وافقت الدورة الثامنة عشر لهيئة الدستور الغذائي، التي عُقدت في عام 1989، على إنشاء لجنة التنسيق لهيئة الدستور الغذائي في أمريكا الشمالية وجنوب غرب المحيط الهادئ، حيث جمعت على حد تعبير وفد نيوزيلندا "البلدان النائية ... التي لديها العديد من المصالح المشتركة".
وتُمثل لجنة التنسيق لهيئة الدستور الغذائي في أمريكا الشمالية وجنوب غرب المحيط الهادئ منطقة متنوعة بشكل ملحوظ تجمع بين الاقتصادات الناضجة تماما مثل الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وكندا وأستراليا ونيوزيلندا و10 دول جزرية صغيرة، أكبرها هي بابوا غينيا الجديدة (أكثر من 7 ملايين نسمة) وأصغرها جزر كوك وناورو التي يبلغ عدد سكانها حوالي 10000 نسمة.
ويقع مقر المنسق الإقليمي في وزارة الزراعة في فيجي.
كما تتطلع دولة فيجي إلى تطبيق المواصفات على المستوى الوطني ودعم جميع البلدان في المنطقة، ولا سيما الدول الجزرية الصغيرة النامية، لوضع إطار سياساتي سليم لسلامة الأغذية. وستدعم هذه المبادرات التحسينات في الصحة العامة، وتضمن أن الأغذية المستوردة آمنة وتتحلى بالجودة المتوقعة وتزيد من فرص الوصول إلى الأسواق الدولية.
وسيواصل المنسق الإقليمي دعم العمل المتعلق بالمواصفات الإقليمية، كما سيسعى إلى تعزيز مشاركة المنطقة في هيئة الدستور الغذائي بشكل عام. ويمكن تحقيق ذلك من خلال الاستمرار في تطوير القدرات على المستوى الوطني من خلال تعزيز دور المنسقين الوطنيين وتحسين نقاط الاتصال لزيادة المشاركة الفعالة في هيئة الدستور الغذائي.
Environmental Health Australia (EHA) and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) in the USA have teamed up to host a 24-hour live event for World Food Safety Day. “Have you ever wondered what food safety looks like in other countries?” they are asking prospective viewers – and for those who have, there will be answers from all over the world.
The Facebook live event will kick off with an opening address from Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response [...]
Students and staff at Kansas State University’s Food Science Institute are gearing up to raise food safety awareness in a variety of ways. KSU students from around the world have already prepared a video explaining why food safety is important and a podcast has been recorded for the University’s Global Food Systems podcast series. The discussions in this 7 June podcast cover subjects ranging from human food safety behaviours, cultural contributions and foodborne illness to global child mortality and antimicrobial [...]
Representatives of countries of the North America and South West Pacific (NASWP) region met virtually on 23 November 2020 to update the regional work-plan for implementation of the Codex Strategic Plan until CCNASWP will reconvene, tentatively early 2022. Addressing over 25 participants, in opening remarks Vice-Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Steve Wearne, UK, said “all Members had a voice in the adoption of the new Strategic Plan and all Codex actors now have a shared responsibility for its implementation”.
Delegations [...]
The Codex Alimentarius Commission approved a standard for kava products for use as a beverage when mixed with water today.
“The work started way back in 2004 in Apia, Samoa, and has taken 16 years to get here,” explained the representative of Vanuatu on behalf of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for North America and South West Pacific (CCNASWP), the region where the standard will be used.
Kava is part of the culture and the economy of the Pacific Islands. The root of [...]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service is recognizing September as Food Safety education Month and encouraging consumers to follow good food safety practices to protect themselves and their families from foodborne illness.
The guidance reminds consumers they should follow four simple steps for food safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill.
Read the USDA press release here.
Learn more about the four steps at Foodsafety.gov.
Food safety touches every aspect of our food system and defines how secure, sustainable, resilient, and nourishing a food supply can be when stressed. To mark the second annual World Food Safety Day, FAO North America convened a webinar exploring how to maintain safe supply chains during a pandemic and minimize future disruptions to build more resilient food systems and ensure food security on 12 June. Hank Cardello, Senior Fellow & Director, Food Policy Center, Hudson Institute moderated the expert discussion, [...]
The national radio station Buzz FM 96.3 in Vanuatu broadcast an interview with Hilde Kruse, Senior Food Standards Officer at the Codex Secretariat, on 15 June 2020 to share news of World Food Safety Day.
In the interview, Kruse explained that foodborne illnesses are preventable if everyone uses hygienic practices and follows food safety measures. “We need to ensure that all players are aware of their responsibility and have the tools they need to do their part,” she said, calling on [...]
Members from one of the most diverse regions in Codex met online on 26 May 2020 to review the status of the disrupted Codex meeting schedule and explore how to best proceed with work in the committee ahead of the next session.
Timothy Tumukon, Vanuatu, Regional Coordinator, for the Coordinating Committee for North America and the South West Pacific (CCNASWP), said attendance from around the globe “showed the commitment from all countries to work of Codex and food safety, especially in [...]
FAO North America invites you to join a webinar on food safety solutions to strengthen food systems for resilient food security to enhance health and well-being. Speakers will examine efforts to maintain safe supply chains through the pandemic and explore actions needed to minimize future logistics disruptions and build more resilient systems and processes.
The webinar will take place on 12 June at 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time (GMT – 4)
See the programme and register here: https://fao.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vOUoWNnzQ161d6RixLbS7g
Raj Rajasekar, Senior Programme Manager, Ministry for Primary Industries - New Zealand.
The Executive Committee informal virtual meeting held on 12 May 2020 provided a timely opportunity to reflect on the impact of the current pandemic on the work of Codex and some of the strategic challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. COVID-19 has spread rapidly across the world since the beginning of the year has had a huge impact on the work of Codex and many other multilateral institutions. The [...]
