Issue 22: January 2003

UNU/FNP forms group to
monitor food donations

UNU Food and Nutrition Programme (UNU/FNP) is helping the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to monitor the safety and suitability of foods and food ingredients offered to the WFP for use in its global feeding programmes.

The WFP distributed 1.472 million tons of food (valued at US $294 million) in 2001 but the volume of products offered substantially exceeded that amount.  Although most of the food distributed has been in the form of raw commodities, WFP is being offered and is distributing more foods that have been processed to improve nutritional, storage, and other attributes. 

UNU/FNP has organized a technical advisory group (TAG) comprising microbiological, toxicological, regulatory and nutritional experts. The group has developed an instrument for conducting the safety and suitability reviews.

At its first meeting in Rome last August, the TAG decided to meet biannually to advise WFP on the safety and suitability of foods it is offered and to identify research gaps that prevent achieving optimal effectiveness and efficiency in meeting specific program goals and are related to foods it distributes.

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