Technical guidance for the implementation of e-notification systems for food control

Over a third of global agrifood exports cross borders at least twice before reaching the final consumer. The complexity of food supply chains and the growing importance of the global agrifood trade thus creates new and ever greater challenges for the management of food safety. Geographically dispersed foods that have been produced, processed and distributed by multiple actors can pose heightened food safety risks. Tracing the origins of unsafe food is also more complex and time-consuming. For this reason, many nations have implemented more rigorous systems of food control for agrifood imports, while many others need assistance to develop them. To this end, FAO developed this guidance as part of a project entitled 'Digital solutions in support of improved official food control services'. The aim is to provide guidance for the design and implementation of a food control e-notification system, one tailored to national needs and resources. This guidance includes the system’s legal basis, its structure and operational parameters, as well as its infrastructure and human resource requirements.