Food safety standards are vital to facilitate fair and transparent international food trade and consumer health protection by reducing the incidence of foodborne diseases. Every year, foodborne diseases affect 1-in-10 people worldwide. According to WHO South-East Asia Region, foodborne diseases cause 150 million illnesses, 175,000 deaths, and 12 million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). Therefore, operative food standards must integrate safety and quality into every aspect of food production and service to ensure the supply of safe and wholesome food.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission is an international food safety and quality standard-setting body responsible for a collection of internationally recognised standards, codes of practice, guidelines, and other recommendations. It mandates protecting consumer health and ensuring good food trade practices. Codex standards enable importers to trust that the food ordered meeting international standards and assure consumers the safety and quality of the food products they buy, and use.
