Suchergebnisse

Abstract
Animal by‐products are whole dead animals, parts of them and products obtained from them that are not used for human consumption. Legislation related to the utilization and disposal of animal by‐products was revised from the beginning of 2023, which limited the disposal of fish‐derived by‐products by burying or delivering them to a landfill in some parts of Finland. The aim of this risk assessment report is to describe the practices followed in remote and non‐remote areas and to assess the possible disease risk to humans and animals arising from the disposal of by‐products from fish and horse slaughtering as well as cutting plants. The risks related to using animal by‐products as carrion were also assessed.
At environmentally licensed aquaculture facilities, the delivery of by‐products to processing plant facilities was more common (67%) than at aquaculture facilities inspected based on risk (36%). The annual amounts of by‐products buried or delivered to the landfill were small in the non‐remote area, and slightly higher in the remote area. Horse‐derived by‐products were not produced in remote area slaughterhouses during the period under study.
Fish‐derived by‐products from approved food establishments were widely delivered for further processing, most commonly to produce fur animal feed. Disposal of fish‐derived by‐products by burying and delivering to a landfill or as carrion for wild animals was not common.
The dangers (pathogens) associated with the burial of fish‐ and horse‐derived by‐products for animals or humans were not considered significant. In carrion use, the spread of pathogens is more likely. The environmental effects of burying by‐products were not part of the mandate, but this should be studied in the future. Setting an annual upper limit for the by‐product to be buried is recommended. The specification of the remote area for fish could also be re‐evaluated.

The project Costs and Risk Assessment of the Health Effects of the Food System employed biological, chemical and nutritional examples to investigate the health and economic risks of food and nutrition in Finland and the cost effectiveness of controls. The project explored the causes and consequences of the health risks associated with food in Finland and sought appropriate risk management measures. The onset of foodborne health hazards can be slow, and therefore even strong efforts to control them at the population level may take years or decades. Based on the project results, several proposals for action were presented, the most important of which are to: 1. deepen and broaden the risk assessment of the public health impact of the food system to compare different health risks, 2. undertake cost–benefit analyses of food control and health care and 3. to study policy instruments for change. Food contributes significantly to the health of the population, which can be influenced by nutrition and food safety. According to the project results, the main burden of disease (BoD) was caused by the inadequate consumption of fruit and vegetables and the excessive intake of salt and saturated fats, resulting in disease burdens of 36,000, 29,000, 32,000 and 9,200 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)/year, respectively. Reducing the intake of salt and saturated fats in particular would be a cost-effective way to reduce the BoD. Despite the relatively high level of food hygiene achieved in Finland, up to thousands of foodborne infections occur every year, and food contaminants increase the BoD on consumers. Of the biological food hazards, Listeria caused the largest BoD, about 670 DALYs annually. Of the chemical hazards, lead caused the largest BoD, about 570 DALYs annually. Most of the control costs are borne by food businesses. Therefore, the scenarios that most affect businesses also have the greatest financial impact. This publication is part of the implementation of the Government Plan for Analysis, Assessment and ...