Food with a visible face: Traceability and the public promotion of private governance in the Japanese food system

The years since 2000 have seen a constant stream of high-profile scandals relating to food safety and food labeling in Japan. One response of Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has been to promote food traceability as a mechanism to improve food safety and to provide reliable information to consumers about their food. MAFF’s main approach to traceability promotion, however, has not involved making traceability mandatory (as has been done in the EU) but encouraging private companies to adopt it. These actions constitute, I argue, an example of the public promotion of private governance. When viewed against the literature on the private governance of food safety and quality, MAFF’s traceability activities are surprising for three reasons: their forms and extent, the relative lack of interest the Ministry has shown in third-party certification, and the way MAFF has responded to concerns about the safety of imported food by focusing almost entirely on domestic traceability. I also argue, however, that looking at the literature from a Japanese perspective suggests that public encouragement is more central to the rise of private governance in the global agri-food system than is usually appreciated.     

基于水质荧光指纹法的湖泊污染溯源研究——以太湖流域滆湖为例

随着社会经济和城市化进程的快速发展,湖泊水环境污染问题日益突出,加剧了湖泊原有功能的退化和丧失,因此污染治理成为了湖泊功能恢复和可持续发挥的必要条件,但如何实现污染精准溯源又是污染治理的重要前提。为此,本文以太湖流域滆湖为例,采用一种新兴技术——水质荧光指纹法开展湖泊污染溯源。于2021年累计采集滆湖周边70个农业、13个生活、3个企业排口的瞬时出水构建污染源荧光指纹库,连续12个月采集滆湖湖体8个样点水样分析水体荧光组分。通过平行因子分析共解析出4种污染源指纹和滆湖5种水体组分,经荧光相似度(塔克同余系数)分析进一步明确滆湖主要受到种植业面源、生活源和工业源的影响。此外,荧光强度与叶绿素a浓度和藻密度的强相关性表明藻类繁殖活动也会影响滆湖。从不同污染源对滆湖的时空影响特征来看,种植业面源主要在春、夏季影响西部、中部水域,生活源主要在夏、冬季影响西部、北部水域,工业源主要在特定月份(3 4月、10 12月)影响西部水域,藻类繁殖活动主要在夏季影响湖体。通过荧光组分与水质参数的时空相关性分析得到农业源和总磷、总氮,生活源和氨氮、有机物参数(BOD₅、COD_...     

The uncertainty of seafood labeling in China: A case study on Cod,Salmon and Tuna

Exotic marine fish products are increasingly appreciated in China. In this study, 100 samples of Cod, Salmon and Tuna products were collected from supermarkets in Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou. First the information reported on the label were assessed in the light of the Chinese legislation, paying particular attention to the fish names and the geographical origin. Then, a comparative analysis of the official trade denominations adopted by five European countries (Italy, France, Germany, Spain and United Kingdom) for Cod, Salmon and Tuna was performed. Finally, the Chinese names of the species considered in the EU list were verified consulting the available international lists. Overall, 95% of the samples employed just generic names. In particular, 98% of Salmon and 100% of Tuna products were generically labeled while the labeling of Cod products was more diversified, even though 80% reported misleading or fake denominations. The results of this work highlighted the lack of a mandatory legislation on seafood traceability and of an official naming system. In particular, this study propose the introduction of a detailed Chinese naming system based on the Chinese Latin Dictionary for Seafood Names, following the EU approach. In fact, inaccurate labeling can have both economic and health implications for consumers as well as it may distort the true abundance of fish stocks. These drawbacks can be particularly serious considering the pivotal role of China in the global fishery industry.     

Chain of custody as an organizing framework in seafood risk reduction

Changes in the terms and direction of international trade in seafood, an increased understanding of and concern for the public health risk imposed by seafood products, and advances in information management technology combine to open opportunities to manage more effectively seafood-borne risk. Present regulatory mandates and programs lack sufficient integration for effective risk mitigation and do not adequately reflect the trans-national nature of seafood trade or the increased complexity of seafood production. This paper argues that the concept of a "chain of custody" - from the ocean to the final consumer - provides a useful integrating framework for understanding and refining efforts to reduce public health concerns surrounding the consumption of seafood.     

Evaluation framework for regulatory requirements related to data recording and traceability designed to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

In 2001 FAO published the “International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing”. Based on this plan, national and supranational authorities have developed legislation to fight the so called IUU fishing. A key aspect of the legislation proposed so far is the mandatory recording of some data elements and the requirement that these data should be available for access through a traceability system. This article outlines a general framework for evaluation of these types of requirements, using a predictor-outcome N-way matrix. A “good practise” system is described, against which the existing systems and practises can be evaluated. The framework can be used to assess if the regulatory requirements ensure that the relevant IUU fishing identification data are made available, and it can also be used to evaluate the requirements imposed on the traceability system.     

Trade secrets: Renaming and mislabeling of seafood

As the global trade and market for seafood has grown, so have the twin problems of renaming and mislabeling. Resource scarcity, the potential for greater profits, and weak legislation have all encouraged incorrect labeling, the results of which include consumer losses, the subversion of eco-marketing, further degradation of fisheries resources, and even adverse effects on human health. This paper examines the extent and consequences of renaming and mislabeling seafood, the state of current legislation, and the importance of future policies, with particular attention to the US, where 80% of the seafood is imported and more than one-third of all fish are mislabeled. Policy recommendations include governments’ support for a global mandate to label species, country of origin, and catching or production method on all seafood with high penalties for infractions. Chain of custody standards, such as those recently implemented by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), should also be considered for adoption worldwide. To garner support for this legislation, consumers must become better acquainted and concerned with their seafood and its origins.     

Quality assurance, information tracking, and consumer labeling

Reducing marine-based public health risk requires strict control of several attributes of seafood products, often including location and conditions of catch or aquaculture, processing, and handling throughout the supply chain. Buyers likely will also be interested in other attributes of these products such as eco-friendliness or taste. Development of markets for improved safety, as well as for other quality attributes, requires an effective certification and tracking of these attributes as well as their communication to buyers. Several challenges must be met if labeling, particularly consumer labeling, is to support the development of markets for improved seafood safety.