Food and Environmental Protection

Last Updated: June 2002

Our sub-Programme assists national food and consumer protection authorities to implement Codex Standards for food irradiation and for food contaminants by using nuclear and related biotechnological analytical methods. It promotes the objective of sustainable food security by supporting countries in their efforts to improve food availability, quality and safety for domestic consumption and to satisfy requirements of the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary SPS) Measures relating to trade in food and agricultural commodities.

Present activities focus on:

development and harmonization of guidelines for using irradiation as a method to reduce postharvest food losses, enhance food safety, and facilitate trade in food and agricultural commodities;
providing training and support for analytical services and research relevant to the application of Codex Standards for pesticide residues, mycotoxins, veterinary drug residues, toxic metals and microbial contaminants in food;
obtaining data for environmental radiation dose assessment and the efficiency of agricultural countermeasures.

Our activities are implemented through Research Networks, Technical Cooperation Projects and Training Courses and in close collaboration with FAO's Plant Production and Protection (AGP), Agricultural Support Systems (AGS) and Food and Nutrition (ESN) Divisions, with WHO, ITC and with the FAO/IAEA/WHO International Consultative Group on Food Irradiation (ICGFI). They include the operation of a FAO/IAEA Training and Reference Centre for Food and Pesticide Control (TRC) and support activities from the FAO/IAEA Agricultural and Biotechnology Laboratory, Seibersdorf. We promote information sharing by convening scientific and technical meetings of national and international experts, international symposia and regional seminars, and disseminating the results of our activities through publications which include public information materials, manuals and databases.

For the latest information on our activities see our:

Newsletter Vol.4 No.1
- January 2002 -