Press Release

FAO/IAEA – UNIDO – GSFP join forces on Food Safety in Asia

20 November 2015

  • Viet Nam, 9 – 20th November 2015 – Protection of the integrity of the food supply is of utmost importance in terms of food security, food safety and quality, consumer protection and international trade. Techniques to maintain and ensure the quality and safety of food are necessary throughout the food production and supply chain. The need for methods to monitor and verify food safety and quality, and ensure food traceability is evidenced by the ever growing list of food product recalls due to contamination.

To meet these requirements, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), through the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture and in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Global Food Safety Partnership (GSFP) have joined hands with the government of Viet Nam to organize the International Training Workshop on Food Safety, Quality and Traceability from 9-20th November 2015 in Viet Nam.

The 1st week of the training workshop was hosted in Ho Chi Minh city by the Quality Assurance and Testing Center (QUATEST 3) of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST). And the 2nd week was hosted in HaNnoi by the National Institute for Food Control of the Ministry of Health (MoH). Participants come from member states, such as Belgium, Banglades, India, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Newzealand, Oman, Pakistan, Srilanka, Viet Nam, Thailand, Turkey, etc. They are laboratory managers and analytical chemists who perform analyses for official control of food, thereby facilitating international trade and the provision of safe food supplies at the national level.

The programme of the workshop focused on food safety and quality and include protection of the integrity of the food supply chain as a holistic process, involving multiple stakeholders, such as exporters of agricultural products and farmers' associations. Participants also discussed the central role played by the analytical laboratory in providing end-product testing. The workshop provided an opportunity to bring together experts in these fields to present contemporary applications for food safety and quality and discuss future perspectives and opportunities, and to provide a forum for interdisciplinary networking among all stakeholders in the farm-to-fork food chain.

Contact:

Mr. Patrick J. Gilabert

Representative

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

Email: P.Gilabert@unido.org

UNIDO Country Office, Green One UN House,

304 Kim Ma, Ha Noi, Viet Nam

UN entities involved in this initiative

UNIDO
United Nations Industrial Development Organization

Goals we are supporting through this initiative