Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious global health threat and a food safety issue of primary concern. Governments and international organizations have recognized that the issue has to be approached in a multidisciplinary manner, addressing animal, plant, and human health as well as the environment under the One Health approach. This brochure presents the FAO project to facilitate the implementation of Codex texts on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to support the containment and reduction of foodborne AMR. It also briefly describes what different target audiences (government authorities, producers and processors of food, animal, and plants/crops health professionals, consumers) can do in addressing this issue.

FAO and WHO convened a meeting to review and evaluate the evidence in support of precautionary allergen labelling to address unintended allergen presence in foods. The Expert Committee reviewed the data on the current status and uses of the precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) and unanimously agreed that current PAL systems used in many countries needed to be improved as they were neither uniform nor informative and were not consistently risk based on amount and frequency of UAP found in food products. The Expert Committee also found that current PAL approaches led to widespread PAL that diminished information and value for consumers. The Expert Committee reviewed again the principles and basis of RfD from the second meeting and reached a consensus that...

With a food safety focus, a scientific literature review was conducted to characterize the current understanding about the effects of microplastics on the gut microbiome and potential health implications. The main aspects analysed are (1) the effects of microplastics on the composition, diversity and function of gut microbiome using in vito and in vivo models; (2) health implications resulting from the microplastic–microbiome interactions and underlying mechanisms; (3) the establishment of causality; and (4) influence of the gut microbiome on microplastic biodegradation. The research was also scoped to identify current gaps, limitations and needs for the eventual consideration of microbiome-related data in chemical risk assessment. With this work, ESF contributes to the FAO global programme on the impact of food systems on...

With a food safety focus, a scientific literature review was conducted to characterize the current understanding about the effects of veterinary drug residues on the human gut microbiome and potential implications on human health and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The main aspects analysed are (1) effects of individual or combined drugs on the composition, diversity and function of gut microbiome using in vivo or in vitro models; (2) health implications resulting from the veterinary drug-microbiome interactions and underlying mechanisms; (3) establishment of causality; and (4) influence of the gut microbiome on the metabolism and bioavailability of veterinary drugs. The research was also scoped to identify current gaps, limitations and needs for the eventual consideration of microbiome-related data in chemical risk assessment. With...

With a food safety focus, a scientific literature review was conducted to characterize the current understanding about the effects of pesticide residues on the human gut microbiome and potential implications on human health and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The main aspects analysed are (1) effects of individual or combined pesticides on the composition, diversity and function of gut microbiome using in vivo or in vitro models; (2) health implications resulting from the pesticide-microbiome interactions and underlying mechanisms; (3) establishment of causality; and (4) influence of the gut microbiome on the metabolism and bioavailability of pesticides. The research was also scoped to identify current gaps, limitations and needs for the eventual consideration of microbiome-related data in chemical risk assessment.

Cell-based food production, which is the field of growing animal agricultural products directly from cell cultures, has been explored as an alleged sustainable alternative to the conventional livestock agricultural system. As commercial cell-based food production continues to expand, the urgency increases to address one of the most important questions of consumers, the question of food safety. Thus, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), has developed the present document to engage with respective Members and relevant stakeholders by proactively sharing the current knowledge to identify concrete ways to inform consumers and all other stakeholders about the food safety considerations for cell-based food products.

Elaborated at the request of the 27th Session of the Committee on Agriculture, the FAO Strategic Priorities for Food Safety within the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 were endorsed by the FAO Council in December 2022. These Strategic Priorities are articulated around four interconnected Strategic Outcomes focused on governance, scientific advice, strengthening national food control systems and fostering public–private partnerships along the food chain. They result from an iterative consultative process led by FAO with its Members and international partner organizations, including, notably WHO.

These pages address the work of FAO and its partners in ensuring food is safe. Our intention is to develop, deploy and communicate the latest science; support good governance; facilitate food safety emergency prevention and response; and keep a close watch on both future opportunities and the risks that may accompany them. Food is the essence of life. And food safety is everyone’s business.

The document contains food additive specification monographs, analytical methods, and other information prepared at the ninety-fifth meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), which was held virtually from 6 to 17 June and 22 June 2022. The specification monographs provide information on the identity and purity of food additives used directly in foods or in food production. The main three objectives of these specifications are to identify the food additive that has been subjected to testing for safety, to ensure that the additives are of the quality required for use in food or in processing and to reflect and encourage good manufacturing practice. This publication and other documents produced by JECFA contain information that is useful to...

This report presented the outcome from the JEMRA meeting, which includes the: situation analysis concerning water use and reuse in the production and processing of fish and fishery products, analysis of case studies for different risk-based water use and reuse processing scenarios and species, water quality monitoring and the use of non-culture based microbiological methods, recommendations concerning the safety and quality of water used in fish production and processing, and critical research gaps and policy developments.