Experts to Meet for a WHO Panel on International Food Safety Strategy in the Upcoming Days

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An expert panel will commence discussions later this month on the updates to the WHO’s strategy for food safety. World Health Organization’s Technical Advisory Group or TAG on Food Safety is scheduled for a virtual session for the very first time from February 8^th to 10^th, 2021.

Food Safety Strategy

WHO’s Food Safety Strategy was delineated by the global organization in 2002. The update is planned for 2022, two decades after its initial inception. It is expected that a draft of the strategy that is ready for public comment, will be published after the meeting. The TAG virtual session will be attended by group members and other invited observers. WHO’s TAG on Food Safety is set to have some of the most renowned members in attendance. Its members include Annie Locas, from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency; William R. Jones of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Jørgen Schlundt, an independent consultant; Paul Cook, at the Food Standards Agency; and Yongning Wu of the National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment in China.

Changes Introduced in the New Strategy

The strategy promulgated earlier emphasized on a risk-based approach to the issue of food safety, tracking and monitoring of food borne diseases, risk communication, international cooperation, capacity magnification, safety assessment of new technologies, and the uptake of international food safety standards set by Codex. However, the new plan is set to recalibrate its priorities. It will focus on strengthening national food safety and food control systems by considering all components and prioritizing actions that are likely to have the greatest impact on reducing the burden of foodborne illnesses. This new direction is a result of the various WHO panels over the last few years. A World Health Assembly resolution called “Strengthening efforts on food safety” was endorsed by member states in July 2020. Moreover, the WHO is also updating estimates on the global burden of foodborne diseases with a report planned by 2025. An analysis published in 2015 found foodborne infections caused 600 million illnesses and 420,000 deaths in 2010.