Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of WHO, I am pleased to participate in this meeting and to address you all.
Congratulations to the organizers for holding this conference just as China's new Food Safety Law comes into force. This is an important milestone for China, and a timely occasion to serve up some food for thought.
No matter where we are, food safety affects us all. Everyone needs to eat, each and every day. The possibility of putting something harmful into our mouths – or, even worse, our children’s mouths – stirs up strong fears and emotions.
In recent years, social and economic development trends have presented challenges to food safety. The integration and consolidation of food industries and the globalization of the food trade are changing the patterns of food production and distribution.
Rapid urbanization and lifestyle changes increase people’s demand for food prepared outside the home. More and more people are buying processed foods, eating in restaurants, or buying meals from street vendors. Breastfeeding, the optimal nutritional option for newborns and infants unfortunately is often replaced with infant formula and sometimes even with sub-quality formula.
In developed countries, up to 50% of the food budget may be spent on food prepared outside the home. In developing countries 60-70% of the income of middle class families is spent on food. This makes people more vulnerable to lapses in food safety at any point along the production chain. There are situations where a single source of contamination can have widespread, even global consequences.
The result is a dramatic increase in severe incidents of foodborne disease. This makes food safety not just a major public health concern, but also a development issue and a matter of great economic importance.
Last year's melamine incident in China is a case in point. It affected some 300,000 Chinese infants and young children. Six infants died. The economic loss and social impact were huge. The consequences were also felt globally as melamine-contaminated milk and related food were exported to many countries worldwide.
Fortunately, China has learnt from this crisis. WHO would like to commend the government for its new Food Safety Law, which was passed on 28 February this year and became effective on 1 June. We are pleased to see that the law embodies the general principles and requirements of a modern food law, in line with FAO and WHO guidelines. This includes the reflection of a farm-to-table concept, strengthened coordination management, articles detailing food safety risk assessment, and the streamlining of standard setting for food safety, among other principles.
Food laws are an important start, but governments also need updated food standards to guide them in implementing laws. Harmonizing these standards is a prerequisite to protecting consumer health and allowing the smooth flow of international trade. It can only be achieved when all countries adopt the same standards.
In 1963, FAO and WHO created the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) to protect the health of consumers, ensure fair trade practices in the food trade, and promote coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organizations. The CAC has succeeded in achieving international harmonization in food quality and safety requirements. It has formulated international standards for a wide range of food products and specific requirements covering areas such as pesticide residues, food additives, veterinary drug residues, hygiene, food contaminants and labeling.
There is growing concern over a perceived emergence of or increase in food-borne diseases, with the growth in world food trade, advances in modern communication and increasing mobility of populations. Consumers around the world are seeking ever-greater assurances about the safety and quality of foods they eat. The CAC needs to ensure more effective participation and involvement of all members in setting globally relevant standards. It also needs to consider opportunities for strengthening partnerships with all stakeholders at global and national levels.
Having all countries participate in Codex standards development is a crucial first step.
Admittedly, developing countries can find it hard to take part in Codex standards development, mainly because they lack the resources to attend Codex meetings. In this respect, I am pleased to refer to the role of the Joint FAO/WHO Trust Fund and Project for Enhanced Participation in Codex. The Trust Fund has been in operation for over four years and helped many developing countries take part in Codex meetings. On behalf of FAO and WHO, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to those donors who have generously contributed to this Fund. We hope that other donors will join us to further strengthen the work of the Codex.
In China, the government has made a strong commitment to Codex by hosting two important committees, the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) and the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) since 2007. Taking responsibility for two Codex subsidiary bodies is a challenging task and clearly demonstrates the government’s commitment to international collaboration on food safety issues.
WHO also recognizes the government's commitment to setting safety standards for domestic food. Assigning the Ministry of Health as the key agency to set standards under the new food safety law has an important implication for food safety control. The law requests MOH to clear and integrate all existing food standards, which will benefit consumers, food producers, traders and inspectors alike.
Food laws and standards are essential, but they are toothless without proper enforcement.
Ladies and gentlemen, food safety is increasingly a global challenge. Collective efforts are needed now, more than ever. There is a need and an opportunity for countries to take food safety action to a new level. Efficient multisectoral collaboration is a prerequisite for food safety, involving all relevant partners at the international and national levels.
I'm pleased to see government regulators, food industries, consumers and academics at this meeting. Only by working together can we mitigate existing food-related risks and significantly reduce the incidence of foodborne disease over the medium- to long-term.
I wish the conference every success. Thank you.