Course Title: Customs Procedures (IPMA)
Name of the course coordinator: Ana Maulvault
Name of the teachers (with affiliation): Provisional list (subjected to adjustments)
- Isabel Mousinho (DGVA – Portuguese Directorate-General for Agriculture and Veterinary; National Responsible for Border Control Posts)
- Pedro Nabais (ASAE – National Authority for Food Safety and Economic Activities; Head of the Division of Food Risks)
- Narcisa Bandarra (IPMA I.P.; Head of the Division for Aquaculture, Upgrading and Bioprospection)
- Sónia Pedro (IPMA I.P.; Head of the Accredited Microbiology Laboratory)
- Helena Lourenço (IPMA I.P.; Reference Laboratory of Bromatology)
- Pedro Costa (IPMA I.P.; Reference Biotoxins Laboratory)
- Paula Ramos (IPMA I.P.; Head of the Laboratory of Pathology)
- Amparo Gonçalves (IPMA I.P.; Head of the Laboratory of Sensorial Analysis)
- Jorge Dias (SPAROS Lda; Aquaculture Feed Producer Company)
- Miguel Faria (ICETA – Institute of Sciences, Technologies and Agroenvironment of the University of Porto)
- Maria Leonor Nunes – (CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research; Leader of the Research Group for Safe and Healthy Seafood and Sustainable Consumption)
Course aims (max 500 characters spaces included):
This course encompasses five modules and aims to deliver an overview of customs procedures specifically applied to seafood products in the European Union. This course will enable participants to get an overview of the various steps that occur along the trade of goods (intra- and extra-European Union), and to have a close contact with routine procedures of a State Laboratory that handles, on a regular basis, seafood samples subjected to inspection at the Border Control Posts (BCPs).
Intended learning outcomes:
– Learning outcome 1: Better understanding of the legal aspects and procedures involved in the trade of seafood products (live, fresh, frozen or processed) and feeds used in aquaculture, inside and outside the European Union.
– Learning outcome 2: Strengthen the knowledge on hygiene requirements and incompliances, microbiological criteria, and biological/chemical hazards of seafood products and seafood-based meals.
– Learning outcome 3: get in touch with general procedures and analytical methodologies to evaluate the quality and safety of seafood products and seafood-based meals, giving participants the chance to enrol in five different “hand-on-the-job” activities.
– Learning outcome 4: allow participants to explore the potential of innovative fast-screening technologies designed to determine, in loco, the authenticity and safety of seafood products.
Course contents
| Hours | |
| Intra- and Extra Union trade of Seafood Products | |
| Module 1 focus on customs legal aspects and procedures in every step of the way along seafood trade chain. Covered topics: 1.1)Intra- and extra-European Union trade 1.2)Procedures and legislation 1.3)Responsibilities of competent authorities and food importers/exporters | 4 |
| Responsibilities and interventions of a National Authority for Food Safety and Economic activities – The Inspector Perspective | |
| This module tackles 3 topics: 2.1)Food hygiene and labelling requirements in the EU 2.2)Role and mode of action of a National Authority for Food Safety and Economic activities, and links with congener agencies (the RASFF) 2.3)Common incompliances | 4 |
| Analytical control of seafood products: mission and mode of action of a State Laboratory | |
| Module 3 addresses the procedures carried out during the analyitical control of seafood products. It is intended to have a strong practical component, covering key concepts, regulations and methodologies related to microbiological, biological and chemical hazards in seafood. | 24 |
| Aquaculture Feeds: Specific import/export procedures, legislation, safety requirements, quality control | |
| Module 4 is a short session particularly focused on the legal aspects, safety requirement and specific procedures involved in the trade of aquaculture feeds in the EU. | 2 |
| Fast-screening tools to determine the authenticity and safety of seafood products | |
| This module encompasses online presentations and face-to-face demonstration sessions that will allow participants to explore the potential of innovative fast-screening tools (biosensors) to evaluate the safety and authenticity of seafood products. | 6 |
Course material:
For the e-Learning part of the course, the material to be used during the course will comprise interactive Powerpoint presentations integrated with tutorial videos and virtual tours.
For the face-to-face events, apart from the Powerpoint presentations that will be used as support material, participants will be in close contact with different lab material, seafood samples and products in order to offer participants a more interactive and “hands-on-the-job” experience.
Teaching method (max 500 characters spaces included):
The teaching method selected for this course aims at maximizing the interaction between participants and tutors, despite the current constraints imposed by Covid19. Hence, two approaches will be used: a) e-Learning with access to interactive presentations, tutorial videos and virtual tours; and b) face-to-face sessions, where participants will practice on real-life case studies and will have the opportunity to consolidate the knowledge previously acquired in the e-Learning platform.
Assessment method and criteria (max 500 characters spaces included):
The knowledge and technical competences acquired by participants will be evaluated by means of online quizzes focused on general concepts from main lectured issues, as well as the level of engagement and practical competences demonstrated in group works to be held during the face-to-face sessions.
Notes and prerequisites:
Academic background in food science and technology, veterinary or marine biology; or more than 2 years of professional experience in the seafood sector.
Course structure
| Session/Topic | On-line phase (16 h in total) | Format on-line (audio-video, video-lessons, text, etc.) | Face to face phase (24 h in total) | |
| Session 1 | 1.1. Intra-Union and extra-Union Trade | 2 h | Tutorial videos and videoconference with ppt presentations | 2 h |
| 1.2. Procedures and legislation | ||||
| 1.3. Responsibilities of competent authorities at national and third countries | ||||
| 1.4. Responsibilities of food importers/exporters | ||||
| Session 2 | 2.1. Food hygiene requirements in the European Union | 2 h | Tutorial videos and videoconference with ppt presentations | 2 h |
| 2.2. Responsibilities and interventions of a National Authority for Food Safety and Economic activities – The Inspector Perspective | ||||
| 2.2.1. ASAE Mission, Role, Action and links with other national and European Agencies/Authorities | ||||
| 2.2.2. Relevant data on incompliances in seafood products | ||||
| Session 3 | 3.1. The mission, role, responsibilities and action of a State Laboratory – The Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere | 9 h | Tutorial videos, videoconference with ppt presentations, virtual tours | 16 h |
| 3.2. IPMA’s Reference Laboratories | ||||
| 3.3. Seafood Microbiology: the specificities of seafood microbiota, microbiological criteria and legislation applied to seafood products | ||||
| 3.3.1. Laboratory accreditation – IPMA’s Accredited Laboratory of Microbiology as an example | ||||
| 3.3.2. Case studies and group works | ||||
| 3.4. Chemical hazards in seafood: Maximum permissible levels, analytical methodologies and problematic species/products | ||||
| 3.4.1. Case studies and group works | ||||
| 3.5. Toxins: limits, methodologies, problematic species, health hazards and emerging toxins | ||||
| 3.5.1. Case studies and group works | ||||
| 3.6. Parasites | ||||
| 3.6.1. Case studies and group works | ||||
| 3.7. Sensory analysis applied to seafood products | ||||
| Session 4 | 4. Aquaculture Feeds: Specific import/export procedures, legislation, safety requirements, quality control | 1 h | Videoconference with ppt presentations | 0 h |
| Session 5 | 5. Fast screening tools | 2 h | Tutorial videos, videoconference with ppt presentations | 4 h |
| 4.1 Authenticity of seafood products | ||||
| 4.2. Seafood quality and safety |