Strengthening global food safety through improved capacities for food control at regional and country levels

Food & Agricultural Org/United Nations, Rome

Investigators

Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract In today’s globalized world, food safety capacities need to be strengthened everywhere to enable more rational and effective controls in all countries. The main objective of this project is to contribute to the strengthening of national food control systems through provision of authoritative and practical guidance, training materials and capacity development activities at global level and in a number of selected countries. The proposed approach is based on two complementary pillars, each comprised of activities at global, and regional/country levels. Pillar 1 deals with the promotion an support to the sound use of FAO/WHO food control system, which allows a systematic and reliable evaluation of how national systems are performing and where the critical weaknesses lie. At country level, the assessment process entails the development of national action plans for improving the system and verify the achievement of target improvements and thus promote accountability among decision makers vis-a-vis potential contributing donors or technical agencies. Successful implementation contributes to reduce food safety risks for domestic consumers in the beneficiary countries and to promote economic development through increased food and agricultural exports that meet international sanitary and phytosanitary requirements. As the tool has now been in operation for some years, it is increasingly becoming important to engage in its “maintenance” to ensure it remains up to date. Pillar 2 deals with Strengthening of the evidence and risk basis of official food controls: the shift of the modern food safety conception from “reactive” to “preventive”, has led governments worldwide moving towards risk-based approaches to food control activities and requiring all operators in the food supply chain to bear primary responsibility for food safety. Food inspection programs need to prioritize controls based on effective risks posed by the food or food operator practices. Planning food inspection based on risk can be particularly beneficial to developing and transition economies as they make better use of existing resources by allocating them toward processes and businesses presenting the greatest potential health risk to consumers and by implementing enforcement action proportionate to the level of risk. In turns, this also minimizes costs to food operators by reducing unnecessary inspection and testing costs. A complementary instrument to inspection plans, monitoring (and sampling) programmes are often overseen by developing countries, as the concepts underlying their basis need to be unpacked. The scientific advice publications by JECFA and JEMRA, as well as Codex Alimentarius guidelines provide useful guidance, which would benefit to be supplemented by more practical considerations allowing countries to replace this guidance into their context.