Food Safety: A Development Strategy

In recent years, food safety has earned a greater degree of socio-economic and policy importance. Greater interest is placed on food safety as part of development efforts among countries. The heightened interest is partly a result of greater recognition of the strong links between safe food and human well-being.
Recent data reveal a growing number of food-borne ailments and food contamination. The poor are especially most vulnerable to such risks. Without good health, the poor populations could not perform economic activities that allow them to earn some income and buy food. Without safe food, the risks are high especially for the poorer populations.

Interest in food safety is also a reflection of the changing consumer demands and the new imperatives of international trade. Importing countries have put in place quality and safety standard to be complied with by all food imports. And disruptions in the international trading activities of many developing countries have increased due to failures of meeting such food quality standards. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (2004), the major causes of rejection of Asian food exports include unacceptable pesticide residue levels in fruits and vegetables, antibiotic residues in seafood and poultry, pathogens in seafood and mycotoxins in crops.