The national radio station Buzz FM 96.3 in Vanuatu broadcast an interview with Hilde Kruse, Senior Food Standards Officer at the Codex Secretariat, on 15 June 2020 to share news of World Food Safety Day.

In the interview, Kruse explained that foodborne illnesses are preventable if everyone uses hygienic practices and follows food safety measures. “We need to ensure that all players are aware of their responsibility and have the tools they need to do their part,” she said, calling on farmers, fishers, producers, distributors, vendors, restaurant workers and food consumers to engage in keeping food safe.

The radio news program has covered Codex work and food safety on several occasions.

The Government of Vanuatu, an island in the southwest Pacific, is currently the Codex Regional Coordinator for North America and South-West Pacific (CCNASWP), which provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of food safety.

Vanuatu has twice hosted Codex sessions of CCNASWP, last time in September 2019 http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/committees/codex-regions/ccnaswp/about/en/

The Regional Coordinator is actively promoting Codex work in the region, including the development of regional standards for products of specific importance to the region.

Listen to the radio program: