NEW DELHI, Sep 17 : Food safety should be given equal priority along with food security for the well-being of people across the world, Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Tuesday.
Nadda was speaking after unveiling the logo and brochures of the Global Food Regulators Summit (GFRS) 2024 scheduled to be held from September 19-21 in the national capital.
It is being organised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, alongside the World Food India 2024 event being organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, according to an official statement.
Nadda said “while food security has long been a focus of international efforts, food safety must be given equal priority to ensure the health and well-being of global populations”.
He said the summit will create a global platform of food regulators to exchange perspectives on strengthening food safety systems and regulatory framework across the food value chain.
Nadda stressed on the need for continuous adaptation in the food safety and regulatory landscape to address emerging hazards, technological advancements, and shifting consumer demands, emphasizing the role of knowledge exchange in ensuring global food safety and quality.
“This is the 2nd global food regulator summit with participation from 30 international organisations and over 70 countries, representing food safety regulators and those from Risk Assessment Authorities, Research Institutes and Universities,” the minister said.
There will be nearly 5,000 delegates at the summit and around 1.5 lakh people joining virtually, he added.
“We will be discussing strategies and means of collaboration. The key issues of regulators will also be discussed”, he said.
Among those participating is the World Health Organization (WHO), World Trade Organization (WTO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Codex Alimentarius Commission, The European Food Safety Authority and Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, USA.
The Secretariat of the Codex Alimentarius Commission will be represented at the summit by its Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and Secretary.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO will address the event virtually.
Nadda said “this will be the first time that a regional food regulators conference is being organised out of Rome and it is a proud moment for Bharat to be hosting it.”
The conclave is focused on enhancing regional collaboration in the standard-setting process within the Codex Alimentarius Commission. This will provide a dedicated platform for Asian countries to discuss food safety, trade, and regulatory challenges unique to the region, he added.
The GFRS 2.0 will focus on critical topics such as mitigation of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), regulation of health supplements and nutraceuticals, sustainable food packaging, ensuring food safety and nutrition for all, residue and contaminant monitoring systems, new-age analysis in food testing, impact of animal feed on food safety and human health and sports and nutrition.
“The Summit will help in building a cohesive network for ensuring food safety, in developing understanding for compliance, sharing best practices and in creating synergies with other countries towards ensuring food safety”, he said.
The first edition of this summit was held in July 2023 in India as a co-branded event of G20.
During the event, FSSAI will launch a new portal dedicated to ‘Food Import Rejection Alert’. It will also start a food import clearance system 2.0 aimed at streamlining import procedures and enhancing food safety standards.
The FSSAI will also introduce State Food Safety Index 2024, which assesses the food safety performance of States and Union Territories.
Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Health, and Chairperson, FSSAI; G Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO, FSSAI; Nikhil Gajraj, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health; U S Dhyani, Executive Director, FSSAI and senior officials of the Union Health Ministry were present during the curtain-raiser event. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
