The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) have served as scientific advisory bodies to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, to member countries and other interested parties since the 1960s. Considerable changes have taken place in the procedures and complexity of assessments of chemicals in food since the preparation of the original guidance documents for the work of JECFA and JMPR (EHCs 70 and 104). In order to reflect significant advances in chemical analysis, toxicological assessment, and risk assessment procedures, this detailed monograph on the methods and principles for the risk assessment of chemicals in food was developed.

Food inspection, based on risk analysis, is a vital component of a modern food control system. Food inspection is essential to protect consumers by implementing adequate food controls to ensure domestically produced or imported food is properly handled, stored, manufactured, processed, transported, prepared, served and sold in accordance with the requirements of national laws and regulations. This manual introduces a risk-based inspection approach and procedures for primary production operations and food processing establishments, and is composed of six parts.

The paper aims to identify potential impacts of anticipated changes in climate on food safety and their control at all stages of the food chain. The purpose is to raise awareness of the issue and to facilitate international cooperation in better understanding the changing food safety situation and in developing and implementing strategies to address them.