Collaboration between government and researchers to improve food safety in Cambodia

Expanding a ministerial-level food safety working group to influence food safety policy and enhancing collaboration between government and food safety researchers will help strengthen food safety in Cambodia.

These were the views of animal health and food safety experts who gathered on 14 December 2017 in Phnom Penh to explore ways of developing the capacity of national researchers and decision makers to use risk-based approaches for better food safety management in the country.

Food safety is a key priority of the Cambodian government. The government is improving food safety risk analysis and quality control, especially in informal markets where a majority of domestically produced foods are bought and sold. In 2017, 27 foodborne disease outbreaks were reported in the country, resulting in about 700 cases of illness and 11 deaths.

Food safety is a top priority of Cambodian government, especially in informal markets where a majority of domestically produced foods…