Singapore hosts the latest meeting for food agency leaders

Singapore held the fifth meeting of an international food safety network last week.

The annual meeting of the International Heads of Food Agencies Forum (IHFAF) took place from April 16 to 20, with the theme ‘Food Security for a Resilient and Sustainable World’.

Heads of food agencies from 17 countries and 22 organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission, attended the event.

National perspectives
Dr. Hisham bin Saad Aljadhey, CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), led the agency’s delegation. Aljadhey chaired two sessions on safety assessment, regulatory frameworks and risk communication for novel foods.

Other sessions covered topics such as climate resilience and safe food, sustainability and food safety, as well as the activities of IHFAF.

SFDA officials held meetings with the Chilean Food Safety and Quality Agency (ACHIPIA), the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR).

On social media, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) CEO Sandra Cuthbert said food systems are interconnected and working together is important.

“Sharing information between agency heads around the world helps us all, and I’m grateful for the strong collaboration and openness of everyone who has joined. Thanks to the Singapore Food Agency for organizing this year’s forum. I’m already looking forward to seeing everyone again in Chile next year,” she said.

Gail Carroll, director of regulatory affairs and compliance, and Wayne Anderson, director of food science and standards, represented the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) at the forum, which was held in Ireland in 2023.

According to FSAI, the IHFAF has been critical in building its global network, learning from other countries and sharing expertise and experience in ensuring a rapid and effective response to any emerging risks and threats to the food chain.

BfR and SFA will collaborate
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) signed a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) at the event to collaborate on emerging developments in food safety, research and risk assessments.

“The topic of food safety is constantly growing and evolving. For us, this means that our research must also continuously expand and improve,” says Tanja Schwerdtle, Vice President of the BfR.

Schwerdtle traveled to Singapore as part of the IHFAF meeting to sign the document with Tan Lee Kim, director general and deputy CEO of SFA.

“We are optimistic that this collaboration can help strengthen food safety science and risk assessment in both countries,” said Tan Lee Kim.

A multi-year work plan has been drawn up, which includes collaboration in various fields to close research and data gaps and exchange knowledge.

BfR and SFA scientists also discussed the safety of alternative proteins, emerging environmental contaminants affecting the food supply, food contact materials and genetically modified foods.

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