Workshop on food safety to improve public health and international trade
17-18 September 2015, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Globalization and increased regional trade among countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States has meant a shift – from foods produced and consumed locally to greater food diversity and more foods traded internationally. As a result, countries are eager to increase their knowledge of international food safety standards and procedures.
To help meet this need, FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being (Rospotrebnadzor) are holding a regional workshop 17-18 September in St. Petersburg. The aim of the workshop is to strengthen countries’ national capacities for participation in the international food standards body, Codex Alimentarius. The specific emphasis of the workshop is on microbiological food safety. Microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and toxins are a major source of contamination in food that can cause illness.
Codex Standards
The Codex Alimentarius – Latin for “food code” – is a set of food safety standards, guidelines and codes of practice whose purpose is to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in food trade. The Codex Alimentarius Commission is an intergovernmental body set up by FAO and WHO to create harmonized international food standards. The Codex secretariat is hosted by FAO, and its work is carried out jointly with WHO.
“Enhancing the region’s capacity for utilizing Codex standards, guidelines, recommendations and codes of practice is a top priority for the region right now,”
said Anna Popova, head of Rospotrebnadzor and Chief state sanitary physician of the Russian Federation, which is hosting the workshop. “The seminar will give participants a unique opportunity to exchange best practices in building national food safety systems, to comply with international Codex standards and to contribute technically to their setting for a successful food trade.”
Risk analysis
The two-day workshop will include presentations on Codex Alimentarius, the work and publications of FAO and WHO, and countries’ ongoing work in applying risk analysis principles to protect the health of their populations, as well as group work, discussions and planning of regional activities.
“This will set participating countries on the fast track to utilizing Codex standards and strengthening their national food safety systems,”
said Eleonora Dupouy, FAO food safety and consumer protection officer for Europe and Central Asia and one of the workshop facilitators. “Ultimately, the aim is to ensure that consumers are protected and regional and global trading partners are knowledgeable about international requirements and prepared to apply recommended good practices.”
Wide participation
About 120 participants are expected at the workshop, including representatives of ministries of agriculture, ministries of health, food safety authorities, public health surveillance and epidemiology services of the CIS and neighboring countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan).
“For a country to achieve good food safety, many different professionals and groups need to work together. This workshop will facilitate that, by bringing together representatives of many sectors to share experiences and make lasting connections,”
said Hilde Kruse, programme manager for food safety with WHO’s Regional Office for Europe and a workshop facilitator. “This kind of ‘health in all policies’ approach is the only way to prevent and control foodborne disease and deliver cost savings, and is very much in the spirit of the European Health2020 policy framework.”
Support for the workshop comes from the FAO/WHO Codex Trust Fund and the Government of the Russian Federation.
Links:
Codex Alimentarius
FAO Food Safety and Quality
World Health Organization (WHO)
In Moldova, building a stronger, more versatile food safety agency
http://www.fao.org/europe/news/detail-news/en/c/280241/ [EN]
В Молдове создается многоцелевое агентство по безопасности пищевых продуктов
http://www.fao.org/europe/news/detail-news/ru/c/280242/ [RU]
Photo credit
©FAO/Vasily Maksimov / FAO
At the heart of the Codex mandate are the core values of collaboration, inclusiveness, consensus building and transparency. Governmental and non-governmental, public and private organizations alike play a vital role in ensuring Codex texts are of the highest quality and based on sound science.
Codex would have little authority in the field of international standard setting if it did not welcome and acknowledge the valuable contributions made by observers. Expert technical bodies, industry and consumer associations
contribute to the standard-setting process in a spirit of openness, collaboration and transparency.
Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can apply for observer status in Codex in order to attend and put forward their views at every stage of the standard-setting process.
Current Codex Alimentarius Commission
Workshop on food safety to improve public health and international trade
17-18 September 2015, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Globalization and increased regional trade among countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States has meant a shift – from foods produced and consumed locally to greater food diversity and more foods traded internationally. As a result, countries are eager to increase their knowledge of international food safety standards and procedures.
To help meet this need, FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being (Rospotrebnadzor) are holding a regional workshop 17-18 September in St. Petersburg. The aim of the workshop is to strengthen countries’ national capacities for participation in the international food standards body, Codex Alimentarius. The specific emphasis of the workshop is on microbiological food safety. Microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and toxins are a major source of contamination in food that can cause illness.
Codex Standards
The Codex Alimentarius – Latin for “food code” – is a set of food safety standards, guidelines and codes of practice whose purpose is to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in food trade. The Codex Alimentarius Commission is an intergovernmental body set up by FAO and WHO to create harmonized international food standards. The Codex secretariat is hosted by FAO, and its work is carried out jointly with WHO.
“Enhancing the region’s capacity for utilizing Codex standards, guidelines, recommendations and codes of practice is a top priority for the region right now,”
said Anna Popova, head of Rospotrebnadzor and Chief state sanitary physician of the Russian Federation, which is hosting the workshop. “The seminar will give participants a unique opportunity to exchange best practices in building national food safety systems, to comply with international Codex standards and to contribute technically to their setting for a successful food trade.”
Risk analysis
The two-day workshop will include presentations on Codex Alimentarius, the work and publications of FAO and WHO, and countries’ ongoing work in applying risk analysis principles to protect the health of their populations, as well as group work, discussions and planning of regional activities.
“This will set participating countries on the fast track to utilizing Codex standards and strengthening their national food safety systems,”
said Eleonora Dupouy, FAO food safety and consumer protection officer for Europe and Central Asia and one of the workshop facilitators. “Ultimately, the aim is to ensure that consumers are protected and regional and global trading partners are knowledgeable about international requirements and prepared to apply recommended good practices.”
Wide participation
About 120 participants are expected at the workshop, including representatives of ministries of agriculture, ministries of health, food safety authorities, public health surveillance and epidemiology services of the CIS and neighboring countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan).
“For a country to achieve good food safety, many different professionals and groups need to work together. This workshop will facilitate that, by bringing together representatives of many sectors to share experiences and make lasting connections,”
said Hilde Kruse, programme manager for food safety with WHO’s Regional Office for Europe and a workshop facilitator. “This kind of ‘health in all policies’ approach is the only way to prevent and control foodborne disease and deliver cost savings, and is very much in the spirit of the European Health2020 policy framework.”
Support for the workshop comes from the FAO/WHO Codex Trust Fund and the Government of the Russian Federation.
Links:
Codex Alimentarius
FAO Food Safety and Quality
World Health Organization (WHO)
In Moldova, building a stronger, more versatile food safety agency
http://www.fao.org/europe/news/detail-news/en/c/280241/ [EN]
В Молдове создается многоцелевое агентство по безопасности пищевых продуктов
http://www.fao.org/europe/news/detail-news/ru/c/280242/ [RU]
Photo credit
©FAO/Vasily Maksimov / FAO
Codex and Observer
around the world since ancient times.
We might not always know where it comes from,
but we expect it to be available, safe and of good quality.
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