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Brochure, flyer, fact-sheetCOVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems
Interim guidance
2020The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic presents an exceptional and unprecedented challenge for competent authorities with responsibilities for national food safety control systems to continue conducting routine functions and activities in accordance with national regulations and international recommendations. In many countries, competent authority staff are largely working from home, teleworking being the normal practice, and all face-to-face meetings cancelled or rescheduled as teleconferences. It is challenging to maintain, without interruption, routine activities such as the inspection of food business operations, certifying exports, control of imported foods, monitoring and surveillance of the safety of the food supply chain, sampling and analysis of food, managing food incidents, providing advice on food safety and food regulations for the food industry, and communicating on food safety issues with the public. The guidance highlights temporary measures that can be introduced to contain widespread food safety risks and reduce serious disruption to national food safety programmes, aiming to ensure the effectiveness of a reduced food safety inspection programme during COVID-19 pandemic in mitigation the food safety risks. -
MeetingNational food control systems assuring food safety
Conference Room Document proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
2002Also available in:
No results found.The term "food safety" is understood by reference to those hazards that may make food injurious to the health of a consumer. There is universal agreement on the need for safe food. "Food Quality" refers to all the attributes that influence the value of a product to the consumer. Quality includes positive attributes such as origin, colour, texture, processing method for food, etc., as well as negative attributes such as adulteration, fraud, spoilage or contamination Conceptually, food safety is a sub-part and a sine-qua-non element of food quality. However, in practice, food safety and the other aspects of food quality are often considered separately. The distinction between safety and quality has implications for public policy and influences the nature and content of the food control system best suited to meet predetermined objectives. This paper discusses food safety issues only and considers appropriate infrastructures that are necessary to better assist in dealing with these problem s at national level, while giving due consideration to international developments in this field. This paper is based on the content of the FAO/WHO publication "Assuring Food Safety and Quality: Guidelines for Strengthening National Food Control Systems" as recently revised following a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation. -
Book (stand-alone)Assuring Food Safety and Quality. Guidelines for Strengthening National Food Control Systems
Food and Nutrition Paper 76
2003Effective national food control systems are essential to protect the health and safety of domestic consumers. They are also critical in enabling countries to assure the safety and quality of their foods entering international trade and to ensure that imported foods conform to national requirements. The new global environment for food trade places considerable obligations on both importing and exporting countries to strengthen their food control systems and to implement and enforce risk-based foo d control strategies. Consumers are taking unprecedented interest in the way food is produced, processed and marketed, and are increasingly calling for their Governments to accept greater responsibility for food safety and consumer protection. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have a strong interest in promoting national food control systems that are based upon scientific principles and guidelines, and which address all sect ors of the food chain. This is particularly important for developing countries as they seek to achieve improved food safety, quality and nutrition, but will require a high level of political and policy commitment. In many countries, effective food control is undermined by the existence of fragmented legislation, multiple jurisdictions, and weaknesses in surveillance, monitoring and enforcement. These guidelines seek to provide advice to national authorities on strategies to strengthen food contr ol systems to protect public health, prevent fraud and deception, avoid food adulteration and facilitate trade. They will enable authorities to choose the most suitable options for their food control systems in terms of legislation, infrastructure and enforcement mechanisms. The document delineates the overarching principles of food control systems, and provides examples of possible infrastructures and approaches for national systems. The target users of these Guidelines are national authorities concerned with ensuring food safety and quality in the interests of public health and consumer protection. The Guidelines will also be of assistance to a range of other stakeholders including consumer groups, industry and trade organizations, farmer groups and any other groups or associations that influence national policy in this area.
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