A 24-hour ‘Tweet-a-thon for food safety’ will be held on 7 September, during which the report documenting World Food Safety Day 2021 in all six official UN languages will be launched.  Follow the Codex Twitter account, @FAOWHOCodex, for this virtual conversation starting at midnight (00:00 CET on 7 September 2021). Webinars, videos, attention-grabbing GIFs and artistic images created by international organizations, governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations and individuals involved and inspired millions of people across the world. Now, three months later, this day [...]

Over 400 delegates gathered on line for the opening session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA), hosted by China and being held virtually from 1 to 10 September 2021. The efforts of the Codex Secretariat, the hosts themselves and the experts from many different countries who lead specific areas of work in the committee have ensured that despite the global pandemic the 52nd session will have a very busy agenda. Mr Jinfeng Liu (pictured), speaking on behalf of the Vice [...]

Hakim Mufumbiro Codex Regional Coordinator for Africa Partner States in the EAC - East African Community (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda) took part from 24 to 27 August 2021 in the 3rd extraordinary meeting of the EAC Codex Forum to specifically generate regional common positions in preparation to effectively participate in the 52nd Codex Committee on Food Additives, the 46th Codex Committee on Food Labelling and the 27th Codex Committee on Fats and Oils which are among the [...]

In 2021, Armenia’s Food Safety Inspection Body (FSIB) initiated two World Food Safety Day events: A webinar on 4 June that focused on national food safety issues and, a conference on 7-8 June in Aghveran with financial support of the Strategic Development Agency in collaboration with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in Armenia (SDC). The virtual event included a presentation from Mary Kenny, FAO’s food safety and consumer protection officer and Peter Hoejskov, a technical officer from the WHO [...]

The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR)wrapped up its 52nd session advancing new Codex Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for spices, seeds, fruits, and other commodities to the 44th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC44). These limits for pesticide residues in food are established by Codex based on a risk assessment and limits for safe intake set by an FAO/WHO international expert scientific group named Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). Gracia Brisco, the Food Standards Officer in the Codex [...]

The Ministry of Public Health of Qatar marked World Food Safety Day, which falls on 7 June, under the theme “Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow", and slogan "Food Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility." On this occasion, the Ministry organized a number of activities and events, including: Virtual Workshops Three workshops targeting family-run businesses over three days on: Introduction to Food Safety -Types of food contamination and sources Types of bacteria and where they’re found in food (e.g. Salmonella, E. Coli , Staphylococcus, Listeria and [...]

The Afrotropic Cocoa Processing company based in Accra, Ghana, exports its cocoa products to many countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia. Here, as for every other food outlet, food safety is of paramount importance and the company held a food safety quiz to celebrate World Food Safety Day this year and to remind employees of their food safety responsibilities. Prizes were awarded to the teams that came 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the quiz, which was both fun and informative. [...]

The Jollibee Foods Corp. (Jollibee Group) organized a series of insightful activities centered around the “5 Calls to Action of World Food Safety Day” from June 1-10, 2021. Representatives from different regions, including restaurant managers, operation and support teams, and top executives participated in the activities, which were designed to help build capacities and highlight the importance of food safety throughout the organization. Under the theme “Ensure it’s Safe”, SGS Global Customised Solutions Manager Evangelia Komitopoulou, PhD spoke about “Emerging Trends [...]

As the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) continues virtually, we spoke to Xiongwu QIAO, Chairperson of CCPR. Professor QIAO is Counsellor of the Government of Province Shan, People’s Republic of China. Chairperson QIAO, thanks for your time. Let’s start with the million-dollar question. What are pesticides and how are they used?  Pesticide means any substance intended for preventing, destroying, attracting, repelling or controlling any pest including unwanted species of plants or animals during the production, storage, transport, distribution and processing of [...]

In opening remarks to the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues, taking place virtually for the first time, from 26 July to 3 August 2021, Zhang Taolin, Vice Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, P.R. China, welcomed participants recalling how CCPR has developed the largest number of standards among all Codex committees. The committee “not only has a significant influence on the development of national pesticide residues standards, but also plays an increasingly important role in strengthening exchanges and cooperation [...]