During its 59th meeting, the Committee discussed the usefulness of the Technical Data Sheet and the role of specifications as part of the risk assessment process and concluded that the development of specifications is an integral part of the risk assessment of food additives; -drafting of specifications require data on the manufacture and the composition of an additive at all steps of its development and safety testing; - information on the technological functions and the current and intended uses is needed; the output from the risk assessment includes the specifications which relate to the material that was evaluated and to the product to be marketed; - specifications should be continuously reviewed to account for changes in the manufacturing process, the...

These guidelines have been written for an informed audience, and may be used in different contexts. In an international context, the guidelines will provide guidance for hazard characterizations conducted by the Ad hoc Joint Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment and in the development of the WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality (GDWQ). At the national level, they will provide guidance for hazard characterizations conducted for government and regulatory authorities.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) convened an expert consultation on "Risk assessment of Campylobacter spp. In broiler chickens and Vibrio spp. in seafood" in the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP), Bangkok, Thailand on 5 - 9 August 2002. The list of participants is presented in Annex 1. Mr Dong Qingsong, FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific and Officer-in-charge, RAP, opened the meeting on behalf of the two sponsoring organizations. In welcoming the participants Mr Qingsong noted the increasing significance of microbiological hazards in relation to food safety. He noted that international trade had amplified the opportunity for these hazards to be disseminated...

The Technical Consultation on Biological Risk Management in Food and Agriculture met in Bangkok, Thailand, from 13 to 17 January 2003. The list of delegates and observers is attached as Appendix A. The aim of the Consultation was to consult Governments on the possibilities to harmonize, where appropriate, methods of risk analysis, to enhance capacity-building where needed, particularly among developing countries and countries with economies in transition, and to establish an official information exchange system on biological risk management in food and agriculture ("Biosecurity"). The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had established a Priority Area for Interdisciplinary Action on Biosecurity, to coordinate this process within the Organization. During 2002, consultations had taken place with other relevant international organizations to explore...

Effective national food control systems are essential to protect the health and safety of domestic consumers. They are also critical in enabling countries to assure the safety and quality of their foods entering international trade and to ensure that imported foods conform to national requirements. The new global environment for food trade places considerable obligations on both importing and exporting countries to strengthen their food control systems and to implement and enforce risk-based food control strategies. Consumers are taking unprecedented interest in the way food is produced, processed and marketed, and are increasingly calling for their Governments to accept greater responsibility for food safety and consumer protection. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World...

In response to the request of the 22nd session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1997, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), convened a series of expert consultations and related activities to address microbiological aspects of food safety, and in particular microbiological risk assessment (MRA). These activities are known as the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA). MRA has been identified as a useful tool for enabling informed actions and decisions aimed at improving food safety. It is recognized that MRA is still a developing science and remains beyond the capacities of many countries. The MRA activities promoted by FAO and WHO aim to optimize...