Food Safety - WHO | World Health Organization

Access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health. Unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, ... Home/ Healthtopics/ Foodsafety Overview Accesstosufficientamountsofsafeandnutritiousfoodiskeytosustaininglifeandpromotinggoodhealth.Unsafefoodcontainingharmfulbacteria,viruses,parasitesorchemicalsubstancescancausemorethan200differentdiseases–rangingfromdiarrhoeatocancers.Aroundtheworld,anestimated600million–almost1in10people–fallillaftereatingcontaminatedfoodeachyear,resultingin420000deathsandthelossof33millionhealthylifeyears(DALYs).Foodsafety,nutritionandfoodsecurityarecloselylinked.Unsafefoodcreatesaviciouscycleofdiseaseandmalnutrition,particularlyaffectinginfants,youngchildren,elderlyandthesick.Inadditiontocontributingtofoodandnutritionsecurity, asafefoodsupplyalsosupportsnationaleconomies,tradeandtourism,stimulatingsustainabledevelopment.Theglobalizationoffoodtrade,agrowingworldpopulation,climatechangeandrapidlychangingfoodsystemshaveanimpactonthesafetyoffood.WHOaimstoenhanceataglobalandcountry-levelthecapacitytoprevent,detectandrespondtopublichealththreatsassociatedwithunsafefood. LearnaboutNutritionandFoodSafetyandCOVID-19 FactsheetsArsenicBotulismCampylobacterDioxinsandtheireffectsonhumanhealthE.coliFoodsafetyListeriosisNaturaltoxinsinfoodMycotoxinsSalmonella(non-typhoidal)Q&ACOVID-19: QuestionsrelatingtoconsumersCOVID-19: QuestionsrelatingtofoodbusinessesCOVID-19: QuestionsrelatingtofoodsafetyauthoritiesGeneticallymodifiedfoodFoodsafety:PesticideresidueOneHealth AntimicrobialresistanceinthefoodchainSaleoflivewildmammalsintraditionalfoodmarketsRadioactivityinfoodafteranuclearemergencyDataFOSCOLLABGlobalEnvironmentMonitoringSystem(GEMS)/FoodContaminationMonitoringandAssessmentProgrammeFoodadditivesdatabase(JECFA)ChemicalSafetyInformationfromIntergovernmentalOrganizations(INCHEM)GuidelinesAssuringFoodSafetyandQuality:GuidelinesforStrengtheningNationalFoodControlSystems WHOguidelinesonuseofmedicallyimportantantimicrobialsinfood-producinganimalsStrengtheningsurveillanceofandresponsetofoodbornediseases:introductorymoduleResolutionsStrengtheningeffortsonfoodsafety(WHA73.5)Advancingfoodsafetyinitiatives(WHA63.3)UNGeneralAssembly:WorldFoodSafetyDay(A/RES/73/3250)JointFAO/WHOProgrammeonFoodStandards(CodexAlimentarius)WHA16.42Antimicrobialresistance:summaryreportonprogressmadeinimplementingresolutionWHA67.25onantimicrobialresistance:reportbytheSecretariatWHOteamsNutritionandFoodSafety 1in10people fallill aftereatingcontaminatedfoodworldwide Learnmore 420000people dieeveryyear duetoeatingcontaminatedfoodglobally,ofwhich125000arechildrenunder5yearsofage. Learnmore US$110billion losteachyear inproductivityandmedicalexpensesresultingfromunsafefoodinlow-andmiddleincomecountries WorldBankreport News All→ 21March2022 Departmentalnews OneHealthiscriticaltoaddressingzoonoticpublichealththreatsandenvironmentalissues 18March2022 JointNewsRelease UNEnvironmentProgrammejoinsalliancetoimplementOneHealthapproach 7March2022 Departmentalnews WorldFoodSafetyDay2022themehighlightstherolethatsafe,nutritionalfoodplaysinensuringhumanhealth 4February2022 Departmentalnews INFOSANQuarterlySummary,2021#4 Ourwork Strengtheningnationalfoodcontrolsystems Assessingchemicalrisksinfood Assessingmicrobiologicalrisksinfood Promotingsafefoodhandling Estimatingtheburdenoffoodbornediseases Campaign WorldFoodSafetyDay-7June2022 Events All→ WorldFoodSafetyDay WorldFoodSafetyDaypaneldiscussion:Saferfood,betterhealth 7June202214:00–15:00CET HealthTalksonFoodSafety 7–9June2022 WorldFoodSafetyDay WorldFoodSafetyDay2022-Saferfood,betterhealth 7June2022 LauncheventoftheCoalitionofActiononHealthyDietsfromSustainableFoodSystemsforChildrenandAll 13May202214:00–15:00CET FoodSafetyCOPwebinar:RoleofscienceintheCodexAlimentariusCommission 8April202215:00–16:00CET Callfor All→ 17May2022 Callforauthors Callforauthors-Specialissue:Interventionsforthetreatmentofpersonswithobesity 6May2022 Callforexperts Callforexperts-WHOinitiativetoupdatethe2005WHOTEFfordioxinanddioxin-likecompounds 29April2022 Callforexperts CallforexpertsanddataonmicrobiologicalriskassessmentofListeriamonocytogenesinfoods 13April2022 Callforconsultant Callforconsultant–FoodSystemsSummitfollowup 11April2022 Callforexperts Callforexpertsanddataonthepre-andpost-harvestcontrolofnon-typhoidalSalmonellaspp.andCampylobacterspp.inpoultrymeat Publications All→ 26May2022 Safetyevaluationofcertainfoodadditives:preparedbytheeighty-ninthmeetingoftheJointFAO/WHO... Themonographscontainedinthisvolumewerepreparedattheeighty-ninthmeetingof theJointFoodandAgricultureOrganizationoftheUnitedNations... Download ReadMore 26May2022 Safetyevaluationofcertainfoodadditives:preparedbytheninety-secondmeetingoftheJointFAO/WHO... Themonographscontainedinthisvolumewerepreparedattheninety-secondmeetingoftheJointFoodandAgricultureOrganizationoftheUnitedNations... Download ReadMore 1April2022 CompendiumofWHOandotherUNguidanceonhealthandenvironment,2022update ThisupdatedversionofthecompendiumprovidesasystematiccompilationofpublishedguidancefromWHOandotherUNorganizationsonhealthandenvironment.... Download ReadMore 29March2022 Microbiologicalhazardsinspicesanddriedaromaticherbs:meetingreport Spicesanddriedaromaticherbsimpartflavourwhenaddedto food,andtheymayincludemanypartsoftheplant,includingberries,flowers, leaves,... Download ReadMore Otherdocumentation All→ 12April2022 Ninety-thirdmeeting-JointFAO/WHOExpertCommitteeofFoodAdditives(JECFA) AmeetingoftheJointFAO/WHOExpertCommitteeonFoodAdditives(JECFA)washeldonavirtualonlineplatformfrom24Marchto1April2022.Thepurpose... Download ReadMore 31March2022 OneHealthHigh-LevelExpertPanelAnnualReport2021 Thisreportsummarizestheactivitiesandresultsachievedin2021bythe26expertsOneHealthHigh-LevelExpertPanel(OHHLEP),accordingtothework... Download ReadMore 30March2022 DepartmentofNutritionandFoodSafetykeyachievements2021 Despitethecontinued challengesfacedfrom COVID-19throughout theyear,2021broughtmany opportunitiesforNutritionandFoodSafety... Download ReadMore 5December2021 DraftWHOGlobalStrategyforFoodSafety2022-2030 In2020,aresolutiontitled‘‘Strengtheningeffortsonfoodsafety’’wasadoptedbytheSeventy-thirdWorldHealthAssembly.In... Download ReadMore Assessmenttool 7August2019 Foodcontrolsystemassessmenttool:dimensionD:Science/Knowledgebaseandcontinuousimprovement DimensionDlooksatthenecessaryfeaturesforthesystemtobuilditsscientificsoundnessandtokeepabreastofnewscientificdevelopmentsandinnovations,... Download ReadMore 7August2019 Foodcontrolsystemassessmenttool:dimensionC:interactionswithstakeholders DimensionCidentifiestheinteractionsthatmusttakeplaceforthesystemtoregularlyadjusttonationalandinternationalstakeholders’evolving... Download ReadMore 7August2019 Foodcontrolsystemassessmenttool:dimensionB:controlfunctions DimensionBfocusesontheprocessesandtheoutputsofthenationalfoodcontrolsystem.Itrevolvesaroundthecontrolfunctionsthatmustbeexercised... Download ReadMore 7August2019 Foodcontrolsystemassessmenttool:dimensionA:inputsandresources DimensionAaimsatmappingthefundamentalelementsnecessaryforthesystemtooperate.Theserangefromlegalandpolicyinstrumentstofinancialassets,... Download ReadMore 7August2019 Foodcontrolsystemassessmenttool:introductionandglossary Nationalfoodcontrolsystemplaysapivotalroleinprotectingthehealthofconsumers andensuringfairpracticesinfoodtrade.Whenweareable... Download ReadMore Multimedia All→ 20April2022 FoodSafetyCOPfirstwebinar-8April2022 24March2022 FoodSystems:Ourfood,ourhealth,ourfuture Infographic WorldFoodSafetyDay2022Poster(vertical) Infographic WorldFoodSafetyDay2022Poster(horizontal) Relatedhealthtopics Physicalenvironment Antimicrobialresistance Diseasesandconditions Foodbornediseases Humanbehaviour Nutrition Other Chemicalsafety Substances Food,Geneticallymodified Physicalenvironment Water,sanitationandhygiene(WASH) Disasters Climatechange Diseasesandconditions Foodbornetrematodeinfections Relatedlinks ThecodexAlimentariusFoodSafetyatFAO Contact DepartmentofNutritionandFoodSafety[email protected]