More than 60 delegates from around the world reached a consensus
on food safety in Beijing on Tuesday, and vowed to coordinate their
efforts in addressing such issues.
Delegates from more than 40 countries and regions and a dozen of
international organizations including the World Health Organization
(WHO) jointly published the "Beijing Declaration on Food Safety" on
Tuesday after two days of discussions at the High-Level
International Food Safety Forum held in Beijing.
The Beijing Declaration highlighted the importance of
supervision of food safety as an important public health function,
and urged all countries to establish competent food safety
authorities within a comprehensive legislative framework.
"Food safety is a global issue, and it exists not only in
developing countries, but also in developed countries," said Jorgen
Schlundt, head of WHO's Food Safety Department.
"What matters is not the frequency of food safety accidents in
different countries," he said. "The key is that all countries
should join hands to find a way to solve the problem."
"The Beijing Declaration is just pointing to such a path," he
added.
"Food safety issues are becoming more and more important in
national and international affairs, and they are also getting more
complicated," said WHO head Margaret Chan in a video call delivered
to the forum, adding that globalization of food production and
supply had increased the hazards of food-related accidents.
Yet, countries have a wide range of disagreements regarding food
safety issues, such as safety standards and technologies, which
have created problems.
"The various national food safety standards of different
countries has led to many disputes in international trade in the
past," said Li Changjiang, director of China's General
Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine
(AQSIQ).
The Beijing Declaration called for the cooperation between
developing and developed countries as well as among developing
countries to prompt safer food for all.
It also urged the establishment of procedures, including tracing
and recall systems, to rapidly identify, investigate and control
food safety incidents.
"The Declaration is a historical step," commented another WHO
official at the forum while asking all countries to fulfill their
vows.
The High-Level International Food Safety Forum is co-hosted by
the AQSIQ, Ministry of Health and the WHO.
(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2007)
