Last week, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concluded an eight-month evaluation of Djibouti’s food control system with a final workshop in the capital. Djibouti is the last of ten countries completing a national food control system assessment under the food safety component of the "Strengthening Capacities and Governance in Food and Phytosanitary Control," project, funded by the European Union with €6.4 million. The project also includes a complementary plant health component, which remains ongoing. The Minister of Commerce, SEM Mohamed Warsama Dirieh, attended the workshop and emphasized the importance of collaboration...

A review on the safety of alternative food packaging co-authored by experts from FAO and Danone has been published in the journal Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. The article examines the potential risks and opportunities associated with recycled and bio-based materials used in food packaging, reusable and hybrid packaging, and innovations such as nanotechnologies and active and intelligent packaging. Reviewing regulations governing recent and emerging food packaging materials, the authors find a lack of harmonization among regulatory requirements globally. Growing demand for sustainable food packaging Population and income growth are driving the demand for food, which in turn is...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) participated in an event hosted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Committee) on 11 November 2024 in Geneva and online. The thematic session explored WTO Members' experiences, best practices, successes and challenges associated with emerging risks and the new agricultural technologies that could help address them. During the session on emerging risks, Vittorio Fattori, FAO, presented insights from FAO’s food safety foresight programme, including on new food sources and production systems, circular economy, climate change, environmental inhibitors, and upcoming work on...

Last week, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) successfully concluded a crucial training program in Comoros aimed at enhancing the country’s food safety measures. The initiative, supported by a financial contribution from the government of Ireland, is part of a broader FAO effort to improve national food control systems globally. The program focuses on strengthening food safety in light of the country’s reliance on imported food – a challenge highlighted in a recent European Union-funded assessment supported by FAO. “This type of training helps target the most significant risks in import chains,” said Fatma Marouf from the Department of Food...

The importance of aquatic foods in global nutrition and food security cannot be overstated. Valued for their nutritional benefits and their contribution to livelihoods, the production and per capita consumption of aquatic foods have seen significant growth over the past decades. This trend is expected to continue, highlighting the crucial role these foods play in global food and nutrition. However, with increased production and consumption come associated risks. Understanding the food safety hazards linked to aquatic foods is essential for managing these risks effectively. Despite the adoption of hygiene measures at various levels, further guidance is necessary, particularly in implementing...

FAO hosted a side event on the JECFA Toolbox at the 27th Session of the Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF27). Vittorio Fattori and Markus Lipp, FAO, and Alan Chicoine, University of Saskatchewan, presented an overview of the toolbox and gathered feedback from participants. The recording of the event is available online. The process used by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) for assessing risks resulting from veterinary drug residues in food is based on sound scientific principles and procedures. For stakeholders and new JECFA experts to understand this process, FAO is finalizing...

The latest volume of the FAO JECFA Monographs has been published, containing residue evaluation of certain veterinary drugs prepared at the 98th meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), held from 20 to 29 February 2024 in Rome. JECFA is an international scientific expert committee administered jointly by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO). It has been meeting since 1956, to evaluate the safety of food additives, contaminants, naturally occurring toxicants and residues of veterinary drugs in food. The 98th JECFA meeting was convened specifically to consider residues of...

A technical seminar on “Artificial Intelligence (AI) for food safety”, slated for 6 November 2024, will be held in Iran Room, FAO headquarters, as well as online, and registration is open now. This hybrid event aims to explore the current state of a rapidly evolving technology, its benefits and drawbacks. The seminar takes its cue from the literature synthesis that FAO, in collaboration with the Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR) is compiling on the practical applications of AI in food safety management. Responsible use of AI has the potential to play a critical role in various disciplines, including in the...

A FAO mission to validate data on Djibouti’s food control system concluded yesterday, marking the final phase of a $6.4 million European Union-funded project that has already supported assessments in nine other African Union countries. Djibouti is the last of the 10 countries to undergo this comprehensive evaluation. During the three-week validation mission, FAO technical experts visited various facilities, including oil and milk processing plants, slaughterhouses, warehouses, restaurants, and supermarkets in the city of Djibouti. They also conducted interviews with Competent Authorities and stakeholders from the Chamber of Commerce and various research centers to verify...

Experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Agrifood Systems and Food Safety Division accompanied officials from the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) on a tour of the n!Biomachines facility, a Canadian subsidiary of German company The Cultivated B, located in Burlington, Canada.  This visit was in coordination with a one-day global stakeholder roundtable meeting organized by FAO and AAFC on the...