Food & Beverage Asia February/March 2020

14
MARKET INSIGHTS
2 (no hunger), 3 (good health and wellbeing),
8 (decent work and economic
growth), and 12 (responsible consumption
and production).
Food safety is also deeply linked to SDG
13 (climate action) to the extent that food
safety is influenced by climate change
that may drive the different geographic
occurrence patterns of foodborne hazards
while food production, especially animal
production, is responsible for a sizeable
portion of the production of greenhouse
gases. Food systems are, at the same
time, causes and victims of climate
changes and therefore carry a nonnegligible
responsibility for taking
useful actions.
Food safety is not an isolated, standalone
objective anymore, and is
combined with other objectives such
as environmental protection. Practicing
food safety is a good example of multisectoral,
“One Health” undertakings.
Experience in food safety can provide
lessons to other multi-SDG areas of work.
Like any public health action, or a
social and systemic endeavour, food
safety requires a continuing investment.
Injecting resources only for a few
years after a major food safety crisis
does not result in a sustained change.
Food safety legislation and regulations
need to be reviewed periodically and
be updated taking into account the
latest development of science and
technology. Food safety personnel
need to be trained and re-trained.
Laboratory capacities need to be
regularly evaluated and upgraded.
Consumers need to be informed,
educated and empowered on all existing
and emerging issues. A food safety
system that does not function well in
a peace time will never function well
in an emergency. Simulation exercises
need to be performed to find out where
the weakest chain is, and to remain
prepared for emergencies.
These are the reasons why food safety
remains an ongoing challenge for
the entire society. Governments, the
industry and consumers should form a
coalition and work together to enhance
food safety. It is very encouraging to
see some good signs at the national
and international levels going in this
direction. FBA