EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Food safety in ASEAN Member States is becoming a more pressing issue due to various factors such as society’s increasing demand for safe and nutritious food, the rise of antimicrobial resistance and food- borne diseases, food fraud practices in global trade, climate change threats impacting food supply chains, and changes brought on by food’s increasing presence in the e-commerce spectrum. Hence, ASEAN needs to strengthen regional food safety to face these issues.
- ASEAN Member States are still facing various issues relating to unfulfilled access to safe and nutritious food (e.g., the high burden of food-borne diseases and malnutrition). Hence, integrating food safety and nutrition into every component of the food system is vital. This action will require the region and countries to ensure the availability of food supply chains, a safe food environment, and support consumer behavior. Several strategic actions are crucial, including policy and control management, rapid risk-based inspection, data and information sharing, national laboratory systems, food safety emergencies and preparedness response, and food safety communication and education.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
- Strengthen regional food safety systems through continuous development of regional food safety policies to adapt to food safety drivers and ensure regional food safety harmonisation through accelerating the adoption of standards established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission amongst ASEAN Member States.
- Improve the safety of food environments and food supply chains in the ASEAN Member States through building suitable water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure in conventional markets and mainstreaming food safety certification.
- Enhance consumer empowerment on food safety by promoting feedback mechanisms and optimising campaigns through integration with various ASEAN events.
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