Regulação dos riscos dos alimentos: as tensões da Vigilância Sanitária no Brasil / Food risk regulation: the tensions of the Brazilian Health Surveillance System

Resumo Este artigo aborda a dinâmica das práticas da vigilância sanitária de alimentos no Brasil, destacando as suas particularidades quanto aos riscos e modalidades de intervenção, assim como ressaltando os recentes instrumentos adotados para o controle dos riscos relativos à composição nutricional dos alimentos e suas repercussões no âmbito institucional. Instituída no Brasil desde a Primeira República, essa prática vem se remodelando ao longo dos anos, tanto pela complexidade crescente dos riscos, quanto pela introdução de novos instrumentos institucionais. Nos últimos anos, evidencia-se um esvaziamento da competência regulatória quando da adoção dos instrumentos, acordos e termos de compromisso, firmados entre o governo e as indústrias para lidar com os riscos de ordem nutricional dos produtos alimentícios. Instrumentos construídos sem a participação dos consumidores, com elasticidade de prazos para cumprimento pelas indústrias e ineptos para a fiscalização, denotando retrocessos na construção democrática e na prática da regulação sanitária de alimentos no Brasil.

Abstract This article addresses the dynamics of Brazilian food control practices, highlighting their special risk-related features and the types of intervention, as well as the recently adopted instruments to control risks related to the nutritional composition of food and their institutional repercussions. Food regulation in Brazil dates back to the First Republic. The practice has been remodeled over the years, due to both the increasing complexity of the risks and the introduction of new institutional operational mechanisms. In recent years, with the adoption of instruments such as agreements and terms of commitments established between government and industry and designed to control risks, it has become possible to identify widening gaps in regulatory competence. The adoption of mechanisms without the participation of consumers, with elastic deadlines for compliance by industries and insusceptible to inspection, represents a setback in the democratic process and the practice of health regulation of food currently under way in Brazil.

Food Risk Perceptions of Women in Rural and Urban Households- A Study in India.

Aims: The current study attempted to examine risk perceptions related to safety of various commonly consumed foods and perceived health hazards associated with such risk perceptions among home food preparers. Study Design: A cross-sectional study in urban and rural areas. Study locations were selected purposively but the participants were recruited using stratified random sampling technique. Place and Duration of the Study: This study was conducted in Hyderabad, capital city of the state of Andhra Pradesh in South India and Kothapally Village in Karimnagar District for urban and rural population respectively. The study period was 4 months. Methodology: Considering size and geographical spread, Hyderabad was divided into 3 natural zones and the village was considered as only one zone. From each zone, 30 households were selected (@ 10 each from lower, middle and upper economic strata in order to capture variations in perceptions, if any), making the total sample 120 with 90 from urban and 30 from rural locations respectively. Women, who were directly involved in food preparation were interviewed using a pre-tested, pre-coded questionnaire. Results: This study revealed that infestation and adulteration were perceived as major risks in cereals and pulses. Majority of respondents perceived pesticide residues as risks in vegetables and fruits. About 83% perceived swarming of flies and mosquitoes as the only risk for uncooked non-vegetarian foods like meat and fish. Perceived risks were also linked with food-borne diseases by many of the respondents. We did not find any significant co-relation between income, education or habitat and perceptions related to food risk perception. Conclusions: This study gives an overview of perceived risks related to commonly consumed foods. These results provide cues and set direction for further research to explore if perceived risks match with actual risks or not.