Synchronization of Food Safety Standards in North Asian region

Abstract

Food safety has become one of the most important issues of public concern worldwide, as various types of food safety related incidents reduced consumer confidence in the healthiness of food products in recent years. Some studies report that consumers are more concerned than ever by food safety risks (World Health Organization, 2002). Restoring confidence in food now presents a considerable commercial challenge to the food industry as well as to the public authorities around the world ( Jardine, 1999; Gregoriadis, 1999). This is also of considerable political significance, evident in the recent establishment of the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in the U.S. and Japanese Food Safety Agency.