Chile - Raising consumer awareness about safe and nutritious food
The Codex Chairperson Mrs Awilo Ochieng Pernet and the Codex Secretary Mr Tom Heilandt met with the communications team from the Chilean Agency for Food Safety and Quality (ACHIPIA) to learn about the Chilean experience in raising consumer awareness about the importance of food safety and nutrition.
Tom Heilandt (Codex); Michel Leporati (ACHIPIA): Awilo Ochieng Pernet (Chair - Codex), Diego Varela (ACHIPIA) and representatives from the ACHIPIA communications team
Everyone's responsibility
With the Agency’s motto being “Safe and nutritious foods, everyone’s responsibility”, ACHIPIA has set out to explain to the general public not only the Chilean national food safety and quality control system, but it has also launched a very colourful and engaging food safety and nutrition campaign which has spurred consumer interest in food safety and quality in Chile.
The Codex Chairperson and Codex Secretary were informed that by using colourful characters which, have in the meantime, gained popularity amongst the young and the old who can easily recognise them, ACHIPIA strives to enhance the public’s knowledge about food safety and quality the whole year round and not only in times of food crises.
Ideas driving creativity and innovation.
The very creative communications team informed the Codex Chairperson and the Codex Secretary that although they have limited resources, “they have plenty of ideas, which drives creativity and innovation.”
Present in schools, at agricultural fairs, in the media and on public transport, the amusing characters that ACHIPIA has developed inform consumers about, for example, the importance of ensuring food hygiene and the safe consumption of fish and sea food. They also promote the “Five-a-day” fruit and vegetables campaign. The ACHIPIA communications team supports the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health in food safety risk communication.
The Codex Chairperson congratulated the ACHIPIA team on their excellent work and encouraged them to share their experiences and skills with other Codex member countries in order to prevent foodborne diseases and to ensure safe and nutritious food for all.
Links
ACHIPIA http://www.achipia.cl/
ACHIPIA Campañas e iniciativas Seguras y Saludables http://www.achipia.cl/campana-inocuidate-y-come-saludable/
ACHIPIA Teatro de la Inocuidad – Tarea de Todos y Todas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPvLyVRJa2c