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Training on Genetically Modified (GM) food safety assessment, risk communication and advocacies programme in Bhutan

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    Booklet
    Training workshop on GM food safety assessment in Bhutan: Using a real case study
    Technical summary report
    2019
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    Upon the official request of the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Bhutan, a training workshop entitled “Training workshop on GM food safety assessment: Using a real case study” was co-organized by the Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority (BAFRA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 4 – 15 February 2019 in Paro, Bhutan. A total of 12 participants comprising Bhutan Biosafety Technical Working Group (TWG) members or their nominated representatives and BAFRA officials attended the workshop, which was run by an FAO Technical Panel Expert from Food Standards Australia New Zealand assisted by an FAO Food Safety Officer. The International Rice Research Institute had provided its complete regulatory dossier (already submitted formally to several regulatory agencies) on biofortified rice event GR2E (Golden Rice) as an in-kind contribution to FAO, for the express purpose of providing an example of a ‘real’ application for developing countries to work through. Using this dossier, workshop participants were able to meet the objectives of the workshop, which were to provide: 1. An understanding of the various techniques that are used to generate the data for a genetically modified (GM) food application; 2. An appreciation of how to go about assessing the safety data 3. A understanding of the administrative, legal and communication activities associated with handling a GM food application 4. Recommendations for finalizing a guideline and information document for potential applicants. Key words: GM foods; food safety; capacity building
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    Book (stand-alone)
    Strengthening the capacity on Genetically Modified (GM) food safety assessment and communication in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia
    FAO Technical summary report
    2018
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    Recently the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariat has requested support from FAO as the main implementation partner in a programme aimed at facilitating intra-regional trade through harmonization of food safety regulations. The need has been particularly highlighted to implement a programme of trainings focusing on building an understanding of the scientific issues underlying current divergences on regulatory approaches used by COMESA Members in relation to commodities that are important to intra-regional trade. In the last decade, the development has allowed some of the COMESA countries to be engaged in a) research, 2) import or 3) production of Genetically Modified (GM) food products while the level of capacity in evaluating the relevant applications of GM foods are not uniformly conducted among different countries due to the different laws/regulations, procedures/protocols, and/or available expertise/experts. While environmental and socio-economic parameters can differ between countries, GM food safety assessment can be universally identical, following the same procedures of the relevant Codex Alimentarius Guidelines. In 2017 and 2018, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia have worked with FAO to take an approach to assess the status quo and to jointly develop capacity in terms of knowledge and resources. Each of the participating countries was found to be at a different level of proficiency for GM food safety assessment and risk communication, however several common areas for improvement have been identified across all countries visited. During the project, relevant trainings have been provided and they have successfully addressed some of these shortcomings. Further work needs have been identified by the respective participants and national roadmaps were developed for all three countries as one of the concrete outputs of this project. The project achieved a number of other outputs including significant commitment from all three countries to work together to strengthen GM food safety assessment through regional strategy, having the first GM food safety assessment result shared by Kenya to the FAO GM Foods Platform, and mutual exchange of policy documents which are in line with Codex Alimentarius. The outputs from each country were shared among all three countries and the project results have led to the development of a group/regional initiative that would take place in the future, with flexibility to welcome more countries from the region and the continent.
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    Book (stand-alone)
    FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Genetically Modified Animals, including Fish
    Rome, 17–21 November 2003
    2004
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    A joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Genetically Modified Animals, including Fish was held at the Headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome from 17 to 21 November 2003. The objective of this Consultation was to provide scientific advice to FAO/WHO and their Member Governments on the safety assessment of foods derived from genetically modified animals, including fish (hereafter “GM animals”). The C onsultation focused on discussing what strategies are appropriate and applicable to the food safety assessment of GM animals. Additionally, it addressed specific issues originating from the production of GM animals as well as environmental and ethical issues. The Consultation did not address all environmental issues but focused on the connection between environmental entry of GM animals and food safety. The Consultation also addressed ethical considerations that relate directly to the scientific assessment of foods derived from GM animals.

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