The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned that eradicating world hunger can only be achieved if food is safe, nutritious and of good quality.
According to the UN Agency, eating unsafe food increases the chances of contracting diseases. Unsafe food can also lead to rejections causing food to be wasted impacting on food security.
FAO in a statement on its website further explained that the amount of food traded internationally in the last century has grown exponentially and a large quantity and variety of food travel across the globe today. Some foods, such as rice or maize, have been traded internationally for thousands of years.
However, until recently, food was mainly produced, sold and consumed locally.
“Understanding and defining food safety standards is crucial as the chain from farm to fork gets longer and fewer consumers know the producers of their food. Food standards are vital to guaranteeing safety, quality and a level playing field for trade.
“International trade can improve the availability of food and compensate, for example, in times of poor regional harvests. However, with global population on the rise and changes in climate, food is often traveling ever-greater distances to meet our needs.
“For centuries, countries have independently developed their own food laws and regulations, but differences between these national requirements can disrupt trade flow and impact on the availability of food worldwide.
“The Joint FAO/WHO (World Health Organization) Food Standards Programme implemented by the Codex Alimentarius Commission is an international inter-governmental food standards setting body. Its standards are published as the Codex Alimentarius. This “food code” covers the entire production chain, allowing governments to establish science-based, internationally acceptable food standards in order to safely trade food,” the statement reads.
