Institutions Involved in Food Safety: World Health Organization (WHO)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been a leading intergovernmental organization in the effort to prevent diseases related to food and improve global food safety and security. These efforts have been focused on the provision of independent scientific advice on foodborne risks, the development of international food standards, through the work of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission, and the support of Member States through direct policy advice as well as through the creation of laboratory and authority networks sharing experience and building capacity. WHO has also promoted the development and spread of new policy thinking in the food safety area, including especially the introduction of the new risk analysis paradigm, the holistic, farm-to-fork thinking in relation to food production, now often referred to as ‘One Health,’ and finally the focus on simple and efficient messaging toward preventing food risks through a better understanding of good food preparation practices in all sectors.