The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will host a comprehensive technical review workshop coupled with an intensive training session to strengthen food safety assessment practices and tools. As a cornerstone of the organization's agenda, the workshop – scheduled to take place in Rome during the week of June 17 – aims to ensure the continuous improvement and sustainability of FAO's food safety assessment programme. Food control systems are key in advancing a country’s public health and economic development. As economies expand and new food safety challenges, like food fraud, antimicrobial resistances (AMR),...

The risk of acquiring avian influenza A (H5N1) infection from food remains negligible, especially when food safety practices like pasteurization and adequate cooking are applied.   This is the conclusion of The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as recently reported in a Preliminary rapid risk assessment of foodborne avian influenza A (H5N1) virus. Hazards and risks are not the same thing.  A hazard is something with the potential to cause harm.  In contrast, risk is the likelihood, or chance, and extent that harm may occur. Although very rare, avian influenza A (H5N1) virus, like...

World Food Safety Day has arrived, this year under the theme “food safety: prepare for the unexpected”! World Food Safety Day is facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). For this year’s campaign, which coincides with the 20th anniversary of the FAO/WHO International Food Safety Authorities Network (INOFSAN), governments, food businesses and consumers are being encouraged to make sure they know how to keep their food safe even when the unexpected happens. Events have been organized by food safety authorities, governments, universities, food safety professionals and many more the world...

In a live event on World Food Safety Day 2023, FAO launched “FAO’s GHP and HACCP Toolbox for Food Safety”,a website comprising a series of practical food safety management guidance documents based on the Codex Alimentarius General Principles of Food Hygiene. The...

Lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) and ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) are fortified foods designed to prevent and treat malnutrition in children. LNS and RUTF are delivered by humanitarian organizations such as the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Médecins Sans Frontières, as part of nutritional programmes to treat malnutrition or severe wasting in children over a specified period of time. They are often produced locally in regions experiencing food insecurity. Before consumption, all edible oils used in products such as LNS/RUTF must be refined to remove undesirable substances and create a palatable, shelf-stable product,...

In the run up to World Food Safety Day on 7 June 2024, a new episode of the Codex podcast has been released. Vittorio Fattori and Keya Mukherjee from FAO’s Agrifood Systems and Food Safety Division joined host Giuseppe DiChiera to discuss the future of food safety. Through the Food Safety Foresight programme, FAO is monitoring how emerging global drivers and trends might affect the safety of our food and using this knowledge to inform strategic proactive preparedness for future opportunities and challenges. Preparing for emerging food safety issues The theme for World Food Safety Day 2024 is “Food safety: prepare for...

Rome – May 24, 2024 – Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care and FAO successfully conducted a one-and-a-half-day workshop in Mutare to finalize the costing of a strategic workplan to enhance the country’s food control system. This event is part of the EU-funded project “Strengthening Food Control and Phytosanitary Capacities and Governance,” which seeks to bolster food safety and phytosanitary measures across twelve African Union member countries. Background and Objectives In 2023, Zimbabwe undertook a rigorous re-assessment of its food control system using the FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool, an internationally recognized...

14 May, Seoul, Republic of Korea In the week of 13 May the Republic of Korea held Korea Food Safety Day (KFSD), the largest commemorative event in the field of Korean national food safety. Its goal is to raise awareness about the critical importance of food safety among the public.  And this year’s slogan is “Together for food safety, Healthy South Korea”. Dr Corinna Hawkes, Codex Secretary ad interim and Director of the FAO Division of Agrifood Systems and Food Safety, attended both events, giving keynote speeches and presentations. Among the events held during the...

A review on new food sources and production systems by scientists from the Singapore Food Agency and FAO has been published in the journal Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety.  New food sources and production systems (NFPS) can play a critical role in the transformation of our agrifood systems by encouraging dietary shifts and diversifying our current ways of producing food. NFPS are attracting significant interest, driven by international trade, changing consumer preferences, potential sustainability benefits, and innovations in climate-resilient food production systems. However, with increasing attention on these...

Viruses are the tiniest of microbes, but that doesn’t mean they should be underestimated as a significant threat. While they do require a host to multiply, they can still survive in the environment, including in food, until encountering a victim. Contaminated food can find its way into our refrigerators and meals, and as a result, viruses find their way into our bodies, often causing unpleasant illness or, at worst, death. But there are things that can be done to prevent that from happening. CODEX developed the Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene...