Six countries assess their food safety situation
Bolivia, Cambodia, Colombia, Mongolia, Nepal and Pakistan have now assessed their plans to address foodborne antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as part of the “Action to support implementation of Codex AMR Texts (ACT)" project.
“The main goal was to assess how each country is doing regarding the implementation of the Codex AMR texts,“ said Jorge Pinto Ferreira, FAO Food Safety Officer, referring to: Guidelines for Risk Analysis of Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance, Guidelines on Integrated Monitoring and Surveillance of Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance, and Code of Practice to Minimize and Control Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance.
“It was important to identify the gaps and prepare the action plans, and road maps,” he explained, having served as a facilitator during the assessments. “One should never lose sight of the overall picture: by implementing Codex texts, countries are assuring food safety for their populations and ensuring fair practices in the food trade,” he said.
In this process, five countries used the FAO AMR Progressive Management Pathway (PMP) tool while Nepal used the Codex Code of Practice (COP) tool. Both tools aim to determine a clear set of actions that can help the countries move forward in their efforts to address foodborne AMR.
Pinto Ferreira noted that the assessment process went smoothly, and now it is time to implement the action plans. Each country has a detailed assessment of the situation regarding AMR and antimicrobial use; they have identified the stakeholders, next steps and a timeline. The countries are now defining road maps to move from an aspirational list of activities to a reality of fulfilled objectives.
The ACT project is supporting the implementation of Codex AMR texts. Financed by the Republic of Korea, this project will also lead to better management of foodborne AMR in Bolivia, Cambodia, Colombia, Mongolia, Nepal and Pakistan. By improving access to international markets and protecting consumers against the risks posed by foodborne AMR, the project will contribute to more inclusive, safe and efficient food systems.
Pinto Ferreira also said that each country needs to plan actions based on different scenarios and contexts, however, there were a couple of topics that seem to be common for most countries. Please read the interview with the FAO Food Safety Officer to learn more about common challenges in Asia and Latin America, why the AMR assessments are important for the countries, what tools can be used to evaluate the progress and the lessons learned so far.
See the full interview: here
Related links
For more information about the ACT project
Codex Guidelines for Risk Analysis of Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance
Codex Guidelines on Integrated Monitoring and Surveillance of Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance
Codex Code of Practice to Minimize and Contain Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance