Dr Kabayiza is the Government Coordinator of the “Strengthening Food Control and Phytosanitary Capacities and Governance” in Rwanda. He has been Chief Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Trade since 2021. We wanted to learn more about him, about his background, what led him to our project and how he sees the project impacting his country.   Can you tell us about yourself? About your background and how you got involved in food safety and the project specifically? I have held the position of Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) for the Ministry of Trade and...

In Uganda, FAO recently concluded a comprehensive assessment of the national food control system. The nine-month assessment culminated in a final workshop held in Kampala where high-level officials gathered to review and endorse the final report and strategic action plan. Mr. Paul Mwambu, Commissioner from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, discussed the success of the assessment during the closing event, noting “Over the past months, we have witnessed remarkable progress in our efforts to strengthen food control in Uganda.” The assessment is part of "Strengthening of Capacities and Governance in Food and Phytosanitary...

The European Union (EU) recently announced a six-month extension, expanding the scope of an ongoing project led by FAO to advance food safety and plant health in the African Union (AU). This extension will now benefit three more countries, allowing for four additional assessments to take place. The project "Strengthening Food Control and Phytosanitary Capacities and Governance" was launched in November of 2022 with EU funding to complete comprehensive assessments of the food control and/or phytosanitary systems in 11 AU member countries. Thanks to the extension, the team of experts from the FAO and the IPPC Secretariat leading the project will be...

From 29 to 30 January 2024, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will host a technical workshop on whole genome sequencing (WGS) application in water and foodborne disease outbreaks in Lima, Peru. The meeting is being organized jointly with the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). Global knowledge of pre-harvest factors in food safety with the water quality issue is currently drawing an attention as it is still largely limited. As global water scarcity may result in pushing towards the use of poor-quality water sources, better understanding of the connections between water quality and food safety...

FAO hosted the Technical Meeting: Gut microbiome in food safety chemical risk assessment which was held from 12 – 14 December 2023. A multiregional and multidisciplinary group of experts – spanning from toxicologists to microbial ecology specialists and involved in chemical risk assessments and microbiome research programmes – discussed the identification of microbiome-related data suitability, gaps and needs for chemical risk assessment, as well as the microbiome-host interactions and its biological relevance. The experts also identified the conditions and developments that need to take place in order to integrate the different gut microbiome data into chemical risk...

We sat down with Yousouf Gaungoo, Principal Public Health and Food Safety Inspector and Regional Health Officer in Mauritius, and government coordinator for the EU-funded project “Strengthening food control and phytosanitary capacities and governance.” We wanted to learn more about him and how he got involved in food safety. We also wanted to gain a better understanding of the food control system in Mauritius and how he saw the project potentially impacting the system and food safety in his country.   Can you tell us about yourself? About your background, where you are from and how...

In a groundbreaking initiative led by the Chilean Food Safety and Quality Agency (ACHIPIA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Chile has become the first country in Latin America to implement a food control system assessment facilitated by FAO. The initiative is meant to improve strategic planning and strengthen governance around food safety. The launch event for the "Evaluación del sistema de control de los alimentos de Chile” unfolded in Santiago, Chile, from December 11 to 15 with high-profile policymakers in attendance, including Santiago Rojas, Acting Undersecretary of Agriculture and Diego Varela, Executive Secretary of ACHIPIA. The...

Rome - Today, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) formalised their joint commitment to bolster global food safety with the allocation of US$ 3 million towards the enhancement of global food safety. This agreement comes at a crucial time when food systems need to transform to become more efficient, while at the same time becoming more resilient, more sustainable, and safer. Foodborne diseases claim the lives of approximately 420,000 individuals annually, with a staggering one-third of the victims being children under the age of five. Foodborne illnesses not only result in...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released a new publication highlighting the pivotal role of Codex standards in addressing foodborne antimicrobial resistance (AMR).  “Foodborne AMR poses a significant threat to public health, and Codex's contributions are instrumental in mitigating this threat

The gut microbiome is a dynamic microbial network composed of trillions of microorganisms living in a symbiotic relationship with the host. It plays an important role metabolizing compounds produced by the host, producing essential metabolites such as vitamins, amino acids and short-chain fatty acids and offering protection by stimulating the immune system and contributing to its maturation. The composition and dynamics of the gut microbiome are more highly dependent on stressors and environmental factors than on host genetics. Therefore, a better understanding of how dietary chemicals can impact the gut microbiome and human health would allow to...