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)