus a thorough analysis of policy
options should integrate knowledge from a vast array of areas of
expertise. Within Health Canada, surveillance of human disease
resulting from foodborne zoonoses (outbreaks and sporadic illness)
has recently been enhanced (for example, the National Enteric Disease
Surveillance Program (NESP)
and the National Studies on Acute Gastrointestinal Illness (NSAGI)).
These data can be used to help identify the foodborne pathogens
posing the greatest risk to Canadians. In addition, programs have
recently been initiated in the surveillance of human exposure to
foodborne pathogens. Health Canada also has responsibilities for
risk assessment as it relates to foodborne zoonoses and the health
of Canadians. Quantitative risk assessment provides the capacity
to predict the public health risk posed by zoonotic diseases and
to generate efficient risk mitigation strategies whose outcomes
can be measured (1). Mathematical models and
modeling tools provide a systematic means to interpret the impact
of interventions at any point along the "gate to plate" continuum,
thus improving decision-making capacity. These models facilitate
analysis of the continuum in terms of areas of highest risk and
aid in priority setting in the selection of next steps in risk
control. Health Canada has adopted a decision-making framework
(2) based on risk and has formulated a strategy
for policy development to ensure that the best available science
is incorporated into the policy development process.
Two major policy initiatives are under development to control
foodborne zoonoses in the areas of raw foods of animal origin (3)
and antimicrobial resistance (4). Another
important component for analysis of policy options is the ability
to situate Health Canada within the international community. We
need information on policy initiatives related to foodborne zoonoses
and assessments of their effectiveness in the reduction of human
enteric illness. By soliciting the best information available,
we plan to position ourselves to engage our stakeholders at a consensus
conference in 2004 to develop a national strategy and action plan
for control of foodborne zoonoses.
Context
The responsibility for prevention and control of foodborne enteric
illness and zoonoses spans a wide range of jurisdictions from federal
to municipal. The chain of input to the system is also broad, ranging
from the animal/environmental source through the slaughter, processing,
wholesale, retail, the consumer and their food preparation habits,
to the family physician/hospital. A recent document prepared for
Health Canada, Recommendations for the Development of Policy
Related to Raw Foods of Animal Origin (5),
divides this chain of input into four sectors (production, processing,
retail/food service, and consumer) and provides details on the
types of pathogens that cause human illness, strategies for control,
and policy recommendations for each sector.
Federally, Health Canada is responsible for setting policy and
standards for food safety while the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
(CFIA)
is responsible for all inspection and compliance activities related
to food safety. Historically, federal policy development and control
strategies have targeted the processing component of the food system.
For example, CFIA staff
inspect slaughter and processing facilities and animals at slaughter,
and design and execute sampling plans to assess food at the processing
stage for pathogens. >CFIA has
moved to a risk-based system of inspection and has implemented
a voluntary hazard analysis critical control point program ( title="hazard analysis critical control point program">HACCP)
in the food processing sector. This approach consists of identification
of potential hazards, selecting points in the process that are
critical for control of that hazard and rigorously monitoring them.
A move to make this program mandatory is under way starting in
the meat and poultry sectors. In the past few years, policy initiatives
have also been launched in the area of food labelling and consumer
education. Two years ago, a voluntary campaign was launched jointly
by Health Canada and CFIA to
get industry to label apple cider on pasteurization status. Multiple
agencies have jointly launched a consumer education initiative
(6) known as FightBac!TM to educate
the general public about safe food handling practices.
Many now believe that the biggest impact on reduction of human
illness can result from taking action to limit or reduce the primary
foodborne pathogens (Salmonella, Campylobacter, verocytotoxigenic Escherichia
coli, and Listeria monocytogenes) at their source on
the farm. Controlling pathogens in the animal prevents contamination
of the environment, thus ensuring that watersheds, irrigated produce
and drinking water are not contaminated. Federal/Provincial/Territorial
Ministers of Agriculture recently agreed to an Agricultural Policy
Framework (7) to make Canada the world leader
in food safety, innovation and environmental protection. A major
theme in this framework is building on Canada's reputation as a
producer of safe, high-quality food by strengthening on-farm food
safety systems and securing their international recognition.
Internationally, many countries have stepped up their activities
in food safety due to outbreaks of illness as a result of a food
distribution system where a large number of people consume food
made by a single (often multinational) company (for example, E.coli O157:H7
in the USA). In 1997 the United States launched the President's
Food Safety Initiative (8). Initial efforts
were targeted at enhancing foodborne disease and pathogen surveillance
(for example, PulseNet, FoodNet, NARMS), implementing science-based
risk management strategies (for example, HACCP program
implementation with specific pathogen reduction targets in food
processing plants, the Egg Safety Action Plan to reduce Salmonella Enteritidis
illnesses), and improving risk communication networks. In 2001
the President's Council on Food Safety (9)
released a comprehensive strategic plan for federal food safety
activities. In 2001 the Food Standards Agency in the United Kingdom
approved a strategy to reduce foodborne illness 20% by 2006. In
2002 the European Commission adopted a report (10)
and a proposal for two directives to review current legislation
and improve the prevention and control of foodborne and other zoonoses.
Objective
To support Health Canada's move towards an integrated approach
to policy development for the control of foodborne zoonoses, the
Health Policy Research Program is requesting proposals for synthesis
research.
Research Questions
- What policies are other countries implementing/considering
for the control of foodborne zoonoses? This should take into
account major trading partners, both import and export, for specific
commodity groups such as beef, poultry, etc. What are the possible
implications for the health of Canadians as a result of these
policies? What are the potential trade implications?
- What is the scope of policy options available to Health Canada
for enhancing the safety of foods of animal origin? What is the
evidence for their effectiveness? Based on available scientific
evidence, which of the policy options would be most effective
at reducing human foodborne zoonoses? Does this vary with the
nature of the pathogen? Are data available on cost/benefit analysis?
- What is a suitable approach for evaluating the effectiveness
of policy in reducing human foodborne zoonoses? What types of
evaluation models have been used to look at policy effectiveness?
- What are the key issues to be addressed to move this policy
agenda forward?
- What are the highest priority policy research questions to
be addressed through primary research? through synthesis research?
Policy Contact
Applicants must get in touch with the policy contact at least
once during the development of the proposal. The policy contact
is responsible for ongoing interaction with researchers on the
policy issues and context. Policy inquiries should be directed
to Dr. Susan Read, Science Program Coordinator, Laboratory for
Foodborne Zoonoses, Population and Public Health Branch, Health
Canada, (tel: 519-822-3300 ext.227, email: susan_read@hc-sc.gc.ca).
Do not forward a proposal, draft or otherwise, to the policy contact
for review as such preliminary review will be deemed a conflict
of interest and may result in the disqualification of the application.
How to Apply
Applicants are required to register in order to obtain an application
form and a registration number which must be quoted on the application
form. Inquiries regarding registration, eligibility/ineligibility,
administrative questions about timeframes and budgets, application
formatting and content, the review process, and terms and conditions
of the HPRP should be directed to Inger Abrams (tel: 613-952-8112,
email: inger_abrams@hc-sc.gc.ca). Deadline for applications is
December 3, 2002 (must be courier stamped December 2nd for next
day delivery). Address for courier:
Inger Abrams (Tel: 613-952-8112)
Health Canada
Room 1532B, Jeanne Mance Building, Tunney's Pasture
Postal Locator 1915A
Ottawa ON K1A 0K9
References
1 Anna M.Lammerding and Greg M.
Paoli, "Quantitative Risk Assessment: An emerging tool for
emerging foodborne pathogens," Emerging Infectious Diseases
3 (1997) 483-487
2 Health Canada, Decision Making Framework
for Identifying, Assessing and Managing Health Risks (2000) http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb/transitn/hcrisk_e.pdf
3 Health Canada, Policy Development
Framework for the Management of Risks Associated with the Consumption
of Raw Food of Animal Origin (2000) http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/food-aliment/mh-dm/mhe-dme/rfao-aoca/e_rfao.html
4 Health Canada, Antimicrobial Resistance
Policy Development, various documents, http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/vetdrugs-medsvet/amr/e_policy_dev.html
5 Health Canada, Recommendations for
the Development of Policy Related to Raw Foods of Animal Origin (2001)
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/food-aliment/mh-dm/mhe-dme/rfao-aoca/pdf/e_rfao_sept21.pdf.
6 The Canadian Partnership for Consumer
Food Safety Initiative (1998) http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/food-aliment/mh-dm/mhe-dme/e_fightbac.html
7 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,
Agricultural Policy Framework (2002) >http://www.agr.gc.ca/cb/news/2002/n20620ae.html
8 Department of Health and Human Services
and U.S. Department of Agriculture, President's Food Safety Initiative
(2000) http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/fsiback.html
9 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department
of Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection Agency and Department
of Commerce, President's Council on Food Safety (2000) http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/presidentscouncil.html
10 Proposal for a European Parliament
and Council directive on monitoring of zoonoses and zoonotic agents
(2002) http://europa.eu.int/abc/doc/off/bull/en/200201/p104119.htm
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