Food safety and foodborne diseases

Food safety

Food safety is the assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared and/or eaten according to its intended use. Millions of people fall ill and many of these suffer from serious disorders, long-term complications, or die as a result of eating unsafe food.

Foodborne diseases

Foodborne diseases affect millions of people every year. Many of these suffer from serious disorders, long-term complications, or die as a result of eating unsafe food. Surveillance of foodborne disease is an important element of a national food control system.

The Western Pacific Regional Food Safety Strategy

The Western Pacific Regional Food Safety Strategy 2011-2015 is a framework for the strengthening of national food control systems to effectively protect public health, prevent fraud, avoid food adulteration and facilitate safe and healthy food.

In addition to providing a national framework, the strategy defines the work of the food safety programme in the WHO Western Pacific Region.