WHO/FAO Event on World Health Day 2015 - How safe is your food? From farm to plate make food safe

 

 

Speaking Points

Sharon Brennen-Haylock, Director, FAO Liaison Office, NY

 

WHO/FAO Event on World Health Day (WHD)

How safe is your food?

From farm to plate make food safe

7 April 2015, Conference 12, United Nations

 

Excellencies, Colleagues and Friends,

 

Happy WHD!

 

It is an honour to be here with all of you today.

 

While WHD is WHO’s birthday, it is also important and meaningful for FAO, especially on this occasion as it brings the spotlight on the importance of food safety, an area in which FAO and WHO have collaborated for some time.

 

Our work on food safety is embedded in the joint flagship FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius, from the early 1960’s and indeed when you look at the history of Codex our joint work preceded the 1960’s.

 

“C O D E X A L I M E N T A R I U S is about safe, good food for everyone - everywhere.”

 

The collaboration of FAO and WHO on food safety through Codex seeks to ensure recognition of the public health importance that food safety starts with pre-production and primary agricultural production and requires a food chain approach, where safety is observed in every step of the chain, until it reaches our homes and tables.

 

Even when the food gets into our homes, there are safety measures we still need to observe in terms of handling, preparation, cooking, storage and serving.

 

When we leave this event, as we partake of the refreshments outside, let us be mindful that we will be the recipients of what we have been discussing today, safe, nutritious and, hopefully, tasty food!  We don’t know where the journey began, but we know a lot of work has gone into getting food of this quality to us, so it is also important not to waste any!

 

The importance of an observance such as this is that it presents a unique opportunity to highlight the importance of food safety from the farm to the consumer, and here are a few messages which I would like to convey

 

Importance of food safety

 

Ensuring food safety is one of the core pillars and an essential step to achieve food security as it contributes to consumer protection and public health. Effective food safety and quality management systems from “farm to consumer” are key not only to safeguarding the health and well-being of people but also to fostering economic development and improving livelihoods by promoting access to domestic, regional and international markets.

 

Our organizations take seriously the business of food safety.  Through Codex, which has a large and diverse membership, and the subsidiary bodies of Codex such as JECFA, JEMRA and JMPR, important standards are set, and these are based on the best available science assisted by independent international risk assessment bodies or ad-hoc consultations organized by FAO and WHO. We convene various activities and meetings to address specific requests for scientific advice on evolving, emerging and cross-cutting issues in the field of food safety. These activities are also implemented according to the principles and procedures outlined in the FAO/WHO framework for the provision of scientific advice on food safety and nutrition.  Some issues addressed for example include biotechnolgy and nanotechnologies. WHO and FAO have also established the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) to rapidly share information during food safety emergencies

 

We stress that a multidisciplinary approach is needed to ensure food safety and that we need persons at all levels and sectors of society to collaborate on food safety.

 

We stress the importance of partnerships - not only do we have the WHO and FAO collaboration, but we have other types of partnerships such as those which FAO has with the European Commission, the US Food and Drug Administration and the Institute of Food Technologists

 

South-South and Triangular Cooperation is also important in helping to achieve food safety

 

Efforts to improve food safety must take into account existing gender roles in the food chain - training for women in hygiene and sanitation can make an immediate contribution to household and community health – (street vendors, farm workers, preparing food in the homes)

 

FAO in its work

 

• provides independent scientific advice on food safety and nutrition which serves as the basis for food standards at national, regional and international levels;
• supports development of institutional and individual capacities for food control and food safety management, including the management of food safety emergencies;
• supports processes for the development of food safety policy frameworks; and
• facilitates global access to information and promotes the development of food safety/quality networks.

 

We also play a critical role in developing and promoting international and regional agreements, regulations and other frameworks that promote fair and safe trade and enhance global and regional market opportunities and participation.

 

Food safety is a multidisciplinary topic and it contributes to all components of FAO’s Strategic Objectives (SOs). During the Committee of Agriculture (COAG) in 2014, FAO’s strong role in food safety was emphasized and endorsed. Also the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) held at the FAO HQ in 2014 also endorsed the Rome Declaration on Nutrition which also referred to food safety.

 

As we craft a new development agenda, let us be mindful that food safety is inextricably linked to food security - Food security is commonly understood as the state when all people at all times have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, nutritious and safe food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

 

FAO Food Safety and Quality

 

Websites:

http://www.fao.org/food/food-safety-quality

http://www.fao.org/lon/en/

 

Factsheets:

• Improving food safety and quality along the chain
• Facilitating effective participation in Codex
• Risk-based food inspection
• Specific quality and voluntary standards
• Strengthening prevention and response to food safety emergencies
• Improving food safety along the food chain
• Food safety risk analysis
• Science for Safe food - the provision of scientific advice for food safety
• Strengthening laboratory services

 

FAO HQ contact points for the World Health Day 2015

 

• Ms Masami Takeuchi, Food Safety Officer ([email protected])
• Mr Peter Lowrey, Communication Officer ([email protected])