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| Agenda Item 5.2 | Conference Room Document 64 English only |
second fao/who global forum of food safety regulators
Bangkok, Thailand, 12-14 October 2004
(Prepared by Thailand)
An increase in food contamination is a problem in the international food trading that many food exporting countries are facing. Thailand, as a major food exporting country, has realized the importance of this food safety issue, and hence has employed cooperative approaches to solve this food contamination problem in both national and international levels. Following cooperation and coordination on food safety control and food safety education have been established.
As soon as receiving the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) from the EU, the contact point in Thailand will inform or coordinate with related authorities, food exporters, and food manufacturers to investigate thoroughly on that food or feed product before reporting back to the EU about measures taken in Thailand on that food or feed product.
Thailand and Malaysia has a cooperation on food quality control and inspection in the following aspects.
Cooperation between BIMST member countries related to food safety and other public health issues is provided by the establishment of information exchange and job training between the member countries.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has cooperated with importing countries on the inspection of foods exported from Thailand by issuing certificates for exported food and agricultural products which are free of toxic food contaminants and residues (e.g., pesticide residues and veterinary drug residues).
ASEAN Food Safety Network: Thailand is assigned as the center for the ASEAN Food Safety Network, which has been established under SOM-AMAF in order to provide information exchange between member countries through the website. The exchanged information is related to non-tariff barriers on international trading of food, agricultural, and fishery products; conformity of food standards; and laws and regulations.
ASEAN Food Safety Policy and Framework: ASEAN Food Safety Policy and Framework is a cooperation under the ASEAN Expert Group on Food Safety (AEGFS) of the Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development (SOM-HD). The ASEAN Food Safety Policy Plan has been set up in cooperation with the ASEAN food Safety Network.
Thailand has a cooperation with USFDA on the inspection of manufacturing sites for food exportation.
Thailand is a member of various international organizations, such as WTO, Codex, FAO, WHO, OIE, and IPPC.
Thailand is a member of the WHO International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), which is a programme providing education and information on proper handling, problems, and risks of various chemicals, including some chemical residues in foods (e.g. pesticides). This programme is very useful for the development of a system for health protection from hazardous chemicals in the country.
Thailand has participated in the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS), which currently encourages the participating countries to develop their “National Chemicals Management Profiles” and publicize these profiles through the established website of “Information Exchange Network on Capacity Building for the Sound Management of Chemical (INFOCAP)”.
International cooperation on food- and water-borne disease surveillance includes:
The Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, has an established Salmonella-Shigella Surveillance Programme under the support of WHO Global Salmonella Surveillance Network (Global SAL-SURV). According to this programme, the Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, is responsible for identification and confirmation of Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. existing in foods, water, human, and environment. Implementation of this programme under the support of WHO, Thailand is the first WHO member country that provides continuous workshops and training courses on Salmonella surveillance for other ASEAN member countries.
Science Research Institute, the Department of Medical Sciences, is the national reference laboratory for influenza virus, including avian influenza virus, under the support of WHO.
There is a cooperation on education, academic research, development of staff performance, and information exchange related to health promotion, and prevention and control of tropical diseases. Thailand is the consultant country for the Southeast Asian Members on Education Organization (SEMEO) and is the Regional Center for Tropical Medicine.
Information exchange and international cooperation on Food Contamination Monitoring and Food-borne Disease Surveillance are necessary to be established in order to increase consumer health protection and facilitate food safety in the international food trading as mentioned in the following:
1. Every country can be informed about unsafe foods or any updated food safety related information.
2. Exchanged information can be used by each country to appropriately set up its food quality or food standards in order to decrease international trade barriers.
1. International organizations shall fully encourage and support on establishing the international cooperation in food contamination.
2. Strong international network related to food-borne disease monitoring and surveillance systems shall be established.