ISLAMABAD: Food And Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on World Food Safety Day, observed on June 7 (today), has urged countries in the Asia-Pacific region to whole-heartedly continue making efforts to improve food safety along agri-food chains.

While speaking at a webinar, FAO’s Food Safety Officer Masami Takeuchi said:“Any food sold in any type of marketplace needs to be safe for human consumption, there can be no exceptions.

“That is why the sub-theme this year is safe food in markets.While the Covid-19 pandemic has heightened awareness about the need for personal hygiene, it has also reminded everyone that similar hygiene practices are needed in the preparation and handling of food.”

“Food safety standards and codes of practice, particularly those of the Codex, have never been more important than today,” said Sridhar Dharmapuri, a senior food safety and nutrition officer at FAO. “Covid-19 cannot be transmitted through food.

“However, when we reach the end of lockdowns, countries will be looking to jumpstart their economies and increase trade, both domestic and external. Food safety and hygiene will be vital to ensure consumer confidence,” he added.

Developing countries that export food internationally are increasingly aware of the need for sound food safety programmes that are in line with international standards. In Pakistan, antimicrobials have been heavily used in animal production; as a result of which, consignments of frozen food, sent from Pakistan to European Union countries have been sent back due to presence of dangerous chemicals. Improper use of antimicrobials can also lead to drug resistance in pests that they are supposed to destroy, which has implications for both human and animal health. Similarly, contamination of Aflatoxins in local foods in the country poses a serious threat to the population of Pakistan, resulting in an increase of several chronic and acute diseases. It impacts cereal grains, dairy products, chillies, nuts etc.

To mitigate this threat, the first Aflatoxin Control Laboratory was established at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) by the US Department of Agriculture in collaboration with technical support from Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux International.

With the support of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a food safety laboratory has also been established at the National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIAB), where food testing is done according to international standards.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) provides technical assistance for reviewing food safety legislations in Pakistan, aimed at identifying gaps and weaknesses in existing food laws and regulations.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2020