Strengthening Food Safety Systems Through Global Collaboration
Food safety is a global issue that transcends boundaries and geographical locations. Safe food is essential for sound health and food safety is critical to the policymakers of any nation for securing public health and the economic strength and stability of a nation.
The burden of foodborne diseases to public health and to economies is a matter of concern. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 600 million people fall ill each year due to about 200 different types of foodborne diseases. The burden of these illnesses disproportionately affects the poor and the young. Tragically, foodborne diseases are responsible for 4,20,000 preventable deaths annually worldwide.
The 2019 World Bank report on the economic burden of the foodborne diseases indicated that the total productivity loss associated with foodborne disease in low- and middle-income countries was estimated at $95.2 billion per year, and the annual cost of treating foodborne illnesses is estimated at $15 billion. Addressing the burden of foodborne diseases is a crucial task for safeguarding public health and ensuring economic stability for a better quality of life of people around the globe.
The Global Food Regulators Summit 2023, an endeavour of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, demonstrates India's commitment to strengthening the global food safety ecosystem. The summit aims to create a cohesive approach to food safety and regulatory frameworks by facilitating discussions and sharing best practices among food regulators and research institutions from around the world, thereby ensuring safe and quality food for all.
Through this summit, India provided a crucial platform for global food regulators from over 40 countries, including G20 member countries, to collaborate and strategise on transforming the food safety ecosystem and regulatory frameworks. Apart from the Codex Alimentarius Commission created by the World Health Organisation and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 60 years ago, this is the first time food regulators from across the world gathered under the same roof for a global regulatory conference of such magnitude.
Apart from regulators, reputed international organisations, including WHO, FAO, Codex Alimentarius Commission, World Food Programme and 25 international research institutes and universities took part in the summit.
A total of around 5,000 people took part over two days at the plenary sessions, exhibition and concurrent CEO’s meetings held as part of the summit, which over one lakh people joined virtually. This included around 40,000 food business operators, 35,000 students/research institutes, 6,000 exporters, 5,000 importers, 3,500 food safety officers, 2,500 food safety trainees, 2,000 laboratory officials, 1,000 Food Safety Mitras and Indian Missions Officials in 60 countries across the world.
Key goals of the summit included establishing a platform for exchanging information on food product regulatory and safety requirements. The discussion centered around five crucial areas divided into as many technical sessions–Global Regulatory Framework, Anti-Microbial Resistance: Challenges and Solutions for Global Food Safety, Best Practices on Robust Standards Setting Framework, Impact of Animal Feed on Food Safety and Human Health, and Innovation in Food Emergency Responses, Recall and Analysis.
The Global Food Regulators Summit introduced ground-breaking initiatives that will transform the accessibility and sharing of food safety information. These included the launch of Food-o-Copoeia, a comprehensive collection of food categorywise monographs that serve as a single-point reference for all applicable standards and regulatory provisions, covering aspects such as quality standards, food safety measures, labelling and claim requirements, packaging specifications and testing methods.
Additionally, the common regulators platform called 'SaNGRAH'-Safe food for Nations: Global food Regulatory Authorities Handbook features a database of Food Regulatory Authorities from 76 countries, providing insights into their mandates, food safety ecosystems, food testing facilities, contact details, etc.
Furthermore, a Common Digital Dashboard, a unified IT portal offering comprehensive information on standards, regulations, notifications, advisories, guidelines, contamination limits and the latest developments by food regulators in India has also been launched as part of the summit.
India Taking The Lead
In 1964, India became one of the first countries to join Codex and has host chaired the Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs, apart from chairing and co-chairing many working groups. From the enactment of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Law in 1954 to the formation of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the focus in the country has moved from just preventing food adulteration to ensuring food safety through setting of standards and nudging consumers towards right eating choices.
India's food market is currently valued at $905.2 billion and it is projected to grow annually at a substantial rate of 8.4%. As one of the world's major food producers and exporters, India plays a crucial role in the global food safety ecosystem. The country has exported food products worth $172.48 billion over the past five years (2017-18 to 2021-22).
Given the immense scale of the food value chain worldwide, India has taken the lead in addressing global food safety challenges and this conference serves as a significant platform for promoting international cooperation, knowledge sharing, and cross-learning, aiming to create a safer and more sustainable global food system.
The Food Safety and Standards Act now encompasses more than 710 products and 31 principle regulations have been formulated, which includes milk, meat, organic food, pesticide, nutraceuticals, etc.
The food authority in India has a Scientific Committee and 21 Scientific Panels that are its principal scientific arms in the standards development process, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has 49 technical and scientific advisory committees. The European Food Safety Authority has 10 scientific panels that include external scientific experts. The European Parliament’s Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety plays a crucial role in legislation related to most of the food sector.
The laboratory approval system at E.U., U.S., Australia and New Zealand includes primary, referral and reference labs under private and government sector, which is similar to the system in India.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has 13 reference and research laboratories, New Zealand has two national laboratories and 119 accredited laboratories. In Australia, there are seven laboratories that are approved for testing imported food. While Germany has 14 national reference laboratories, U.K. has 29 national reference laboratories.
India has a network of 246 laboratories for food testing, including four National Food Labs of the FSSAI. Out of the total notified laboratories, 13 have been recognised as reference labs for development and validation of new methods of testing. India also has the world’s largest network of mobile food labs–‘Food Safety on Wheels’–which brings testing facilities and food safety education to the remotest corners of this vast country.
Food safety is an integral part of our public health system and India has been a pioneer of this sector, which includes bringing regulation for Ayurveda Aahara and vegan food. Historically speaking, ships laden with spices and condiments would take the ‘Spice Route’ from India to the western world, taking along food and food habits. Post-globalisation, Japanese food is enjoyed by people in the U.S. while food of the Middle East is easily available in Japan. As Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi rightly said ‘One Earth,’ ‘One Family’ and ‘One Future’, every country is eating food imported from the other country.
India’s ancient tradition of Yoga and its universal appeal has found a significant global platform, thanks to the International Yoga Day celebrated on June 21 every year, as proposed by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 27, 2014.
Just as the International Yoga Day has helped bring global attention towards the holistic approach of this ancient practice towards health and wellness, the Global Food Regulators Summit would become an international platform where regulators, policy makers and scientists can exchange ideas and collaborate to counter emerging hazards, changing consumer habits, pandemic situations, etc.
The Global Food Regulators Summit would act as the catalyst for a future where food safety for all is ensured through international collaboration, open dialogues and the sharing of experiences and innovations.
G Kamala Vardhana Rao is Secretary to the Government of India and Chief Executive Officer of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of BQ Prime or its editorial team.