The second global forum of Food Safety Regulators met 12-14 October in Bangkok, Thailand. Organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 300 food safety regulators from over 100 countries attended the forum entitled "Building Effective Food Safety Systems" .
"The burden of death and disease from food borne disease is huge, and yet, a better organisation and communication between authorities along the entire food chain and with the consumers, could significantly reduce it, making food safer for consumers around the world" said WHO Assistant Director Dr. Kerstin Leitner
WHO reports that each year 2 billion illnesses are caused by unsafe food, globally this number is growing. 700,000 people die each year in Asia as a result of food borne illnesses.
The forum focused on defining the responsibilities and tasks of the different groups involved in food safety, the implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System to improve food safety and launching INFOSAN to improve the ability of countries and authorities to respond jointly to food related emergencies.
During this conference WHO launched its "5 keys" strategy - a series of five simple actions which people can undertake at home or at work while preparing and consuming food. These are:
Keep hands and cooking surfaces clean
separate raw and cooked foods
cook food thoroughly
store food at safe temperatures
use safe water and raw ingredients
"The burden of foodborne disease is enormous but much of this burden can be prevented through simply techniques" said Dr Jorgen Schlundt, Director of WHO’s Food Safety Department.
