Public Consultation Report for Draft WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety

In 2020, a resolution titled ‘‘Strengthening efforts on food safety’’ was adopted by the Seventy-third World Health Assembly. In the resolution, Member States requested WHO to update the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety to address current and emerging challenges, incorporate new technologies and include innovative approaches for strengthening food safety systems. There was a recognition that the food safety systems of many Member States are under challenge and need significant improvements in their key components, such as regulatory infrastructure, enforcement, surveillance, inspection and laboratory capacity and capability, coordination mechanisms, emergency response and food safety education and training. Member States also recognized the need to integrate food safety into national and regional policies on health, agriculture, trade, environment and development and a One Health approach should be applied to ensure food safety.

In response to this request, WHO Secretariat has prepared a draft WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety with the advice of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Food Safety: Safer food for better health. Two technical meetings were held virtually in February and April 2021 with the TAG experts to inform this first draft.

The draft strategy shall serve as a blueprint and guidance for Member States to strengthen their national food safety systems and promote regional and global cooperation. In the meantime, acknowledging food safety is a shared responsibility, the targeted audience of the strategy should also include consumers, food business operators, academia and researchers, civil societies, and other international organizations.