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.