The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the principal
specialized UN agency dealing with all aspects of food quality and safety throughout each of
the stages of food production, storage, transportation, processing and marketing. Work in this
area is carried out by the Food Quality and Standards Service of the FAO Food and Nutrition
Division. Activities include providing policy advice and executing food quality control and
safety development projects, including the development of food standards and technical
regulations; food quality and safety assurance programmes for the food industry; establishing
national export food certification programmes; monitoring programmes for food contaminants;
and conducting regional and national seminars and workshops on food control issues