Platform for African – European Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development

Thursday, May 20, 2021

WEBINAR: Ensuring Food Safety and Nutritional Quality of Foods

20 May 2021 at 11:00-12:30. Ensuring Food Safety and Nutritional Quality of Foods
FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa (FAORNE) jointly with the FAO Food Systems and Food Safety Division (FAO ESF).

Food safety and nutrition are inextricably linked, yet the importance of food safety in this relation is
often overlooked. Improving food safety regulations and their implementation is essential to safeguard
the health and good nutritional outcomes of the population. It is crucial to ensure that adequate food
safety policy, food safety regulations, investments and implementing institutions are in place as
improvements in nutrition cannot be achieved without food safety. There can be no healthy diets
without food safety. The nutritious foods that contribute to healthy diets, such as fruits and vegetables,
nuts, legumes, meat, dairy products, and fish are the most susceptible to food safety hazards. According
to WHO, nearly one in ten people fall ill every year from eating unsafe food, with 420,000 dying as result and low-income countries being the most affected.

Similarly, guidelines and regulations for good practices across food value chains should be promoted by
official controls and extension services to ensure safe production, processing, storage, transportation
and retailing of food products that are safe and of high nutritional quality. While the essence of food
safety regulations is to protect consumer's health and promote fair trade practices, market access and income generation, other legitimate factors should also be taken into consideration, such as attitudes and adoption of good practices by food business operators and consumers acceptance. Furthermore, other goals include environmental sustainability, healthy soils, and clean water are important for sustainable production and consumption.

In the framework of its Regional Network on Nutrition-sensitive Food Systems, FAO Regional Office for
Near East and North Africa (FAO/RNE) is organizing jointly with the FAO Food Systems and Food Safety Division (FAO ESF) a dialogue on “Ensuring Food Safety and Nutritional Quality of Foods”.
  • Facilitator: Ms Jennifer Smolak, Agro-Business and Value Chain Specialist and FAO RNE Focal for Food Safety
  • Welcoming remarks by Mr Nakouzi, Serge, Deputy Regional Representative, FAORNE (5 minutes)
  • Keynote Presentation by Mr Jamie Morrison, Director, FAO Food Systems and Food Safety Division
Panel discussion: The panel will be composed of senior officials and experts - representatives of food safety competent authorities, ministry of health, ministry of agriculture, national institution on nutrition and academe
  • Panel moderated by Ms Eleonora Dupouy, Food Safety and Quality Officer, FAO ESF
  • Open discussion - facilitated by Ms Nomindelger Bayasgalanbat, Nutrition and Food Systems Officer, FAORNE 

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