The region of Asia and the Pacific has a long history in farming livestock at the household level: this practice is linked with cultural identities and economic development in rural and low-mid socioeconomic communities. Household and village level animal production is well-aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and is therefore important to maintain, especially in the most populous region in the world. These practices, however, carry a risk of foodborne pathogens contaminating animal-derived foods as well as the risk of disease transmission from the animal or food to humans. Such risks can be addressed by promoting the adoption and implementation of safe and sustainable practices for home slaughtering among communities. These practices include good animal management practices that...

The Asia–Pacific region is growing at an impressive pace: it is home to the highest population numbers and densities, and is a hub for technological advancements. Asia and the Pacific have the potential to lead the future of food and agriculture. However, the levels of country capacities vary widely: an example of this is illustrated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The grouping is unique, and it has technical clusters specifically dedicated to address common issues and challenges. ASEAN shares with Codex Alimentarius an interest in harmonizing, standardizing and making uniform the elements of food safety control systems. To strengthen ASEAN countries’ capacities to participate in Codex Alimentarius, FAO and ASEAN established a project, funded by the government...

Universal access to safe food is a key requirement for the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals. And yet an estimated 600 million people each year fall sick from eating unsafe food and 420 000 of them die. Safe food is also critical for economic development and the international food trade. Setting and measuring food security indicators have significantly contributed to improving and communicating progress in achieving food security. Considering their success, several countries in Asia and the Pacific region have asked the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to provide guidance on the development of food safety indicators. Following a comprehensive review and a technical consultation on the topic, a pilot project was developed in four...

While insect consumption by humans or entomophagy has been traditionally practised in various countries over generations and represents a common dietary component of various animal species (birds, fish, mammals), farming of insects for human food and animal feed is relatively recent. Production of this ‘mini-livestock’ brings with it several potential benefits and challenges. The objective of this document is to provide the reader with an overview of the various food safety issues that could be associated with edible insects. The intended audiences of this publication are food safety professionals, policymakers, researchers, insect producers as well as consumers. The regulatory frameworks that govern production, trade and consumption of insects in various regions are discussed. The document ends with elucidating some other...

The third World Food Safety Day (WFSD) will be celebrated on 7 June 2021 to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.This publication is a guide for all those wishing to become involved.

Organic agriculture is increasingly under the spotlight for being a promising approach to address the challenges raised by the increasing demographics and urbanization as well as climate change. In the eyes of consumers, this often translates into healthier, safer, tastier and more environmentally friendly foods. But the “organic” certification actually indicates products that are produced in accordance with certain standards throughout the production, handling, processing and marketing stages, and which aim at a different set of benefits: better incomes for small-scale farmers and increased food security, environmental benefits such as improved soil and water quality and biodiversity preservation, and improved animal welfare. Therefore, while organic agriculture may relate to a set of different improved practices, the term organic in and...

Food fraud occurs when a food company intentionally deceive its customer about the quality and contents of the foods they are purchasing. While food fraud is often motivated by economic profit, some forms of food fraud can also pose a direct threat to the health of customers and consumers. Detecting food fraud is a challenge because consumers alone cannot detect them, and food fraudsters are usually innovative in the ways they avoid detection. In Asia and the Pacific, the risk of food fraud is estimated to be high, due to the high demand for premium quality food combined with an increasingly globalised food supply chain. This document describes the key aspects of food fraud, and discusses a set of measures...

Food allergies may impact only parts of the world’s population, but that impact can be lethal. It is, therefore, extremely important that food labels contain sufficient information to enable allergic people to avoid the risks of allergic reactions. National contexts can differ in terms of predominance of food allergies and, thus, investigation is necessary within countries to understand what foods should be labelled, and determine the allowable quantities of food allergens, including those that are considered dangerous, that may unintentionally be present in foods. International standards exist, and Codex Alimentarius requires its members to comply with those, however, the food allergens recognized by Codex may not necessarily cover the whole list of food allergens that have an impact on different...

This document contains food additive specification monographs, analytical methods, and other information prepared at the eighty-ninth meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), which was held virtually on an online platform from 1 – 12 June 2020, due to travel restrictions and lock-downs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee evaluated the safety of six food additives, conducted an exposure assessment for one group of food additives, and revised the specifications for three other food additives (including one group). The Committee also evaluated the safety of two groups of flavoring agents and revised the specifications for 12 flavoring agents. Tentative specifications were prepared for three, as the safety evaluations were not completed.

A meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) was held on a virtual online platform from 1 to 12 February 2021, with an additional day for the report adoption on 25 February. The purpose of the meeting was to evaluate the acceptability of certain substances as previous cargoes and the safety of certain food contaminants, as well as to revise the specifications on steviol glycosides. The present meeting was the ninety-first in a series of similar meetings.