World Food Safety Day 2021 Report

At Seventy-third World Health Assembly, WHO was tasked by Member States to update the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety under the resolution WHA73.5, ‘‘Strengthening efforts on food safety’’. To advance this work, WHO convened the first Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting on the update of WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety from 8 to 10 February 2021. The meeting was attended by WHO Multisectoral Actions in Food Systems (AFS) headquarters staff, WHO regional advisors for food safety, 24 TAG members, and staff from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as observers. The overall objective of the first TAG meeting was to collect experts’ advice on the consultation paper developed for discussion on this meeting and the update process of the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety. This meeting generally agreed on the role of food safety in the global development agenda, the drivers of change for the future of food safety, the aim and the vision, and the proposed five strategic priorities. The meeting highlighted the need to foster global and regional cooperation. While recognizing the strategy should be Member State oriented, it was agreed to enhance WHO’s leadership and give more visibility to WHO’s role in supporting Member States to strengthen food safety and lower the burden of foodborne disease.

The second Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting on the update of the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety was held virtually on 19, 22 to 23 April 2021. The meeting was attended by WHO headquarters staff from the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, WHO regional advisors for food safety and 23 TAG members. Staff from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Codex Secretariat joined the meeting as observers. The overall objective of the second TAG meeting was to review the first draft of the WHO Global Strategy Food Safety prepared by the WHO Secretariat based on the discussion from the first TAG meeting and comments received from TAG members, and to finalize the draft for public consultation. The second TAG meeting agreed on the overall structure and content of the draft strategy. This meeting noted the importance to highlight technical cooperation and knowledge sharing among countries for the implementation of the strategy and it was agreed to establish global food safety indicators and targets for the strategy to enhance its accountability.

This technical summary prepared by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) reports on the two international food safety conferences held in Addis Ababa and Geneva in February and April 2019. It recalls the key actions and strategies presented to address current and future challenges to food safety globally and the steps required to strengthen commitment at the highest political level to scale up food safety in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At a pivotal moment focussing international attention on actions needed to bolster food safety, this publication recalls the priorities discussed so that food safety strategies and approaches can be aligned across sectors and borders, reinforcing efforts to reach the Sustainable Development Goals and supporting the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition.

Agrifood systems are undergoing a transformation with the aim to provide safer, more affordable, and healthier diets for all, produced in a sustainable manner while delivering just and equitable livelihoods: a key to achieving the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, this transformation needs to be executed in the global context of major challenges facing the food and agriculture sectors, with drivers such as climate change, population growth, urbanization, and natural resources depletion compounding these challenges. Food safety is a keystone to agrifood systems and all food safety actors need to keep pace with the ongoing transformation while preparing to navigate the potential threats, disruptions, and challenges that may arise. Foresight in food safety facilitates the proactive identification of drivers and related trends, both within and outside agrifood systems, that have implications for food safety and therefore also for consumer health, the national economy, and international trade. Early identification and evaluation of drivers and trends promote strategic planning and preparedness to take advantage of emerging opportunities and address challenges in food safety. In this publication, the FAO Food Safety Foresight programme provides an overview of the major global drivers and trends by describing their implications for food safety in particular and for agrifood systems by extrapolation. The various drivers and trends reported include climate change, changing consumer behaviour and preferences, new food sources and production systems, technological advances, microbiome, circular economy, food fraud, among others. The intended audience for this publication is broad – from the policymakers, academia, food business operators, private sector, to all of us, the consumers.

Food Safety in Middle East provides the latest research data on food safety in the Arab countries of the Middle East and summarizes recent developments on food safety practices, policies, and legislations. Food safety is a hot issue in research over the last decade due to the surge in foodborne infections, particularly in this area. Data suggest the increase is due to the foods consumed by the increasing holidaymakers and tourists. This book sums up information published in scientific literature with additional reports, knowledge and expertise to help reduce foodborne illnesses in this growing area. Beginning with the introduction of Middle East’s food culture, the book addresses the food safety status in the Middle East. It dives deep in biological hazards (foodborne infections, intoxications and toxicoinfections) and in chemical hazards in foods of the Middle East. Additionally, the book reviews current measures that are being used to control foodborne pathogens in common foods widely consumed in the area. Interestingly, important data on food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices among food handlers in foodservice establishments in the Arab countries of the Middle East, are being thoroughly presented and analyzed. The book finally summarizes the current food safety legislations implemented at government level in certain Middle Eastern countries. It is a valuable reference for graduate students, researchers, librarians and professionals working in the food sector. Gives an overview of the traditional foods, food safety practices, and food culture in the Middle East Provides current research on pathogens in traditional foods consumed in the Arab countries of the Middle East Discusses foodborne infections, intoxications and toxicoinfections to gain an understanding of causes to promote best practices Summarizes data on chemical contaminants and residues in foods addressing potential food safety hazards in the Middle East Discusses control measures of pathogens in common foods in the Middle East Includes information on policies and strategies/measures to combat food safety infections, intoxications and toxicoinfections Presents perspectives on current and future legislations to limit foodborne intoxications to improve food safety in Middle East countries and the Gulf states