High-Level International Forum on Food Safety Adopts Beijing Declaration on Food Safety

High-Level International Forum on Food Safety Adopts Beijing Declaration on Food Safety

November 27, 2007

    BEIJING, Nov. 27 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- A Declaration
aimed at advancing food safety as a global public health
and trade issue was today adopted by the High-level
International Forum on Food Safety held in Beijing on 26
and 27 November 2007.

    (Logo:
http://www.xprn.com.cn/xprn/sa/20061102095006-51.jpg )

    The Beijing Food Safety Declaration affirms that access
to safe food and nutritionally adequate diets is the right
of each individual.

    It recognises several underlying concepts that provide
the foundation for contemporary approaches to food safety.

    On the basis of these concepts, the declaration urges
all countries to improve consumer protection through a
series of measures that aim to comprehensively address food
safety from production to consumption, from national to
international and from routine to emergency. 

    In particular, all countries should build on the
International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) to
share experience as well as emergency information about
food safety incidents.

    The forum brought together senior officials from more
than 50 countries and international organizations to
develop a consistent approach for enhancing food safety in
the global community.

    The forum was organised by the General Administration
of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the
People's Republic of China (AQSIQ), and co-sponsored by the
Chinese Ministry of Health (MOH) and the World Health
Organization (WHO). 
 
    The forum was held at Diaoyutai State Guest House in
Beijing.
 
    More information about the high-level International
Forum on Food Safety is available at 
http://www.aqsiq.gov.cn/forum.htm .
 
    A copy of the Beijing Food Safety Declaration follows.

    For more information, please contact:

     Gregory Hartl
     WHO Geneva
     Tel:    [phone]
     Mobile: [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]

     Joanna Brent
     WHO China
     Mobile: [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]


    Beijing, 27 November 2007

    BEIJING DECLARATION ON FOOD SAFETY

    Adopted by consensus(1) by the High-level International
Food Safety Forum -- "Enhancing Food Safety in a Global
Community" held in Beijing, the People's Republic of
China on 26 and 27 November 2007

    In recalling that access to safe food and a
nutritionally adequate diet is a right of each
individual(2) and in recognition that:

    -- Oversight of food safety is an essential public
health function that 
       protects consumers from health risks posed by
biological, chemical and 
       physical hazards in food as well as by conditions of
food;
    -- Foodborne risks, if not controlled, can be major
causes of disease and 
       premature death as well as lost productivity and
heavy economic burdens;
    -- Equal application of food safety measures between
countries as well as 
       within countries can improve global food safety;
    -- Integrated food safety systems are best suited to
address potential 
       risks across the entire food chain from production
to consumption;
    -- Food safety measures should be based on sound
scientific evidence and 
       risk analysis principles and should not
unnecessarily create barriers 
       to trade;
    -- Production of safe food is primarily the
responsibility of the food 
       industry; 
    -- Education of consumers is critical in promoting safe
food practices in 
       the home; and,
    -- Interactive communication with consumers is
important for assuring that
       societal values and expectations are considered in
the decision-making 
       process.

    Therefore, all countries are urged to:

    -- Establish competent food safety authorities as
independent and trusted 
       public health bodies within a comprehensive
production to consumption 
       legislative framework;
    -- Develop transparent regulation and other measures
based on risk 
       analysis to ensure safety of the food supply from
production to  
       consumption, harmonized with the guidance of the
Codex Alimentarius 
       Commission and other relevant international
standards-setting bodies;
    -- Ensure adequate and effective enforcement of food
safety legislation 
       using risk-based methods, such as the Hazard
Analysis and Critical 
       Control Point system, where possible;
    -- Establish food and total diet monitoring programmes
with linkages to 
       human and food-animal disease surveillance systems
to obtain rapid and 
       reliable information on prevalence and emergence of
foodborne diseases 
       and hazards in the food supply;
    -- Establish procedures, including tracing and recall
systems in 
       conjunction with industry, to rapidly identify,
investigate and control
       food safety incidents and to advise WHO of those
that fall under the 
       International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005)
through the International
       Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) and the
National IHR Focal 
       Point;
    -- Communicate and consult effectively with consumers,
the food industry, 
       and other stakeholders in developing, implementing
and reviewing food 
       safety policies and priorities, including education
and other matters 
       of concern; and
    -- Expedite the strengthening of food safety capacities
through effective 
       cooperation between developing and developed
countries as well as among
       developing countries, thus promoting safer food for
all.

    (1) The Australian delegation was unable to speak on
behalf of the 
        Australian Government because of caretaker
conventions following the 
        recent election.
    (2) World Declaration on Nutrition (1992) FAO/WHO
International Conference
        on Nutrition, Rome