FAO and WHO will launch their Food Control Assessment Tool which assists countries in assessing the effectiveness of their food control system, on Tuesday 16 November 2021 with an online event.

The tool was published in 2019 and is based on the Codex Principles and Guidelines for National Food Control Systems (CAC/GL 82-2013). During the launch, participants will learn more about the tool, its application and the potential outcomes of an assessment. 

National food control systems play a pivotal role in protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade. Whatever the architecture of a national food control system, resources, even if limited, must target the right priorities to ensure the system achieves its goals.

“Measuring performance allows us to know where we are, identify areas for improvement and target investments. Keeping track of progress is also a clear signal of transparency and accountability. This is the foundation for trust, which is key to building stakeholder confidence domestically and internationally, opening new markets and improving safe trade,” said Hyunjin Kim, WHO, part of the team supporting implementation of the tool.

The assessment tool will help governments evaluate the adequacy of resources and the relevance of their control and surveillance of the national food control system. It also supports authorities in reviewing their interactions with stakeholders in the food chain.

The launch is designed for senior officials as well as technical officers from competent authorities involved in the operation of the national food control system but it is open to anybody with an interest in finding out more about the FAO/WHO food control system assessment tool. 

Learn more

• Date: 16 November 2021, Tuesday 
• Time: 11:00-11:40 UTC / 12:00-12:40 CET 
• Participation: Please click here to register for the event. 

The launch will be held via Zoom, in English only. 

The assessment tool is available in 5 languages either on FAO’s webpage or on WHO’s webpage.