WHO - Food Safety

Food Safety

The Department of Food Safety, Zoonoses and Foodborne Diseases (FOS) strives to reduce the serious negative impact of foodborne diseases worldwide. Food and waterborne diarrhoeal diseases are leading causes of illness and death in less developed countries, killing approximately 2.2 million people annually, 1.9 million of whom are children.
Recent trends in global food production, processing, distribution and preparation are creating an increasing demand for food safety research in order to ensure a safer global food supply. FOS works with other WHO departments, Regional Offices and WHO collaborating centres as well as other international and national agencies. In particular, WHO works closely with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to address food safety issues along the entire food production chain--from production to consumption--using new methods of risk analysis. These methods provide efficient, science-based tools to improve food safety, thereby benefiting both public health and economic development. FOS endeavours to help all WHO Member States, both developing and developed, through the approaches outlined in the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Food Safety News No 3219 December 2008
Microbiological hazards associated with fresh produce, MRA Series11 December 2008
Viruses in food: scientific advice to support risk management, MRA Series 1311 December 2008
Food Safety News - FERG Special9 December 2008
Exposure assessment of microbiological hazards in food: Guidelines, MRA Series 721 October 2008
31 May 2008Terrorist Threats to Food - Guidelines for Establishing and Strengthening Prevention and Response SystemsFull text
UPCOMING EVENTS
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on the Application of Nanotechnologies in the Food and Agriculture Sectors: Potential Food Safety Implications, 1-5 June 20091 June 2009
FAO/WHO Expert Meeeting on Salmonella and Campylobacter in chicken meat, 4 – 8 May 20094 May 2009Global Patient Safety Challenge Antimicrobial Resistance, Working group meeting, 12 - 13 March 200912 March 2009
NEWS
Melamine-contamination eventFull text
HIGHLIGHTS
Foodborne Disease BurdenFull text
Avian influenza: food safety issuesFull text
Five keys to safer foodFull text
The International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN)Full text
Codex trust fundFull text
Persistent Organic Pollutants ProtocolFull text


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