New FAO publication: Investing in food safety for global benefits
Having comparable levels of capacities across countries to ensure food safety can be a challenge. While implementing food safety measures reduces the toll foodborne diseases can take on human health, trade and productivity, interventions are less effective when the limited capacities of one country affect the more advanced capacities of another.
FAO established a series of multi-year projects, funded by the government of Japan, aimed at enhancing capacities to develop and implement international food safety standards in countries that are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The project led to results that have contributed to improving consumer health and to facilitating the food trade, and have strengthened the technical collaboration between ASEAN and their trade partners including Japan.
In April 2021, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific published a booklet entitled “Investing in food safety for global benefits – a concrete case in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries”. This concise resource summarizes the collaboration efforts to improve the participation of ASEAN countries in Codex Alimentarius, and therefore to ensure a high level of food safety while also minimizing food trade restrictions. More than 14 training courses were held between 2016 and 2019 to strengthen capacities to develop and implement Codex standards.
The FAO project to enhance ASEAN countries’ participation in Codex led to food safety improvements that are a noteworthy achievement for the region, but they also set a significant reference at the global level: the impacts of collaboration are now at the service of all. Examples of the how the results were obtained through the collaboration, such as strengthening capacities in food inspection systems, or on the application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures and Codex standards are available in the booklet.
Download the publication:
FAO Food safety toolkit booklet 3 - Investing in food safety for global benefits – A concrete case in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries
For more information:
Codex Alimentarius International Food Standards
Food safety page - FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific