Safety and quality of water used in food production and processing: meeting report

Overview

Water is a major input in food, from primary production through all stages in the food value chain to consumption. Water can contact food directly or indirectly and is used in maintenance of hygiene and sanitation throughout the food chain. Water is a diminishing resource globally and not all food primary producers and processors have access to safe water sources. Water needs to be used conservatively and it is possible to reuse water if it does not present a health risk for consumers.

The availability of water and water quality is different in each country, region, context, setting, and food establishment, and improvement in water quality should be incremental. While water quality will be different in each context, it can be fit to use for certain purposes.

Deciding whether water is fit for purpose, assessment of the source water, potential hazards linked to this water source, treatment options, and their efficacy, multiple-barrier processes, and the end use of the food product (e.g. if eaten raw) must be considered.

This report provides reviews on current guidance and knowledge on water use and safety for the fresh produce and fishery sectors and water reuse in food establishments, and also on risk management approaches to ensure the safety of water and food supplies. It also provides information on a fit-for-purpose concept and Decision support system (DSS) approaches.

There is a significant amount of diversity in food production, as illustrated in the scenarios addressed in the report. High-level risk-based Decision Trees (DTs) with direction to further guidance were developed for fresh produce, fishery products, and water reuse scenarios which gives a general approach for these scenarios. The implementation of this system would require evaluation and refinement in specific case studies before its acceptance.