In recognition of regional standards as important means for ensuring safe and fair food trade among countries in a given region, FAO and WHO, with the financial assistance of the Codex Trust Fund, organized a training workshop on "Understanding Regional Standards" on November 4th 2012 in Tokyo, Japan. This workshop was held prior to the 18 the Session of CCASIA. Among the forty five participants that attended the workshop, thirty one participants from sixteen Asian countries were supported by the Codex Trust Fund.

An essential part of the Food Safety Emergency Response (FSER) is the process of assessing the risk, making risk management decisions, and communicating risk in the face of time constraints, lack of data and knowledge gaps. While the elements for conducting a risk analysis have been documented by Codex Alimentarius, the process of applying the risk analysis concept operationally during an emergency has not been addressed thoroughly. Some countries do, however, have well-defined procedures for assessing, managing and communicating food safety risks in the context of emergency situations, from which best practices may be derived. FAO and WHO have developed this document to support countries in applying risk analysis principles and procedures during emergencies in their own national food control...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization convened a Joint Expert Consultation on the Risks and Benefits of Fish Consumption from 25 to 29 January 2010. The tasks of the Expert Consultation were to review data on levels of nutrients (long-chain omega-3 fatty acids) and specific chemical contaminants (methylmercury and dioxins) in a range of fish species and to compare the health benefits of fish consumption and nutrient intake with the health risks associated with contaminants present in fish. The Expert Consultation drew a number of conclusions regarding the health benefits and health risks associated with fish consumption and recommended a series of steps that Member States should take to better assess and...