Incidents, emergencies and crises

Food safety events requiring intervention to protect consumer health vary in impact, from minor incidents to major crises. When food safety is compromised, a local event can quickly escalate to an international incident or emergency. Therefore, it is critical for both governments and food business operators to anticipate, prevent and control food safety risks.

FAO collaborates with countries to develop systems for preventing, preparing for, and responding to food safety emergencies. FAO and WHO have developed a series of resources to strengthen countries’ preparedness and response capacity to control food safety events:

Early warning tools and systems for emerging issues in food safety

2023

Early warning (EW) systems have a critical role in the reduction of risks from various hazards.

FAO/WHO guide for developing and improving national food recall systems

2012

Food recall is a fundamental tool in the management of risks in response to food safety events and emergencies.

FAO/WHO guide for application of risk analysis principles and procedures duringfood safety emergencies

2011

An essential part of the Food Safety Emergency Response (FSER) is the process of assessing the risk, making risk management decisions, and communicating risk in the face of time constraints, lack of data and knowledge gaps.