Identifying national requirements for standards for food chemicals

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities. Agenda 21 recommends increasing efforts to identify national needs for standard setting and implementation in the context of the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius in order to minimize adverse effects of chemicals in food. The Codex Alimentarius Commission recommends acceptable daily intakes in food and maximum residue levels in crops. The recommendations serve as guidelines for many countries in their regulatory work on food safety.

1. Strengthening national food control
2. Regulating food standards
3. Promoting coordination of food standards activities
4. Establishing chemical risk reduction programmes

1. Testing food contamination

1. Reducing chemical residues in food
2. Preserving perishable food stuffs
3. Establishing priorities for national environmental health action plans

1. Creating environmental health standards

1. Using food additives

1. Evaluating effects of world trade agreements on national protection standards
2. Establishing international phytosanitary standards