VIENTIANE, LAOS: The Lao government and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation will jointly hold an inter-ministerial roundtable meeting in Vientiane next week on the need for planning for food safety emergencies.

The discussions, on 27 November, will be part of ongoing efforts to establish a national food safety control programme in line with global standards, with the expected outcome of an agreement on how food safety emergencies should be managed in Laos .

International experts will share experiences and provide practical guidance on how to develop a plan to deal with emergency situations relating to food safety.

The discussions will involve senior policy makers and technical advisors from various ministries and institutions, who will consider how best to coordinate their efforts to develop plans and be ready to use them when necessary.

“There have been many food scares in recent years in different parts of the world, and these have significant health impacts when they occur. By having emergency plans in place, the health of consumers can be better protected when situations arise involving unsafe food being distributed and sold,” said the Director of the FAO's Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division, Ezzeddine Boutrif, adding that the roundtable discussions were a welcome move in starting the planning process.

Government agencies will hear how food safety emergencies can impact on food trade as well as human health, and how being prepared for action will greatly improve their ability to control the situation. (The Vientiane Times/ ANN)