Wikileaks - MDLV

241353 12/23/2009 7:43 09BUCHAREST859 Embassy Bucharest UNCLASSIFIED 09STATE108138 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