Workshop on food safety to improve public health and international trade

15/09/2015

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.

Workshop on food safety to improve public health and international trade

17-18 September 2015, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

Codex Standards

Risk analysis

Wide participation

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