FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool
Speaking at the margins of CAC42 at a side event on capacity building initiatives, representatives of FAO and WHO emphasized the importance of the tools they develop based on relevant Codex texts, which enable countries to better understand and apply standards in their national context. The latest in the series is the Joint FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool, which has been piloted in numerous countries across several regions.
“A system will only work if all its components are looking towards the same objective”, said Catherine Bessy, Food Safety and Quality Officer, FAO, with each component bringing its specific and complementary contribution. Beyond supporting in-depth and rigorous assessments of national food control systems and learning what food control is all about, in all instance when it was tested, the process in itself proved to be instrumental in building a strong connection among participating competent authorities and unlocking a lack of mutual confidence, or resolving diverging views. “We had a lot of enthusiastic feedback letting us know how much participants in the trials had actually learnt during the process”, she said. So more than an evaluation “it was an actual capacity development experience in its own right”, said Bessy.
In addition to the English version, the Assessment Tool is currently undergoing translation into Arabic, French, Russian and Spanish and these versions will also be available shortly to facilitate use of the tool globally.
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Photo credit
(c) FAO/Bob Scott
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
FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool
Speaking at the margins of CAC42 at a side event on capacity building initiatives, representatives of FAO and WHO emphasized the importance of the tools they develop based on relevant Codex texts, which enable countries to better understand and apply standards in their national context. The latest in the series is the Joint FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool, which has been piloted in numerous countries across several regions.
“A system will only work if all its components are looking towards the same objective”, said Catherine Bessy, Food Safety and Quality Officer, FAO, with each component bringing its specific and complementary contribution. Beyond supporting in-depth and rigorous assessments of national food control systems and learning what food control is all about, in all instance when it was tested, the process in itself proved to be instrumental in building a strong connection among participating competent authorities and unlocking a lack of mutual confidence, or resolving diverging views. “We had a lot of enthusiastic feedback letting us know how much participants in the trials had actually learnt during the process”, she said. So more than an evaluation “it was an actual capacity development experience in its own right”, said Bessy.
In addition to the English version, the Assessment Tool is currently undergoing translation into Arabic, French, Russian and Spanish and these versions will also be available shortly to facilitate use of the tool globally.
Read more
Photo credit
(c) FAO/Bob Scott
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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