Cablegate: Romania: Reportable Food Registry Response

VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBM #0859 3570743
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 230743Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0200
INFO RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 5026

UNCLAS BUCHAREST 000859

STATE FOR EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT ARYAN
USDA FOR VKLEIN
SOFIA FOR FAS HVHUYNH

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD EAGR RO
SUBJECT: ROMANIA: REPORTABLE FOOD REGISTRY RESPONSE

REF: STATE 108138

1. Post delivered reftel talking points on November 2, 2009 to Dr.
Liviu Rusu, General Director of Romania's Food Safety General
Directorate, which is part of the National Sanitary, Veterinary, and
Food Safety Authority. Dr. Rusu recently responded by letter dated
December 3, endorsing the general principles of the Reportable Food
Registry (RFR). The letter notes that good food safety decisions
are based on reliable data and appropriate analysis, and that the
RFR electronic portal the U.S. Government is implementing appears to
meet these criteria.
2. The Director offered two additional comments. First, he
recommends that the concept of "reasonable probability" that food
may cause serious adverse health consequences should be defined as
precisely as possible. Second, referring to paragraph 7 of the "RFR
At A Glance" provided in reftel, Dr. Rusu asserts that if a
responsible party is not required to report an adulteration, they
should nonetheless be required to identify the weak point or source
in the food chain which produced the adulteration. He further
suggests that this responsibility should be articulated in
legislation.
GITENSTEIN

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