At Seventy-third World Health Assembly, WHO was tasked by Member States to update the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety under the resolution WHA73.5, ‘‘Strengthening efforts on food safety’’. To advance this work, WHO convened the first Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting on the update of WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety from 8 to 10 February 2021. The meeting was attended by WHO Multisectoral Actions in Food Systems (AFS) headquarters staff, WHO regional advisors for food safety, 24 TAG members, and staff from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as observers. The overall objective of the first TAG meeting was to collect experts’ advice on the consultation paper developed for discussion on this meeting and the update process of the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety. This meeting generally agreed on the role of food safety in the global development agenda, the drivers of change for the future of food safety, the aim and the vision, and the proposed five strategic priorities. The meeting highlighted the need to foster global and regional cooperation. While recognizing the strategy should be Member State oriented, it was agreed to enhance WHO’s leadership and give more visibility to WHO’s role in supporting Member States to strengthen food safety and lower the burden of foodborne disease.

The second Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting on the update of the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety was held virtually on 19, 22 to 23 April 2021. The meeting was attended by WHO headquarters staff from the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, WHO regional advisors for food safety and 23 TAG members. Staff from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Codex Secretariat joined the meeting as observers. The overall objective of the second TAG meeting was to review the first draft of the WHO Global Strategy Food Safety prepared by the WHO Secretariat based on the discussion from the first TAG meeting and comments received from TAG members, and to finalize the draft for public consultation. The second TAG meeting agreed on the overall structure and content of the draft strategy. This meeting noted the importance to highlight technical cooperation and knowledge sharing among countries for the implementation of the strategy and it was agreed to establish global food safety indicators and targets for the strategy to enhance its accountability.

The new WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety 2022-2030 was adopted by the Seventy-fifth World Health Assembly in 2022. The updated strategy addresses current and emerging challenges, incorporates new technologies and includes innovative approaches for strengthening food safety systems. The target audience includes policy-makers (national and subnational governments), technical authorities/agencies responsible for food safety, academia, food business operators (FBOs) and private sectors, consumers, civil societies, UN agencies and WHO staff. This new document was prepared with support from the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Food Safety: Safer food for better health. It reflects feedback received through consultation process with Member States and governmental institutions, United Nations agencies and other intergovernmental organizations, academia, NGOs, private sector entities, and individuals working in public health and food safety. The vision of the draft strategy is to ensure that all people, everywhere, consume safe and healthy food to reduce the burden of foodborne diseases. With five interlinked and mutually supportive strategic priorities, the draft strategy aims to build forward-looking, evidence-based, people-centred, and cost-effective food safety systems with coordinated governance and adequate infrastructures. This strategy contributes to the achievement of the SDGs and will be reviewed in 2030 when the world will reflect upon the progress made towards the SDGs.

Foodborne diseases takes a major toll on health. Thousands of millions of people fall ill and many die as a result of eating unsafe food. Deeply concerned by this a resolution was adopted by WHO and its Member States to recognize fod safety as an essential public health function and to develop a Global Strategy for reducing the burden of foodborne diseases.

Considering the detrimental environmental impact of current food systems, and the concerns raised about their sustainability, there is an urgent need to promote diets that are healthy and have low environmental impacts. These diets also need to be socio-culturally acceptable and economically accessible for all. Acknowledging the existence of diverging views on the concepts of sustainable diets and healthy diets, countries have requested guidance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on what constitutes sustainable healthy diets. These guiding principles take a holistic approach to diets; they consider international nutrition recommendations; the environmental cost of food production and consumption; and the adaptability to local social, cultural and economic contexts. This publication aims to support the efforts of countries as they work to transform food systems to deliver on sustainable healthy diets, contributing to the achievement of the SDGs at country level, especially Goals 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality) and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and 13 (Climate Action).

Recent outbreaks of illnesses traced to contaminated sprouts and lettuce illustrate the holes that exist in the system for monitoring problems and preventing foodborne diseases. Although it is not solely responsible for ensuring the safety of the nation's food supply, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees monitoring and intervention for 80 percent of the food supply. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's abilities to discover potential threats to food safety and prevent outbreaks of foodborne illness are hampered by impediments to efficient use of its limited resources and a piecemeal approach to gathering and using information on risks. Enhancing Food Safety: The Role of the Food and Drug Administration, a new book from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, responds to a congressional request for recommendations on how to close gaps in FDA's food safety systems. Enhancing Food Safety begins with a brief review of the Food Protection Plan (FPP), FDA's food safety philosophy developed in 2007. The lack of sufficient detail and specific strategies in the FPP renders it ineffectual. The book stresses the need for FPP to evolve and be supported by the type of strategic planning described in these pages. It also explores the development and implementation of a stronger, more effective food safety system built on a risk-based approach to food safety management. Conclusions and recommendations include adopting a risk-based decision-making approach to food safety; creating a data surveillance and research infrastructure; integrating federal, state, and local government food safety programs; enhancing efficiency of inspections; and more. Although food safety is the responsibility of everyone, from producers to consumers, the FDA and other regulatory agencies have an essential role. In many instances, the FDA must carry out this responsibility against a backdrop of multiple stakeholder interests, inadequate resources, and competing priorities. Of interest to the food production industry, consumer advocacy groups, health care professionals, and others, Enhancing Food Safety provides the FDA and Congress with a course of action that will enable the agency to become more efficient and effective in carrying out its food safety mission in a rapidly changing world.