Who will be participating in the INFOSAN meeting and what are their roles in their home countries?
Answer
All INFOSAN Members have been invited to participate in this meeting, including both INFOSAN Emergency Contact Points and INFOSAN Focal Points. These individuals are representatives from their national food safety authorities. The operational definition for food safety authorities includes authorities involved in food legislation, risk assessment, food control and management, food inspection services, foodborne disease surveillance and response, laboratory services for monitoring and surveillance of foods and foodborne diseases, and food safety information, education and communication, across the so called farm-to-fork continuum. One of the challenges in establishing a network of food safety authorities lies in the fact that food safety is seldom dealt with by a single agency in any given country. The structure of INFOSAN seeks to reflect this reality by promoting the designation of INFOSAN Focal Points in each of the respective national agencies involved. The Emergency Contact Point is an individual from the national authority responsible for national food safety emergency coordination. In addition to Emergency Contact Points and Focal Points, the INFOSAN Advisory Group, as well as WHO Regional Food Safety Advisors and FAO Regional Officers will be in attendance. In addition, several representatives from regional food safety authorities and regional networks will participate. Additional delegates involved in food safety activities from the United Arab Emirates and the Eastern Mediterranean Region will also be in attendance. |