World Health Day will be celebrated on 7 April, with both Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) highlighting the challenges and opportunities associated with food safety under the slogan of “From farm to plate, make food safe.”

Ensuring food safety 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.

New threats to food safety are constantly emerging. Changes in food production, distribution and consumption (i.e. intensive agriculture, globalization of food trade, mass catering and street food); changes to the environment; new and emerging bacteria and toxins; antimicrobial resistance—all increase the risk that food becomes contaminated. Increases in travel and trade enhance the likelihood that contamination can spread.

“World Health Day 2015 is an opportunity to alert governments, manufacturers, retailers and the public to the importance of food safety—and the part each can play in ensuring that the food on peoples’ plates is safe to eat. The multi-sectoral approach is crucial in enhancing food safety system and ensuring its effectiveness. Dr Naeema Al-Gasseer, WHO Head of County Office Sudan said on the occasion of World Health Day 2015.

“Food safety is a multidisciplinary topic and it contributes to all components of FAO’s Strategic Objectives as outlined in the Country Programming Framework and Plan of Action for Sudan (2015-2019). FAO and WHO closely collaborate on the topic of food safety, with the flagship Codex Alimentarius, the joint FAO/WHO international food standard-setting body.” Said Dr Abdi Jama, FAO Representative in Sudan.

FAO and WHO are key international leaders in the development of global food safety initiatives and translating these into country level action. FAO and WHO support an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to food safety management and holistic and feasible “food chain” solutions to specific food safety problems.

FAO and WHO 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.

During the Committee of Agriculture (COAG) in 2014, FAO’s strong role in food safety was emphasized and endorsed. More specifically, FAO in Sudan is current supporting the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation in developing the National Agriculture Investment Plan and the National Food Security and Nutrition Policy for Sudan, which address Food Safety.

The FAO/WHO Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), held at the FAO HQ in 2014 endorsed the Rome Declaration on Nutrition and Framework for Action, which also referred to food safety. The delegation from Sudan included the Federal Ministry of Health, Ministry and Agriculture and Irrigation and Parliamentarians.

FAO and WHO closely collaborate on the topic of food safety, with the flagship Codex Alimentarius, the joint FAO/WHO international food standard-setting body.  Many aspects of food safety are addressed jointly by FAO and WHO in recognition of the public health importance and of the fact that food safety starts with pre-production and primary agricultural production and requires a food chain approach. In 2014, FAO and WHO completed a project in Sudan to improve the availability of data on myco-toxins in sorghum to develop Codex standard on myco-toxins in sorghum aimed at protecting consumer health and enhancing trade.