International regulatory cooperation: contribution of the OIE and the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and SPS Committee

Food services in times of uncertainty: Remodeling operations, changing trends, and looking into perspectives after the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

Social distancing and the economic downturn imposed by COVID-19 have significantly affected the food service segment. Therefore, operation recovery and adapting to a new reality must be achieved as quickly and efficiently as possible. Studies on this topic, which have been conceptualized in various parts of the world, have brought new ideas to light to mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19 on food service.

Scope and approach

This study aimed to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on food service operations, changes in pre-existing trends, and post-pandemic perspectives.

Key findings and conclusions

COVID-19 has changed all business segments. When dining rooms were forced to close, many food services had to resort to innovation to survive, and many added deliveries and/or adopted the dark kitchen models in one of their many forms. It is expected that the demand for delivery, dark kitchens, and the adoption of technological solutions, for example, contactless payment, will remain in the post-pandemic scenario. Food quality control measures have become more strictly enforced, not only to prevent SARS-CoV-2 contamination but also to increase credibility with the customer. These long-established food safety practices have returned to the spotlight, been revised, and should be maintained for well into the post-pandemic period. Restaurants are operating again and restrictions on opening hours and capacity have been relaxed or eliminated. Continued studies on this topic are important for supporting creative and scientifically based solutions for socio-economic recovery.

Impacts of African Swine Fever on Pigmeat Markets in Europe

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious animal disease which can cause disruptions in the international trade of pigs and products derived from pigs. During 2014-2019 ASF was introduced into several member states in the European Union (EU), including the Baltic states and Poland (2014), Czech Republic and Romania (2017), Belgium, Bulgaria and Hungary (2018), and Slovakia (2019). The objective of this study was to analyze how the ASF epidemic has contributed to the production, export, and prices of pigmeat and to the national pig inventory (number of pigs) in 11 EU member states. The data included country-level statistics on the pig markets and ASF outbreaks observed during 2010-2019. The data were first analyzed descriptively. Following this, a system of four equations was specified and estimated by using seemingly unrelated regression method. The results indicated that the consequences of ASF to the pigmeat markets are complex and may differ by country. They suggest that an ASF outbreak can reduce the production of pigmeat, export quantities and the national pig inventory in the short and medium term. On average, those new cases of ASF reduced the exports of pigmeat by close to 15% and the production quantity by more than 4% in the year after the cases had occurred, and the national pig inventory by 3-4% both in the current and the next year. However, only indirect effects on pigmeat prices were observed.