Accra, July 19, GNA - The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are urging all countries to strengthen their food safety systems and to be far more vigilant with food producers and traders.

The two organisations said recent food safety incidents, like the discovery of industrial chemical melamine in animal and fish feed, or the unauthorized use of certain veterinary drugs in intense aquaculture, could affect health and often lead to rejections of food products in international trade.

A statement issued in Accra on Thursday by the UN Information Centre in Accra said such food safety incidents were often caused by lack of knowledge of food safety requirements and of their implications, or by the illegal or fraudulent use of ingredients including unauthorised food additives or veterinary drugs. "During the last 12 months, an average of up to 200 food safety incidents per month, have been investigated by WHO and FAO to determine their public health impact.

"Information about food safety incidents of international significance was shared with countries through the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN)."

Dr Jorgen Schlundt, Director of WHO's Department of Food Safety, Zoonoses and Food borne Diseases, said: "Food safety is an issue for every country and ultimately every food consumer. All countries can benefit from taking stronger measures to fill safety gaps in the sometimes considerable journey food takes from the farm to the table." "Countries are only able to keep their shares in globalized food markets and the trust of consumers if they apply internationally agreed food quality and safety standards," said Ezzeddine Boutrif, Director of FAO's Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division. "Consumers have a right to be informed about potential hazards in food and to be protected against them."

The statement cautioned that weak food safety systems could lead to a higher incidence of food safety problems and diseases caused by microorganisms such as Salmonella, E. Coli, Campylobacter, and Listeria, by residues of agricultural chemicals (pesticides, veterinary drugs, etc) and by the use of unauthorized food additives. It said diarrhoeal diseases alone, due mainly to unsafe food and water, killed 1.8 million children every year.

"Food production systems in developing countries are facing a series of challenges: population growth and urbanization, changing dietary patterns, intensification and industrialization of food and agricultural production.

"Climate conditions, poor sanitation and weak public infrastructure compound these difficulties. Food safety legislation in many developing countries is often incomplete or obsolete or not in line with international requirements. Responsibility for food safety and control tends to be dispersed across many institutions." The statement said laboratories lacked essential equipment and supplies.

It said many developed countries are in similar situations with fragmented food safety systems that often did not include or cover primary production where many food safety issues originate. For example, it said, the spread in recent years of new Salmonella strains in poultry originated in developed countries and was spread globally through trade.

"In order to ensure safe food production for their own consumers and to meet international sanitary and phytosanitary requirements for food exports, national food safety authorities should be more vigilant. Producers and traders should be held accountable for safe food production throughout the food chain." 19 July 07