WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/720 
11 August 2006 
 (06-3878) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
 
FAO/WHO CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN FOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY 
COVERING PERIOD JULY 2005 – JUNE 2006
 
 
Submission by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and  
the World Health Organization (WHO ) 
  
Introduction 
 1. During the past year various initiatives have been undertaken or continued by FAO and 
WHO, in collaboration with relevant part ner organizations and institutions, to: 
• further enhance the respective roles of the ag riculture and health sectors in ensuring the 
quality and safety of the food supply; 
• strengthen FAO's and WHO's role  in convening neutral fora for negotiation and for exchange 
of information and experiences in th e field of food safety and quality;  
• further strengthen cooperation and collaborati on between the two organizations and with 
other partners in the field of food safety and quality;  and  
• to upgrade the capacity of developing member countries in food safety and food quality 
assurance and support their effective participation in Codex work.  2. In the achievement of the overall objectives of FAO, an important reorganization has taken 
place in 2006 in the area of food and food safety.  The Food and Nutrition Division, recently renamed the Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division, wh ich hosts the Codex secretariat, JECFA joint 
secretariat, JEMRA joint secretariat and the staff wo rking in the field of food quality and safety, has 
been moved from the Economic and Social Departme nt to the Agriculture, Biosecurity, Nutrition and 
Consumer Protection Department.  This move is in line with the farm-to-table approach to nutrition, 
food safety and consumer protection and the important role that operators in the food chain play in 
this field.  This should provide new opportunities for cooperation between all units involved in the 
production, processing, handling, storage and distri bution of food products, as well as in food safety 
control and standards development. 
3. Similarly in WHO, the Food Safety Departme nt has been renamed Department of Food 
Safety, Zoonoses and Foodborne Diseases following th e merger of the units covering zoonoses and 
food-borne disease previously under the Department  of Communicable Diseases with the Department 
of Food Safety.  The new Department illustrates the existing WHO strategy of addressing food safety 
issues along the entire food chain continuum from primary production to consumers. 
4. Information on FAO's and WHO's main capacity building activities in food safety and quality 
during the reporting period is provided below. 
 G/SPS/GEN/720 
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  FAO/WHO Regional Conferences on Food Safety 
 
5. FAO/WHO jointly convened the Regional Conf erence on Food Safety for Africa (Harare, 
Zimbabwe, 3-6 October 2005) and the Regional Conf erence on Food Safety for the Americas and the 
Caribbean (San José, Costa Rica, 6-9 December 2005).   
6. These two events were the last in a series of regional conferences organized by FAO and 
WHO at the request of member countries to me et their needs for policy guidance and capacity 
building in food safety.  Both conferences made a number of recommendations to member countries, 
to FAO/WHO, other relevant organizations a nd to donor governments.  The reports of both 
conferences, complete with CD ROM containing the report, the working documents and conference 
room documents, were made available to the C odex Alimentarius Commission in July 2006.   
7. The FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food Safety for Africa also adopted a Resolution 
and a Recommended Five-Year Strategic Plan for Food Safety in Africa which was subsequently used 
to prepare a project proposal for consideration by potential donors.  This project proposal was discussed during the Commission at a briefing session w ith the African Group of delegates.  FAO and 
WHO are working to attract sufficient extra-budgetary  resources to assist the African countries in the 
implementation of the Five-Year Plan of Action. 
FAO/WHO Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators 
 
8. A preparatory meeting for a possible third FAO/WHO Global Forum of Food Safety 
Regulators was held at FAO Headquarters on 3 May 200 6 in order to have a preliminary discussion 
on the objective, format, content and funding of a possible third Global Forum.  This meeting 
recommended that further discussion be held on this  subject in conjunction with the current session of 
the Codex Alimentarius Commission.  A meeting w as held on 7 July 2006 to discuss this matter. 
Funding Mechanisms to Improve Food Safety and Quality 
 9. FAO, WHO, OIE, WTO and the World Bank est ablished a Standards and Trade Development 
Facility (STDF) to coordinate the capacity building e fforts of these organizations in the areas of food 
safety and plant and animal health and to provide  a funding mechanism for countries and stakeholders 
to undertake their activities in these areas.  The STDF is both a financing and a coordination mechanism.  Grant financing is available for privat e and public organizations  in developing countries 
seeking to comply with international SPS standards and hence gain or maintain market access.  The 
STDF provides funds for two types of grants: project preparation grants and project grants.  Project 
preparation grants, up to US$20,000, aim to act as a bridge between the identification of technical 
assistance needs and the development of coherent project proposals.  Project grants typically range between US$300,000 and US$600,000.  As of April 2006, 12 project grants and 15 project 
preparation grants with a food safety component  had been approved (see list in the Annex of 
Document CAC/29/INF 5).  Interested countries and stakeholders are encouraged to propose projects 
and submit them to the STDF for consideration. 
10. Further information on the STDF, including the exact deadlines for submission of proposals 
and meeting dates, the Business Plan, application forms and information on projects approved can be 
found at the STDF website www.standardsfacility.org
.   
11. FAO and WHO have established a Trust Fund for Participation in Codex to increase the 
participation of developing countries and countries  in transition in the vital work of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission.  The fund provides fi nancial support to increase their capacity to 
implement those standards in their own country.  The seventh progress report on the FAO/WHO Codex Trust Fund covers activities for the first part of 2006 and follows on from the information  G/SPS/GEN/720 
 Page 3 
 
 
  contained in the 2005 Annual Report.  For the period January to December 2006 it is expected that 
132 delegates from 93 countries will be  supported to attend 16 Codex meetings and working groups.  
The breakdown of participants is expected to be :  57 per cent from lower income countries;  26 per 
cent from lower middle income countries;  and 17 per cent from upper middle income countries.  Following the success of the December 2005 Codex Training Course initiated by the Codex Trust 
Fund, further expenditures on training and the wide r dissemination of the Codex Training Package is 
envisaged in 2006.  
Technical Assistance and Supporting Material for Capacity Building 
 
12. FAO and WHO are engaged in a programme of technical assistance activities and projects at 
national, regional and intern ational levels.  The areas covered incl ude training of food control officials 
and technical staff (food control managers, food insp ectors, food analysts), provision of fellowships 
for future food regulators, enhancement of food c ontrol laboratory capabilities, implementation of risk 
analysis, risk assessment of microbiological hazards  in food, support in establishing national Codex 
committees, policy advice and establishment of regulator y frameworks.  Furthermore, fresh fruits and 
vegetables quality and safety, mycotoxin preventi on and control, implementation of the FAO/WHO 
Guidance to Governments on the Application of HA CCP in Small and/or Less Developed Businesses, 
HACCP in aquaculture, traceability of fish and fish  products, good practices for the feed industry, 
prevention of BSE and other zoonotic diseases and others are included.  
13. WHO is involved in supporting food and clinical laboratories in the America's region through 
the INFAL (Inter-American Network of Food Analysis  Laboratories) and PulseNet (fingerprinting of 
food-borne disease-causing bacteria by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE)) networks. 
14. FAO is presently conducting a programme for improving the quality and safety of fresh fruits 
and vegetables, which focuses on the application of  good practices (GAP, GMP, and GHP) to prevent 
hazards at appropriate points in the fresh fruits  and vegetable chain (pr oduction and post-harvest 
stages - food chain approach ).  Subregional workshops have b een held in Latin America and the 
Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Near East (Chi na, Egypt and Morocco) and are planned for other 
parts of the world.  Activities for awareness raising and training at the national level have also been 
initiated through the implementation of National Action Plans.  Four case studies on the implementation of quality and safety schemes are under preparation.  FAO has prepared a Training Package (available in  CD-ROM and printed format), providing information that can be used by 
countries to develop training programmes and implem ent safety and quality requirements to suit their 
specific needs and thus enhance their capability to  apply the Codex guidelines and standards, meet 
importers requirements, as well as improve the qu ality and safety of fresh produce on the domestic 
market.  An on-line database (also produced as a CD -ROM) with over 800 documents related to the 
safety and quality of fresh fruits and vegetables is also available.  See also www.fao.org/ag/agn/index_en.stm
. 
15. In May 2006 FAO completed implementation of a global project to address the problem of 
mycotoxin contamination of coffee and protect the he alth of coffee consumers.  Initiated in 2000, the 
project, "Improvement of coffee quality through the prevention of mould formation", was formulated 
in collaboration with the International Coffee Orga nization (ICO) and the European coffee industry, 
and was executed by FAO in Brazil, Colombia, Côte  d'Ivoire, India, Indonesia, Kenya and Uganda.  
Financing was provided by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), with co-financing from the 
Government of the Netherlands and the Institute fo r Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC).  For 
more information on the project, training resources and guidelines on the prevention of mould formation in coffee, visit www.coffee-ota.org
. 
16. FAO and WHO have recently been engaged in  the development of a number of manuals, 
guidelines and training materials that should facilitate  the capacity building effort.  Most of these G/SPS/GEN/720 
Page 4  
 
  materials are developed jointly except for a few which are prepared under specific field projects 
operated either by FAO or WHO.  These materials include the following: 
• Improving the Safety and Quality of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables training manual and 
resource database (available from FAO web pages or as  a CD-ROM in English, Spanish, French and 
Chinese - see further description above). 
• "Food Safety Risk Analysis – A Manual fo r National Food Safety Authorities" and 
accompanying CD-ROM training pack:  a join t FAO/WHO publication under finalization. 
• The FAO tool "Strengthening the capacity of na tional food control systems:  Guidelines to 
assess capacity building need s" was pilot tested under the framework of AGNS and STDF projects in 
Benin, Cameroon and Myanmar, and positive fee dback received.  The Guidelines have been 
published in hard copy and on CD-ROM, and pos ted on the AGNS web site.  A complementary, 
condensed version of these Guidelines "A quick guide  to assess capacity building needs" is currently 
being finalized. 
• FAO, together with WHO and ICD, have  developed a basic Awareness Course on 
Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA).  The primary objective of this course is to acquaint 
governments with the general concept of Risk Anal ysis and how MRA fits into the framework of 
Microbiological Risk Management (MRM).  This course was used as a basis for a training course for 
South-East European countries in September 2005.  In addition, a one day workshop on this issue was 
implemented in Sydney, Australia targeting partic ipants from the Asian Pacific region.  A further 
training course is being planned for Spanish speak ing Latin American and Caribbean countries in 
October 2006 and one for South-East Asia in Novemb er 2006.  A preliminary version of the course 
material (English) is now available on CD-ROM. 
• Enhancing Participation in Codex Activities - An FAO/WHO Training Pack designed to 
strengthen national food safety and quality system s through enhanced par ticipation in the Codex 
process.  It should serve as reference document fo r those involved in national Codex activities and as 
a training tool on Codex.  A CD-ROM containing th e visual aids and relevant reference documents 
will be included in the manual.  It is available in several languages at: 
www.fao.org/ag/AGN/food/capacity_codex_en.stm
.  An electronic web-based training course is 
under active preparation based on this Training Pack. 
• FAO/WHO guidance document for governments on the application of HACCP, in small and 
less developed businesses (SLDBs) was finalized.  The document will soon be available at 
http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/food/quality_haccp_en.stm . 
• FAO and WHO have been engaged in prepari ng a standardized training package to assist 
countries in implementing relevant Codex texts re lated to the food safety assessment of products 
derived from modern biotechnology.  This traini ng package may include a pilot training manual 
package containing both theory and practical ex amples of risk assessments of foods derived from 
modern biotechnology and a guide for training regulators. 
• WHO has issued "A Guide for Healthy Food Ma rkets", which contains an annex on measures 
to reduce transmission of avian influenza in wet ma rkets in developing countries.  The publication is 
available at www.who.int/foodsafety/capac ity/healthy_marketplaces/en/ . 
• WHO has completed the development of the GE MS/ Food Consumption Cluster Diets, which 
will be used by JECFA and JMPR in estimating long -term exposure to chemicals in food.  The diets 
are available at www.who.int/foodsafety/chem/gems/en/ .  
 17. All these materials, once finalized, will be issu ed in multi-lingual form for wider use by 
member countries. 
Information Exchange Mechanisms 
 
18. The International Portal on Food Sa fety, Animal and Plant Health ( www.ipfsaph.org
) - a joint 
initiative with IPPC, OIE, Codex and WTO - has c ontinued to develop during its second full year of  G/SPS/GEN/720 
 Page 5 
 
 
  operation.  Numbers of page requests to the webs ite on a monthly basis regularly exceed 400 000; 
numbers of unique visitors per month are typically in excess of 35 000.  The portal is adding a number 
of new data sets on pesticides and food additiv es and now contains over 25 000 records, while 
collaboration has been strengthened with the EU th rough contacts with DG Trade's Exports Helpdesk.  
Two particular initiatives worth highlighting are: 
• the regional portal in Latin America (the Portal regional de inocuidad y sanidad 
agroalimentaria or PRISA), accessed at http://prisa.fao.org  which was launched at the regional 
conference in Latin America in April 2006.  In addi tion to the official data on food safety, animal and 
plant health, PRISA contains other information whic h users in the region have been requesting, such 
as information on training events, courses and other capacity building activities, as well as more detail 
on unofficial contacts in countries (research institut es, agencies, certifying bodies, export promotion 
boards) and information on private sector, or "volunt ary" standards.  This regional portal may provide 
a model which could be adopted in other regions such as Southern Africa,  West Africa, or the 
countries of the ASEAN grouping;  and 
• the ongoing work to develop a low bandwidth vers ion of the portal to facilitate access from 
developing countries which has been made  available progressively from April 2006. 
 
19. With funding from the Standards and Trade De velopment Facility (STDF), work is now 
proceeding to reinforce the technical system wh ich underpins the portal, while STDF-funded projects 
are actively encouraged to make use of the portal as  a resource, and consider possible further national 
data sets for inclusion.  The portal is also included  as one of the key tools on training in the effective 
use of Codex-related information systems whic h is taking place through regional workshops in 
Central Africa, Central Europe and the Far East due to be complete d during 2006.  More information 
on the portal project is available in the information paper CAC/29 INF/8. 
20. INFOSAN, the International Food Safety Aut horities Network, developed and maintained by 
WHO in collaboration with FAO, was inaugurated in  October 2004.  Since then it has received wide 
support from member states.  Identified as a priority  need by both the Codex and the World Health 
Assembly, 150 member states have joined the netw ork as of May 2006.  INFOSAN is an information 
network for the dissemination of important global food safety information and serves as a vehicle for 
food safety authorities and other relevant agencies to exchange food safety information and improve 
collaboration among them.  Since its creation, IN FOSAN has responded to re quests for information 
for member states by providing 11 INFOSAN Information Notes on timely food safety topics including avian influenza and genetically modifi ed foods.  INFOSAN EMERGENCY, the emergency 
arm of the network, has so far investigated 11 in cidents of contaminated food in international 
commerce and issued to INFOSAN Emergency alerts.  INFOSAN EMERGENCY is intended to complement and support the existing WHO Gl obal Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN)
 
which includes a Chemical Alert and Response component. 
21. The WHO International Health Regulations (IHR)  have recently been updated to cover agents 
causing serious health risks connected to food in in ternational trade.  The adapted IHR version will 
come into effect by June 2007. 
22. In 2004, WHO inaugurated its new Strategic Hea lth Operation Centre (SHOC).  The SHOC is 
a shared information and communications centre designed to facilitate collaboration and problem 
solving in order to better improve health outcome s in countries.  The SHOC both virtually and 
physically supports WHO Operations at HQ, Regi onal and Country Office levels in responding to 
crises in public health.  INFOSAN EMERGENCY is  part of the operational support structure of 
SHOC. 
23. FAO also supports the development and mainte nance of FishPort, a web-based system for 
dissemination of scientific and technical information on fish safety and quality. G/SPS/GEN/720 
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  Preparedness for response to nuclear emergencies 
 
24. FAO has established a network of technical experts on preparedness for response to nuclear 
emergencies in relation to food and agriculture.  Th is group is responsible for the implementation of 
the cooperative arrangements between IAEA and F AO.  Ongoing activities include the development 
of an on-line information system (including data on soil types, nutrition patterns, land use etc.), setting 
up an internal crisis management team to deal with nuclear emergencies affecting agriculture, and strengthening working relations with IAEA on this issue. 
Guidelines for Good Agricultural Practices 
 
25. FAO is developing an approach to support the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices 
(GAP) along the food-chain.  GAP work focuses on information, technical assistance and capacity 
building to help developing countries cope with  changing and globalizing food systems and the 
proliferation of requirements on GAP from the food industry and others, while not compromising their sustainable development objectives.  FAO's ap proach on GAPs is one that is non-prescriptive, 
and would not lead to the development of new inte rnational standards or codes.  Furthermore, it 
should not affect the definition or scope of good agri cultural practices as they appear in existing texts, 
for example the Codex Alimentarius.  Instead, in th e GAP work that FAO is implementing, local level 
GAPs defined by concerned stakeholders woul d support farmers and governments to adopt 
agricultural practices that help them comply w ith international regulatory frameworks such as the 
IPPC, Codex Alimentarius and OIE, as well as implement GAP that generate environmental, 
economic and social sustainability in different lo cal settings.  Upon request by members, FAO is 
undertaking technical assistance and capacity building activities on GAP for crops, fruit and vegetables, meat, milk or feed in different  countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. 
Joint activities in the Fisheries area  
 26. FAO/FII is carrying out the following activ ities in the area of capacity building: 
• Support to the Codex Committee on Fish and Fi shery products, especially follow-up on 
advice for setting up maximal limits for biotoxins. 
• Co-organization of the FAO/WHO/OIE expe rt consultation on antimicrobial use and 
antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture. 
• Support to the FAO/WHO work on weighing risks and benefits of consuming fish and fishery 
products, in particular in relation to the methylmercury issue. 
• Training in developing countries on the application of HACCP, risk assessment and 
traceability in fisheries. 
• Building national fish control capacity in devel oping countries, especially the least developed 
countries. 
 
  G/SPS/GEN/720 
 Page 7 
 
 
  A. CAPACITY BUILDING FOR FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY :  SELECTED ACTIVITIES OF FAO  AND 
WHO,  JULY 2005  - JUNE 2006 
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS  
 27. The FAO Animal Production and Health Divisi on and the International Feed Industry 
Federation held a "Global Food and Feed Congress" in  Sao Paulo, Brazil from 11 to 13 July 2005.  
Further information is available from the Congress website: www.globalfeed-food.com
.  
28. The FAO/IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Training and Reference Centre for 
Food and Pesticide Control held a training workshop  on "Introduction to Quality Assurance/Quality 
Control Measures in Pesticide Residue Analytical  Laboratories".  The workshop took place at the 
FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratory , IAEA Laboratories, Seibersdorf, Austria from 
12 September to 7 October 2005.  More detaile d information on the course can be found at: 
www.elearning.iaea.org/A Tutor/bounce.php?course=34 . 
29. FAO/AGNS is on the advisory committee for a MYCO-GLOBE (Integration of Mycotoxin 
and Toxigenic Fungi Research for Food Safety in Global System) Conference on  "Learning from the 
EU: Reducing the Impact of Mycotoxins in Tropi cal Agriculture with Emphasis on Health and Trade 
in Africa".  The conference took place in Accra, Ghana from 13 to 16 September 2005.  More 
information on the project and the conference  is available from the conference website: 
www.iita.org/mycotoxinconf/index.htm .  
30. FAO/AGNS also organized a parallel symposium on food safety, as well as one on 
Community nutrition and intervention programmes at  the "18th International Nutrition Congress" in 
Durban, South Africa, from 19 to 23 Septembe r 2005.  The Congress was organized by the 
International Union of Nutritional Sciences . More information is available from the Congress website:  
www.puk.ac.za/fakulteite/voeding/iuns/scientific%20programme.htm#PS .  
 31. FAO held a workshop on "Genetically Modified Food Safety" at FAO Headquarters from 13 
to 14 October 2005.  The purpose of this workshop was to expose FAO professional staff to a range of 
expert opinions on selected questions related to the safety of GM foods.  Further information on this 
workshop can be obtained from:  www.fao.org/ag/AGN/food/meet ings_worksho ps2005_en.htm
. 
32. The FAO Expert Consultation on Biosafety (Rom e, 28 February to 3 March 2006) considered 
a number of present and future applications of new biotechnologies in various sectors with the aim of 
seizing opportunities for consolidating future activiti es on Biosafety for sustainable agriculture and 
food production, within a Biosecurity  context.  Discussion focuse d on three issues: governance for 
Biosafety, cooperation for Biosafety, and technical grounds for Biosafety.  Within these, the Consultation made several recommendations on establis hing a coherent interdisciplinary approach on 
Biosafety, strengthening the policy and legislative frameworks for Biosafety in food and agriculture, 
technical assistance and capacity bu ilding, cooperation with external  partners, information capacities 
and data sharing, and research.  
33. A joint FAO/WHO/OIE Expert Consultation on  Antimicrobial Use in Aquaculture and 
Antimicrobial Resistance was held in Seoul, Re public of Korea from 13 to 16 June 2006.  The 
Consultation addressed all aspects related to re gulation, marketing, distribution and use of 
antimicrobials in aquaculture, the magnitude of thei r use in aquaculture and the public health impact 
of such use.  For more informati on on this consultation please visit: 
http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/food/risk_antimicrobial_en.stm
.  
 G/SPS/GEN/720 
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  Global projects 
 
34. The Government of Norway has recently si gned a Programme Cooperation Agreement (PCA) 
with FAO, with the overall objective of supportin g the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 
developing countries through the work of FAO, for the period 2005-2006.  One of the principal 
objectives of this project is "Improved Food Safety  and Quality at National Level and along the Food 
Chain".  Activities are planned to take place duri ng the second of half of 2006 in Kenya, Uganda, 
Tanzania, Cambodia, Laos, Nicaragua and Burkin a Faso.  Outcomes to be reached include: 
acceptance and use of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP );  capacity building and awareness raising for 
integrated natural resource governance and manage ment (SARED), support to food quality and safety 
and Codex related work and guide lines, advice and instruments related to small-scale/artisanal 
fisheries implemented/developed. 
35. Under the same Programme Cooperation Agreemen t, Norway is also supporting a series of 
activities aimed at strengthening FAO's earlier work on the integration of food safety, animal health, 
plant health and biosafety under the Biosecurity fra mework.  The activities include application of the 
biosecurity framework at national level, developm ent of additional tools and guidelines, as other 
practical guidance material. 
Global tools under development 
 
36. FAO conducted an expert panel from 2 to 4 Nove mber 2005 in Rome to peer review two of 
the tools designed to assist countries in their effort to integrate Biosecurity -related disciplines and 
activities, namely the Manual on Risk Analysis in  the Field of Biosecurity and the Biosecurity 
Capacity Needs Assessment Guidelines.  These tools will now undergo pilot testing and will then be 
made widely available.  More information on FAO's approach to and work in the area of Biosecurity 
is available from: www.fao.org/biosecurity
.   
37. FAO/AGNS is preparing a manual on food inspection and auditing of food safety 
management systems.  
B. CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN AFRICA  
FAO  REGIONAL ACTIVITIES  
 
38. FAO and the Tanzanian Bureau of Standards held a five-day subregional workshop for 
English-speaking African countries in Arusha, Tanzan ia, from 10 to 14 October 2005 on "A practical 
approach to improving the quality and safety of fr esh fruits and vegetables".  Further information on 
the workshop is available from the FAO website: www.fao.org/ag/agn/meeti ngs_workshops2005_en.stm
.  
39. FAO implemented a two-day training workshop on "Food safety risk analysis" for the North 
African countries in Tunis, Tunisia from 25 to 26 November 2005.  Further details may be found on 
the FAO website www.fao.org/ag/agn/mee tings_workshops2005_en.stm . 
WHO  REGIONAL ACTIVITIES  
 
40. With WHO cooperation, a draft Strategy on Food Safety for the African Region was prepared 
and will be discussed at the Fifty-seventh Regiona l Committee for Africa in 2007.  Benin and Mali 
were supported to organize training workshops on  the Codex Alimentarius and several countries 
strengthened their National Codex Committees.  Gab on, Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the 
Congo conducted national food safety surveys and nati onal strategies/action plans were prepared by 
Gabon, Mali and Rwanda.    G/SPS/GEN/720 
 Page 9 
 
 
  41. With WHO cooperation, the Government of the Seychelles organized training courses in food 
inspection and handling through collaboration with FAO and UNIDO.  Niger organized two seminars 
on food safety and safety of meat and Kenya organized three workshops on food-borne disease surveillance and principles of HACCP.  The f ourth Francophone training courses on food-borne 
disease surveillance were held in Yaoundé, Cameroon in December 2005.  Benin, Senegal and the 
Republic of Congo conducted activities to strengthe n surveillance and microbiological monitoring of 
foods.  At the request of the Ministry of Hea lth, Mozambique was supported to strengthen the 
National Food and Water Hygiene Laboratory. 
42. WHO prepared a Regional Gu ide for the African region for development, revision and 
implementation of food law.  Kenya was supported to train nationals in prosecution procedures, to 
strengthen food law enforcement.  Benin impl emented school food safety programmes and Gabon, 
Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo sensitized street food vendors/food handlers on 
safe food handling.  
43. WHO supported implementation of the Five Keys for Safer Food in Mozambique, the 
Republic of Congo and Botswana, Lesotho and Guinea.  The Five Keys Manual, Bringing Food 
Safety Home  was adapted for African schools.  WHO promoted environmental health and food safety 
in low-income urban schools in A ngola, Cameroon, Mali and Mozambique.  
FAO Field Projects 
 
44. Under its Technical Cooperation Programme  (TCP), FAO has implemented numerous 
projects on critical aspects of food control in many countries.  FAO/TCP is designed to assist Member 
Nations in solving their most pressing development needs.  In the field of food safety these include: 
strengthening of national food control systems, e nhancing laboratory facilities and analysis capacities 
and improving the ability of member countries to comply with new trade regulations.  TCP projects are generally of one to two year duration, with  the possibility for a second phase of funding if 
warranted.  Projects have also been implemented from other funding sources as indicated.  
45. FAO/AGNS has also implemented a project to improve the quality of street foods in Benin
.  
The expected project outputs were mainly to re duce the negative impact of urban pollution on 
consumer health and to improve the food safety at  all the production-to-consumption levels.  This 
project was conducted between May 2004 and October 2005.  This project contained an important 
training component to horticulture producers,  wholesale and retail food vendors and to food 
inspectors.  A national strategy was drawn to de fine the actions to be taken by the relevant 
governmental institutions to ensure the su stainability of the project outcomes.  
46. An FAO/AGNS project was approved in May 2004 to support the implementation of a 
strategy to control and monitor the quality and safety of food products in the Democratic Republic of 
Congo .  The project is scheduled to continue until April 2006.   
47. An FAO/AGNS project to Support the Informal Food Sector in Guinea  began in June 2003 
and was completed in July 2005.  The objective of  the assistance was to help the Government to 
define the strategies necessary to improve the quality  of food prepared and sold on the street.  The 
project carried out surveys and pre-test feasible actions to improve the safety and quality of food sold on the street.  Consumers received information on associations and other institutions working to 
protect the safety and quality of food . 
48. FAO/AGST has coordinated a training of tr ainers for extension staff in Kenya
 to raise 
awareness of mycotoxin contaminati on and develop appropriate  post-harvest practices for its control.  
To ensure sustainability, trainees were mandated to  sensitise farmer groups and facilitate development 
of action plans for aflatoxin control at farm leve l.  The action plans are intended to serve as pilot G/SPS/GEN/720 
Page 10  
 
  projects that can be replicated in other communiti es.  A second phase of the project targeting other 
stakeholders was on-going in 2005.  
49. At the request of the National Food Research Institute of Botswana
 a project proposal was 
prepared for FAO assistance in strengthening its national food safety system.  This project was 
developed by AGNS in collaboration with the FAO subregional office for Southern and Eastern 
Africa and was approved in 2005. 
50. FAO/AGNS commenced work on an FAO TCP proj ect in early 2006 to assist in the control 
of mycotoxins in South Africa .  The objective of the project is to carry out a preliminary assessment 
of the level of contamination by mycotoxins (m ainly OTA and DON in selected commodities) and to 
enhance the government's capabilities in the samp ling, monitoring, prevention and control of 
mycotoxins in foodstuffs with a view to en sure maximum consumer protection and promote 
international trade in foodstuffs.  The proposed activ ities are currently centred on data generation and 
analysis, with a view to improve monitoring and control activities, perform scientific based risk 
assessment with local data, as well as to feed in  the network of information exchange in SADC 
countries.  
Direct cooperation with developing countries 
 
51. At the request of the Government of Camer oon, FAO is providing advice and support to the 
Centre Pasteur du Cameroon, Laboratoire de  Chimie de Hygiène Environnement, for the 
implementation of a study on exposure of the inhab itants of Yaoundé to pesticide residues using a 
total diet study (TDS) protocol which considers FAO/WHO recommendations on this matter. 
FAO  UPCOMING ACTIVITIES  
 
52. FAO/WHO held an informal meeting with de legates from the African region attending the 
29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in  Geneva in order to discuss follow-up to the 
FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food Safety for Africa and also current and future capacity 
building activities in the region. 
53. During 2006 FAO/AGNS will be providing di rect assistance to the Government of 
Mozambique  in the establishment of a national Codex co mmittee.  FAO/AGNS will also be assisting 
in the organization of a stakehol ders consultation and workshop. 
54. FAO/AGNS will be providing direct assistance to the Government of Djibouti  during the 
second half of 2006 in the organiza tion of a national Codex committee. 
55. FAO/AGNS will be organizing a regional workshop in Botswana  on testing approaches for 
HACCP application in SLDBs during the second half of 2006 as a follow-up to national action plans. 
56. FAO/AGNS, jointly with the Institute of Sc iences and Food Inspection, Bari, Italy, is 
contributing to a national survey on mycotoxin contamination of food in Nigeria. 
57. A request to FAO (AGNS) has been receive d from the Government of Cote d'Ivoire  to 
formulate a project to strengthen the food control syst em.  This project is in the formulation stage.   
58. A request has been received from the Government of Rwanda  to address the Hygienic 
Handling of foods of animal origin. This project  is in the formulation stage. The request was 
submitted to the FAO Animal Production Service, in collaboration with AGNS.    G/SPS/GEN/720 
 Page 11 
 
 
  59. The Government of Senegal  has requested assistance from FAO/AGNS in strengthening and 
supporting Quality Assurance Systems in Food Safety Laboratories.  The request is currently in the 
approval process. 
60. Funding is currently being sought for a s ubregional programme proposal developed by 
FAO/AGNS to facilitate trade in the Southern  African Development Co mmunity (SADC) member 
states  through food standards and food safety management.   
61. Following a request from the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) to AGNS, a TCP project 
for strengthening the capacity for improving the safety and quality of fresh fruits and vegetables produced in Tanzania is currently under formulation.  
C. C
APACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN ASIA 
REGIONAL ACTIVITIES  
 
62. FAO/AGNS, in collaboration with the Department  of Agriculture of Thailand, organized a 
regional workshop on "Good Agricultural Practices  (GAP) for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables" in 
Bangkok, Thailand from 14 to 16 September 2005. 
63. FAO and WHO implemented a five-day pilot regi onal training course on the development of 
food standards within a risk analysis framework fo r selected countries of Asia in Bangkok, Thailand, 
from 12 to 16 December 2005.   
64. FAO and the UNESCO Microbial Resource Centre for Marine Biotechnology (MIRCEN) 
held a workshop on "Molecular Techniqu es in Aquaculture and Seafood Safety"  in M angalore, 
Karnataka, India, from 13 to 17 February 2006 .  The purpose of this workshop was to introduce 
researchers from 8 countries in Asia to various mo lecular techniques as applied to aquaculture and 
fish safety assessment.  
65. FAO/AGNS collaborated with the Heilong jiang Provincial People's Government, the 
American Food Safety Consortium and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development of 
Alberta, Canada, in the joint organization of th e "International Forum on Food Quality and Safety 
China 2006", which was held in Harbin, China, from 15 to 18 June 2006.  The aim of this forum was 
to strengthen food quality and safety and promote in ternational exchange a nd cooperation in food 
science.  Further details on this forum may be obtained from:  www.hljagri.gov.cn/IFFQSC2006 . 
66. FAO/WHO/OIE organized a joint Expert Consu ltation on "Antimicrobial Use in Aquaculture 
and Antimicrobial Resistance" from 13 to 16 June 2006 in Seoul, Korea.  The Consultation addressed 
all aspects related to regulation, marketing, dist ribution and use of microbials in aquaculture, the 
magnitude of their use in aquaculture and the public health impact of such use.  Further information 
on this consultation may be obtained from:  www.fao.org/ag/agn/foodrisk_antimicrobial_en.stm . 
67. WHO's guidance materials on "Five Keys for Safe r Food" have been translated in regional 
and local languages and are currently being used  to produce adapted manuals for awareness and 
training purposes, in all countries of South East Asia. 
NATIONAL ACTIVITIES  
 FAO Field Projects  
68. A two-year FAO/AGNS TCP project on Strengthening Testing Capability for Food Safety  
which was requested by the Government of China
, began in late 2004.  The overall objective of the G/SPS/GEN/720 
Page 12  
 
  project is to protect the health of consumers and to enhance the competitiven ess of their fresh produce 
in the international market through strengthening the country's capabilities for inspecting, testing and 
monitoring fresh produce for pesticide residues an d contaminants.  The project has strengthened 
laboratory facilities and trained analytical staff.  It has improved the monitoring capabilities through 
introducing Multi Residue Screening Me thods.  In addition, the project has also raised  the awareness 
of different actors through food chain about qu ality and safety requirements and harmonization of 
national regulations in Codex, and enhanced the extension services with the pesticide related 
information and the appropriate use of pesticides. 
69. An FAO/AGNS TCP project for Mongolia 
to Strengthen Food Import Control commenced in 
November 2002 with Phase 2 of the project starting in  August 2005.  The objectives of the project are 
to establish and strengthen the national system of c ontrol of food import quality and safety.  This is 
extremely important for Mongolia as over 80 per cent of the food consumed in Mongolia is imported.  
Specifically, the project addressed the institutional set-up for the control of food import in Mongolia, 
provides training to food inspectors, strengthening laboratory facilities and training analytical staff associated with border food control.  It also rai sed awareness of national authorities of the work of 
Codex internationally, the releva nce of this work nationally and the importance of full stakeholder 
participation in food control matters.  During Phase 2 of the project a food inspection guidance document is under preparation and training fo r food analysts is being undertaken.  
70. An FAO/AGNS TCP project on strengthening SPS compliance for fresh fruits and vegetables 
commenced in Thailand
 in December 2003.  The project was requested by the Government of 
Thailand given the great potential in Thailand for e xporting fresh and processed fruits and vegetables.  
Project activities focus on management of programmes for the prevention and control of 
microbiological hazards in these products, technical capabilities of food producers, training on food 
safety and quality assurance systems for producers,  processors and government officers responsible 
for the implementation of these systems.  In add ition, the overall export inspection and certification 
system of fruits and vegetables will be improved.  A second phase of the project is being processed to 
finalize project activities. 
71. An FAO TCP project to improve coffee quality in Thailand  began in June 2004 and was 
completed in February 2006.  Activities under this  project included training in GHPs along the coffee 
chain to reduce mould growth and mycotoxin formation in green coffee.  It provides training in monitoring and analysis of ochratoxin-A and in mycological analysis.  The project was led by the Industrial Crops officer of the FAO regional office for Asia and the Pacific in collaboration with 
AGNS. 
72. An FAO-executed trust fund project funded by NZAID commenced in May 2005.  This 
project, "Improving food safety and its management in Viet Nam, Lao PDR and Cambodia" aims to 
help the participating countries to develop or impr ove national food safety policy, strengthen the legal 
framework for food control and build the tec hnical capacities required to enforce food safety 
requirements.  The project also includes compone nts on food safety education and food-borne disease 
surveillance that will be implemented in colla boration with the WHO Regional Office for Asia. 
73. A 3-year project to be funded by the Government of Japan and for execution by FAO is 
presently under formulation.  This 3-year project will aim to improve food safety in the ASEAN countries through the strengthening of national food inspection systems.  
Direct advice to developing countries 
 
74. FAO is also assisting the Government of Malaysia
 in its efforts to enhance their current 
capabilities on risk assessment of chemicals in  food, in particular food additives.  G/SPS/GEN/720 
 Page 13 
 
 
  75. In addition, FAO provided assistance to India through the FAO/UNESCO Microbial 
Resource Centre for Marine Biotechnology (MIRCEN) for the organization of an 
ASM/FAO/UNESCO International Workshop on Mo lecular Techniques in aquaculture and seafood 
safety.  This activity will facilitate efforts of in stitutions from 8 countries from the region to enhance 
the current activities on this field and to contribute to fill some data identified by JEMRA that are 
relevant for those countries. 
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES /PROJECTS  
 
76. FAO/WHO held an informal meeting with delegates from the Asian and Pacific region 
attending the 29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in Geneva in order to discuss 
follow-up to the FAO/WHO Regional Conference on F ood Safety for Asia and the Pacific and also 
current and future capacity bui lding activities in the region. 
77. During 2006 FAO/AGNS will be providing dir ect assistance to the Government of the 
Philippines  in the establishment of a national Codex committee. 
78. The Government of Myanmar  has requested assistance from FAO/AGNS in assessing the 
exact needs of the country in the area of food safet y and quality in order to improve the national food 
control system in a comprehensive manner.  The matter is under active consideration of FAO 
(AGNS), with a consultant mission planned for late 2005. 
79. The Government of Myanmar  has also requested the support of FAO/AGS to formulate an 
"Oil Crops Development Project", within the framework of the Government's cooperation 
arrangements with the OPEC Fund for Internatio nal Development.  The project will support the 
enhancement of institutional agro -industrial capacity for edible oil processing and quality assurance, 
including the turn-key establishment of new processi ng plants and the development of national edible 
oil standards and strengthening of national capacity fo r oil quality control.  This project formulation 
phase has been finalized and its implementa tion commenced in the second half of 2005. 
80. The Government of Pakistan  has requested assistance fro m FAO (AGNS) for building 
national capacity for Food Quality and Safety.  Sp ecifically, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture and 
Livestock (MINFAL) is seeking assistance in revi ewing and revising nationa l SPS laws, remodelling 
animal and plant quarantine services, enhancing the capabilities of reference laboratories, forging 
technical linkages and fostering cooperation with de veloped economies.  The request is still in the 
initial formulation phase. 
81. The Government of Pakistan  has also requested assistance from FAO (AGNS) in the area of 
improving the safety and quality of fresh fruits and ve getables.  The request is in the formulation 
phase. 
82. The Government of Sri Lanka  has requested assistance from FAO (AGNS) in the area of 
training in food safety and quality and certification.  The request is in the formulation phase. 
WHO  NATIONAL ACTIVITIES  
 
83. As a result of WHO's support to Bangladesh , the national authorities amended the 1959 "Pure 
Food Ordinance Act", constituted a National Food Safe ty Advisory Council and established the Pure 
Food Courts in each district of the country.  
84. WHO Bhutan, provided support to enable the Minist ry of Health, in close collaboration with 
the agricultural sector, to acquire and install the capac ity for microbiology testing at the Public Health 
Laboratory.  G/SPS/GEN/720 
Page 14  
 
  85. Since 2004, WHO has provided continuous s upport to India through a consultant, to 
strengthen the Food Adulteration Act, especially in the issuance of Notifications.  In 2005, a number 
of training manuals on HACCP, GMP GHP were de veloped, covering the catering sector, and the 
fruits and vegetables, dairy, bakery, meat and poultry sectors. 
86. In Indonesia, WHO supported the National Agency for Drug and Food Control to establish a 
food safety information system linked to a national network, including a mechanism for 
microbiological risk assessment.  Seven training modules on risk assessment were developed for this 
purpose.  Since 2005, significant support to Indonesia has been provided by WHO Jakarta to the Ministry of Health to develop food safety based  awareness and training materials to prevent and 
control the spread of the avian influenza virus in liv e animal markets.  More information is available 
at:  http://www.searo.who.int/en/Section23/ Section1001/Section1110_11528.htm
.  
87. WHO's collaboration with Nepal has allowed th e issuance, in 2005, of several specific 
HACCP and GMP guidelines. 
88. Following the 2004 tsunami, WHO Maldives support ed the Department of Public Health and 
other national authorities in establishing the basis for setting up the national integrated food safety 
system, based on risk analysis principles.  Specifi c training was given to food inspectors in close 
collaboration with the catering sector. 
89. WHO is currently collaborating with the Asian Development Bank and the State Food and 
Drug Administration of China to strengthen that Ad ministration's coordination capacity and to review 
the current food control situation in China.  At the same time WHO is committed to building the 
capacity of health authorities to effectively impl ement their responsibilities in relation to food safety 
in China. 
D. CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN EUROPE  
REGIONAL ACTIVITIES  
 
Regional Workshops 
 
90. An FAO/WHO/ICD "Basic Awareness Course on Microbiological Risk Assessment" was 
held in  Ljubljana, Slovenia from 27 to 29 September 2005.  The objectives of this course were to 
acquaint governments with the general concept of  Risk Analysis and how MRA fits into the 
framework of Microbiological Risk Management (MRM) and to assess the feasibility and usefulness 
of establishing an informal network for microbiologi cal risk assessment in the region.  The workshop 
was attended by 15 participants from the followi ng countries:  Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 
Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo (Serbia & Montenegro), Moldova and Romania. 
91. FAO/WHO-EURO held a three-day regional trai ning course on Codex in Vilnius, Lithuania 
from 25 to 27 October 2005.  The objectives of this training course were to enhance the capacity of 
countries from the region to participate actively in Codex activities in general, and to increase their 
participation in the activities of the FAO/WH O Coordinating Committee for Europe (CCEURO).  
This training course served as preparation for the next (25th) Session of the CCEURO, to be held in 
the last quarter of 2006.  The workshop was attende d by 25 participants from the following countries: 
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, 
Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Romania, Kosovo (Serbia & M ontenegro), Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine 
and Uzbekistan. 
92. A subregional training course  "Enhancing participation in Codex " took place from 21 to 
23 March 2006.  The host organization was the Croatia n National Institute of Public Health, Zagreb  G/SPS/GEN/720 
 Page 15 
 
 
  and representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herz egovina, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, FYR 
Macedonia, Kosovo (Serbia and Montenegro) attended the training course.  
Regional Projects 
 
93. An FAO project in the South Eastern European  subregion (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 
Bulgaria, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Kosovo, Moldova, Romania) on "Strengthening food safety in 
South East European transition countries – A regiona l approach to food legislation and control" was 
approved in December 2004.  Project activities are ongoing.  The overall objective of the assistance is 
to assist these transition countries in establishing a modern food safety and control system and is being implemented by AGNS and the FAO Legal Se rvice.  The project plans to convene several 
workshops to assist in the development of nationa l food safety policies, including inspection, control 
and legislation.  Additionally, two training courses are planned to train food inspectors in modern 
approaches to food inspection and food industr y experts in food hygiene (HACCP, GMP). 
94. An FAO/AGNS TCP project to improve food safet y in Food Quality and Safety System of 
Armenia
 and Georgia  was approved in early 2005. The main objectives of the project are to 
strengthen the priority components of the system  for strategic planning and coordination of food 
control activities, harmonization of food standards,  inspection programmes and laboratory networks, 
and quality assurance programmes in agro-processing sectors.  
95. An FAO/AGNS TCP project to provide assistance in improving a laboratory of safety and 
quality of food and agricultural products in the Ukraine  was initiated in March 2005 and is scheduled 
to be completed in September 2006.  The project aims to a) provide on-site technical advice in 
planning and organizing the new Ukrainian La boratory for Quality and Safety of Food and 
Agricultural Products; b) provide assistance in preparation for accreditation of this laboratory according to ISO 17025; c) build capacities of la boratory technical staff in specific advanced 
analytical techniques; and d) create awareness and develop effective dialogue about food safety related issues among all stakeholders. 
U
PCOMING ACTIVITIES /PROJECTS  
 
96. A bilateral project between Albania  and Italy, with FAO (AGNS) as the implementing 
agency, is currently in the final stages of appr oval.  The project seeks to strengthen the Albanian 
national food control system, in particular the laboratories.   
97. The Government of Bulgaria  has requested the Ministry of Agriculture of the Netherlands to 
establish a food safety training centre for food inspectors, laboratory staff and food industry experts.  This project may be implemented by FAO ( AGNS) and funded by the Government of the 
Netherlands.   
98. The Government of Croatia
 has requested FAO (AGNS) assistance in strengthening Codex 
activities in that country.  The project is  in the initial formulation phase.   
99. The Government of the Czech Republic  has requested FAO (AGNS) assistance to non-
governmental organizations of Central and Eastern Europe related to implementation of food safety 
guarantee policy.  The project is currently in the formulation phase.   
100. A regional training course "Enhanci ng participation in Codex" will take place in Tajikistan  
during the second half of 2006.  It will be organi zed in collaboration with Tajikstandart, with 
participants attending from Kazakstan, Ky rgzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.  G/SPS/GEN/720 
Page 16  
 
  101. The Government of Azerbaijan
 has requested technical assist ance from FAO in the area of 
food safety.  The project document is under appraisal. 
E. CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN  
REGIONAL ACTIVITIES  
 
Regional Workshops  
102. As member of the scientific committee, FAO made a presentation at the Mycoglobe project 
Mycotoxin Conference for South America, Buenos, Aires, Argentina, 15-17 March 2006.  FAO also 
sponsored the participation at this conference of several participants from developing countries.  
Further information on this Conference is available at www.argentinamycoglobe.com
. 
103. FAO and the Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganade ría, Pesca y Alimentos of Argentina, as the 
Codex Contact Point for Latin America and the Ca ribbean, organized a seminar on traceability for the 
countries of Latin America and the Spanish-speakin g Caribbean from 21 to 23 March 2006 in Buenos 
Aires, Argentina.  Further details may be obtained from the FAO website:  www.fao.org/ag/AGN/food/mee tings_workshops2006_en_stm
. 
104. A workshop on "Enhancing participation in  Codex" was held immediately prior the 
FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food safety for the Americas and the Caribbean, from 4–
5 December 2005 using the FAO/WHO package developed on this matter by FAO/WHO. 
105. FAO organized a Subregional Training Cour se on "Enhancing Participation in Codex" 
Antigua and Barbuda, from 6 to 9 June 2006.  The ob jective of this course was to strengthen national 
Codex activities in the region and to  enhance participation in the st andard setting work of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission.  Further information may be obtained from the FAO website: www.fao.org/ag/AGN/food/mee tings_workshops2006_en_stm
. 
Regional Projects 
 
106. Two FAO subregional projects to strengthen the analytical activities, laboratory quality 
assurance and capacity building of the Interameri can Network of Food Analytical Laboratories 
(INFAL/RILAA), were approved in December 2004 (countries are assigned into one of the two 
projects in Central America or South America, b ased on geographic location).  The main objective of 
these projects is to assure that the laboratories provide  reliable analytical results for the national food 
control system, as well as for the certification of  food imports and exports.  The project's activities 
attempt to facilitate the product conformity assess ment through harmonization or establishing the 
equivalence of the analytical results at the interna tional level.  The main activities to be undertaken by 
the project include the implementation of training  activities and the elaboration of national action 
plans for strengthening the technical, analytical a nd administrative skills for laboratory analysis of 
microbiological and chemical contaminants.  A tota l of nineteen countries from the Latin American 
and Caribbean Region are benefiting from the implementation of these projects.  The project is implemented by the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and AGNS. 
107. A subregional project to strengthen the analy tical activities, quality assurance and capacity 
building in the English-speaking countries in the Caribbean is currently in the approval stage. 
Other Regional Activities 
 
108. With FAO's support, the Latin American  Food Composition Network (LATINFOODS) 
continued working on the update of the Regional Food Composition Table which is available from:  G/SPS/GEN/720 
 Page 17 
 
 
  www.fao.org/Regional/LAmerica/bases/alimento/default.htm .  A CD-ROM with this table was 
published and distributed.  
NATIONAL ACTIVITIES  
 
109. FAO is supporting the Instituto de Ciencias Biom edicas, Universidade de Sao Paolo, Brazil, 
in the implementation of a study on Biomass, phenotypical and genotypical characterization of V. 
cholerae , V. parahaemolyticus  and V. vulnificus  isolated from water, zooplankton and bivalves 
samples from Sao Paulo Coast, SP that will contri bute to the filling of some gaps identified by 
JEMRA. 
110. From June 2006 FAO/AGNS will be providing a dvice to Costa Rica on harmonization of 
standards based on risk assessment for additives a nd contaminants, as well as advice to the national 
Codex committee of Costa Rica and to the Central American region. 
111. FAO, with the collaboration of the National Sc hool of Biological Sciences, Mexico, will 
implement a training course on application of risk analysis at international level in August 2006. 
Field Projects 
 
112. The Ministry of Agricultural Development in Panama  has requested FAO (AG) assistance in 
the area of food safety, animal and plant health.  The project is currently in the formulation stage with 
implementation scheduled to commence in May 2006.  
113. The Government of the Dominican Republic  has requested FAO (SLC/AGNS) assistance to 
strengthen the food trade sector.  The project is currently in the formulation stage with 
implementation scheduled to commence in June 2006. 
114. An FAO project to strengthen the biosecurity framework in Belize  was initiated in April 2006 
and is scheduled to continue until early 2007.  Th e objectives of this project are: (a) support the up-
dating of the biosecurity legal framework and b)  strengthen the national capacity for effective 
implementation of biosecurity approaches and system.  The project is led by the FAO Development 
Law Service, with AGNS providing technical support.   
115. An FAO/AGNS TCP project on the prevention of mould formation (Ochratoxin A-OTA) in 
coffee in Ecuador  started in July 2004 and is expected to be completed in December 2006.  The 
project is being implemented with the participation of the public and private sectors.  The main objective is to create awareness at the national level of  the effect that mould formation in coffee, due 
mainly to Ochratoxin A, could have on public hea lth, as well as the subsequent economic and social 
implications.  The project's activities include the id entification of cost-effective control systems and 
the implementation of a HACCP-based training progra mme targeting the actors involved.  One of the 
outputs of the project will be a National Action Plan for the prevention and control of mould formation in coffee, which will be elaborated  by consensus among the food chain actors and 
disseminated at the national level.  
116. An FAO TCP project to provide technical assi stance to the nutmeg industry in Grenada
 was 
approved in March 2004 and was scheduled for completion in April 2006.  Activities under the 
project suffered delays due to the widespread disr uption caused by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.  
A phase 2 has therefore been request ed to allow completion of the pr oject activities.  The objective of 
the project is to enhance farmer  returns from the production of nutmeg and mace, through improving 
the overall quality of these products and their oil ex tractives for international trade and minimizing the 
environmental contamination due to nutmeg pro cessing by-products.  The immediate objectives are 
to:  a) upgrade harvesting, post-harvest handli ng, treatment, processing of nutmegs and mace; G/SPS/GEN/720 
Page 18  
 
  b)  strengthen the capacity to support a quality assurance programme for the nutmeg and mace 
industry;  and c) build capacity in by-product pr ocessing.  The project is implemented jointly by 
AGNS and the FAO Agricultural and Food Engineering Technologies Service. 
117. FAO/SLAC has been assisting in the Estab lishment of a National Codex Committee in 
Jamaica
 and will assist the Jamaica Bureau of Standards in preparing its Plan of Action for the Codex 
National Committee.  
118. An FAO project to strengthen the food control system of Suriname  continued through early 
January 2006.  The main objective of the project is to strengthen the National Food Control System through providing training, upgrading laborator y facilities and supporting the functioning of the 
National Codex Committee and its Working Groups.  The expected project outputs include amended 
national food laws, regulations and standards whic h comply with international guidelines, improved 
food inspection service which applies modern quality assurance and HACCP principles, improved laboratory facilities capable of contamination mon itoring in primary agricultural products and 
processed foods and a plan of action on food safety, conforming to Codex Commission recommendations.  The project is being implemented by AGNS and the FAO subregional office for 
the Caribbean.   
119. An FAO/subregional project on "Improving the food safety of street foods through 
establishing a food inspection system based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point 
(HACCP) system in Barbados and the Organizati on of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) countries" 
commenced in September 2005.   
120. Based on the results of several studies to iden tify the main safety and quality issues in the 
production and marketing chains for a range of fru its, vegetables, spices and oil crops in Latin 
America and the Caribbean countries, a Regiona l Workshop was organized by FAO/AGS and the 
FAO Regional Office.  This late 2005 workshop was aimed at awareness creation and identifying the 
issues to be addressed, as well as the planning and initiation of specific programmes.  
U
PCOMING ACTIVITIES /PROJECTS  
 121. FAO/WHO held an informal meeting with de legates from the Americas and the Caribbean 
attending the 29
th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in Geneva in order to discuss 
follow-up to the FAO/WHO Regional Conference on F ood Safety for the Americas and the Caribbean 
and also current and future capacity building activities in the region. 
Field Projects 
 
122. A TCP project on Strengthening the Food Control System in Guyana :  Development and 
Delivery of a Communication and Education Pilo t Programme on "Food Safety" in Guyana was 
completed in May 2006.  This TCP dealt not only with food trade matters, but food issues and the 
development of a food safety programme to support the food control system in Guyana. 
123. The Government of Argentina  has also requested assistance from FAO (ESNS) to assist the 
city of Buenos Aires in training in food hygiene and nutrition.  The project is in the formulation 
phase. 
124. The Government of Dominica  has requested assistance from FAO in the area of coffee 
production development.  The project is currently in the formulation phase.   
125. A TCP project has recently been approved to complement the development of a sub-
component on food safety in strengthening the national food control system in the Dominican  G/SPS/GEN/720 
 Page 19 
 
 
  Republic .  The project will be implemented with the a ssistance of the FAO subregional office for the 
Caribbean in the upcoming months.   
126. A regional project for capacity building in  Latin American consumer organizations  is being 
prepared by FAO and Consumers International Latin American Regional Office. 
127. The Government of Nicaragua  has requested assistance with th e prevention of OTA in coffee.  
The project is currently in the formulation phase. 
128. FAO/AGS is currently formul ating a project in Uruguay  on strengthening the agri-food chains 
suppliers to national food and nutr ition programs, with emphasis on those directed to primary schools.  
One of the objectives of the project is to improve th e quality and safety of foods delivered to schools, 
including nutritional quality, as well as those properties of benefit to children's health.  
F. CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN THE NEAR EAST 
REGIONAL ACTIVITIES  
 
129. FAO  and the Food Safety Information Centre in Eg ypt held a five-day subregional workshop 
in Cairo, from 20 to 24 November 2005 for the English- speaking Near East countries.  The role of the 
workshop was to provide a practical approach to im proving the quality and safety of fresh fruits and 
vegetables.  Further information on the wo rkshop can be obtained from the FAO website:  
www.fao.org/ag/agn/food/mee tings_workshops 2005_en_htm . 
130. WHO in the Eastern Mediterranean area provided assistance to Member States by facilitating 
national training activities covering areas such as:   
• increase capacity for food safety awareness campaigns;  
• safe food production techniques using HACCP;  
• draft comprehensive harmonized food legislations;  
• strengthening surveillance system of foodborne disease outbreaks;  
• inter-laboratory seminars on analytical quality;  
• national strategy on control of high risk products; 
• food quality management system using ISO sy stem and consumer food safety information 
centres.  WHO awarded fellowships in the field of risk assessment, and in the area of materials in 
contact with food and water and surveillance of pesticides residue in food.  131. In the Eastern Mediterranean area WHO assist ed Member States in activities such as:  
• assessment of the food safety legisla tions, standards, and responsibilities;  
• detection of radiation contamin ation of food and setting nationa l standards for radiation;  
• establishment of food quality management syst em and training food inspectors on risk 
assessment, food microbiology laboratory improvement.   132. FAO implemented a two-day training workshop on food safety risk analysis for the North 
African countries (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia) in Tunis, Tunisia, 25-26 November 2005.  Over 40 technical staff participated in this training programme which involved 4 international speakers 
including one from OIE covering the interface between  animal health and food safety risk analysis.  
More details on this workshop can be found on the FAO website. G/SPS/GEN/720 
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  N
ATIONAL ACTIVITIES  
 
133. In 2006 FAO/AGNS provided support to Algeria , Lebanon  and the United Arab Emirates  in 
the organization of their national Codex committees.  Support was also provided to Qatar and UAE in 
the review of its food control system and the fo rmulation of a series of recommendations towards a 
restructuring of the systems for more efficiency  and to reflect modern approaches to food safety 
management.   
National Seminars/Workshops 
 134. FAO, in collaboration with the Libyan Standa rds and Specification Centre, held a workshop 
for regulators and senior technical staff working in  the areas of food safety and standards.  The 
workshop took place in Tripoli, Libya, from 12-13 February 2006.  More information on this 
workshop can be found at www.fao.org/ag/agn/food/mee tings_workshops 2006_en_htm
. 
Field Projects 
 135. As a follow-up to the above workshop, F AO/AGNS has received a request from the 
Government of Libya
 for assistance in the area of food safety and harmonization of standards.  The 
project is in the formulation stage. 
136. An FAO/AGNS project to assist the Government of Algeria  in setting up and strengthening of 
a National Codex Committee (NCC) was approved in May 2004 and was scheduled to be completed 
in March 2006.  Besides implementing a fully fu nctional and active NCC, the project aims at 
reviewing national food standards and proposing an action plan for their harmonization with 
international standards, mainly Codex standards. 
137. The second phase of an FAO/AGNS project to  support the Management and Control of 
Pesticides, Animal Drug and Chemical Residues in Foodstuffs in Iran  commenced in 2002.  The 
objective of the project is to promote the applica tion of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in the use 
of pesticides and Good Animal Hu sbandry Practices (GAHP) in the use of prescribed animal drugs 
and to enhance the government's capabilities in th e monitoring and control of residues (pesticides, 
animal drugs and other chemical residues) in foodstu ffs.  The objectives of the project are met through 
a series of training activities, improvements in the capability of national laboratories to detect pesticide and veterinary drug residues in foods  and establishment of National Maximum Residue 
Limits that take into account Codex recommendations on these matters.   
138. An FAO/AGNS TCP project to assist in the Analysis of the Control and Management of 
Mycotoxins in Foodstuffs was initiated in Iran
 in April 2003 and was scheduled to be completed in 
late 2005.  The objective of the assistance is to enhance the government's capabilities in the 
prevention, monitoring and control of mycotoxins in foodstuffs with a view to ensure maximum 
consumer protection and promote in ternational trade in foodstuffs. 
139. An FAO/AGNS project to Strengthen Nationa l Food Control Systems and Establish a 
National Codex Committee in Yemen  was approved in early 2004 a nd continued through September 
2005.  The objectives of the project are to improve  the coordination between the institutions involved 
in food control in the country and to set up a fully operational NCC.  
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES /PROJECTS  
 
140. FAO/WHO held an informal meeting with dele gates from the Near East region attending the 
29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in  Geneva in order to discuss follow-up to the  G/SPS/GEN/720 
 Page 21 
 
 
  FAO/WHO Regional Meeting on Food Safety for the Near East and also current and future capacity 
building activities in the region. 
141. In collaboration with the Agence Nationale de Contrôle Sanitaire et Environnemental des 
Produits FAO/AGNS and RNE will be organizing a subregional workshop in Hammamet, Tunisia 
from 11 to 16 September 2006.  The workshop is in tended for the French speaking countries in the 
Near East and will provide cap acity building using the recently developed training pack on 
"Improving the quality and safety of fresh fruits and vegetables".  
142. The Government of Afghanistan  has requested FAO (AGNS) advice on food control 
activities.  A project formulation mission was carri ed out in February 2005, different financing 
options are being considered to support a project proposal in the formulation stage. 
143. The Government of Egypt  has requested assistance from FAO (ESNS) in Strengthening 
Quality Control Systems for Cereals and Groundnut s.  The request is in the review stage. 
144. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries  have requested assistance from FAO 
(AGNS) in establishing a regional risk assessment bo dy and in reorganizing the food control system.  
The project proposal is currently in the review and formulation stage.   
145. The Government of Morocco  has requested assistance from FAO (ESNS) in the area of 
consumer affairs and food safety.  The project has ju st been approved and will start operation shortly. 
146. An FAO (AGST/AGNS) project on the Development of Food Industries Division at the 
National Agricultural Research Centre in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  has been formulated and is 
currently under consideration for funding under UTF arrangement.  
G. CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN THE SOUTH WEST PACIFIC  
REGIONAL AND NATIONAL ACTIVITIES  
 FAO-SAPA/RAP Activities 
 
147. The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat approved a Regional Trade Facilitation Project to 
Strengthen the Capacity of the Pacific Forum Island Countries
 (FICs) to Establish and Enforce 
Harmonized Food Legislation and Standards to Promot e Trade, to be implemented by the University 
of the South Pacific, FAO and WHO.  The project aims to strengthen the capacity of FICs to establish and enforce internationally recognized food laws, standards and inspection procedures to promote 
unhindered trade in safe and wholesome food.  Project activities commenced in September 2005.   
148. An FAO Regional Programme for Food Securi ty in the countries of the Pacific
 plans to 
undertake the following activities related to food quality and safety:  (1) Needs Assessment and 
Situation Analysis (NASA) studies on Trade Facilitation and Agriculture Policies focusing on the following (a) Food Safety and Standards;  (b) Bio-Security and Quarantine;  (c) Commodity Studies; (2) A regional workshop to present and endorse find ings of the NASA Studies.  In addition, the 
workshop will further prioritize, discuss and endor se an implementation plan for the implementation 
of findings clearly distinguishing their regional and national significance;  (3) Training Program on 
Food Standards and Food Safety/Bio-Security and Quarantine;  and (4) Training Programme on Commodity Study.  These activities will be implemented in the upcoming months.   
The Government of Malaysia has requested F AO assistance to facilitate a Regional Training 
Programme on Strengthening National Capacities on Ri sk Assessment and Tr aceability in the S eafood G/SPS/GEN/720 
Page 22  
 
  Trade for the South West Pacific Region
.  The request is being addressed  by the FAO Fish Utilization 
and Marketing Service, in collaboration with AGNS  and is currently in the formulation stage. 
 
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