Uluslararası Gıda Ürünleri Ticareti ve Aflatoksin Yasal Düzenlemeleri

Günümüzde aflatoksin, gıda güvenliği için potansiyel bir tehdit olarak görülmeye devam etmektedir. Aflatoksinler insan sağlığı açısından zehirli toksik maddeler ile kanserojen etkiye yol açmaktadır. Avrupa Birliği ve uluslararası aflatoksin yasal düzenlemeleri paralel gelişmektedir. Dünya Ticaret Örgütü Sağlık ve Bitki Sağlığı Anlaşması gereğince Avrupa Birliği tarafından 1998 yılında kurutulmuş sert kabuklu meyveler, tahıllar, süt, yerfıstığı ve işlenmiş ürünlerde toplam aflatoksin ve Bl aflatoksini için sınırlamalara uyulması konusunda öneri getirilmektedir. Ancak, Avrupa Birliği ve FA0/WH0 Gıda Kodeksi Komisyonu'nun uyguladığı aflatoksin standartları arasında farklılıklar yaşanmaktadır. Avrupa Birliği, kendi bilimsel komitelerinin görüşünü dikkate aldığını ve FAO/WHO Gıda Kodeksi Komisyonu limitlerine uymak zorunda olmadığını ifade etmektedir. Bu çalışmada, belirtilen farklılıkların Türkiye ve diğer ihracatçı ülkelerin ticaretini nasıl etkileyeceği üzerinde durulmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

uluslararası ticaret, gıda güvenirliği

International Food Trade and Legislation for Aflatoxins

Currently aflatoxins continue to be a potential threat for food safety. Since aflatoxins have been shown to pose serious carcinogenic risks for human health, initiatives for both EU and international aflatoxin legislation are developing in parallel. As is required by the World Trade Organization Agrement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, the EU is demanding full compliance to the restrictions brought by EU in 1998 for total aflatoxin and aflatoxin Bl contents in dried fruits, nuts, cereals, milk, groundnuts and processed products. However, the EU and the joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission have implemented two different standarts for aflatoxin contents in foods. The EU places more importance on the opinions set forth by its own scientific committees and asserts that imports to EU have to conform to the limits set forth by EU and not to those set by the joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. This review aims to reflect how the implementation of these two different standards on aflatoxins in foods will affect the trade flow of exporting countries including Turkey.

Keywords:

international trade, food safety,

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