Importance of international cooperation in food safety

All countries need to ensure that national food supplies are safe, of good quality and available in adequate amounts at affordable prices to ensure good nutrition and health for all population groups. The enforcement of food standards by efficient national food control authorities in domestic markets and at the points of import and export has been increasingly recognized as a means of raising the value of exported goods by reducing the number of rejected or reconditioned consignments, and of ensuring the safety of the food and its acceptability by the final consumer. However, those national efforts have sometimes induced some non-tariff barriers to food trade and distribution. In addition, new developments in the technologies of food production, processing and marketing pose a new challenge to ensure safety of food. The strengthening of national food control infrastructures in particular in developing countries including the strengthening of staff capabilities, the need for harmonization of food at international levels, the need for collection and exchange of data on food control and food contamination issues are essential elements to ensure food safety in the world. International cooperation has an important role to play in achieving these essential elements.