EXPORTS FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND FOOD SAFETY CONCERNS

Food safety issues are becoming more important in international trade. Fresh food products are more likely to carry food risks and to encounter Sanitary and Physiosanitary Measures (SPS) as barriers to market access. Developing countries (DC) need to overcome barriers and develop capability to guarantee the safety of food product exports in order to maximize benefits from international trade. The paper examines the importance of agro-food processing sector for developing countries and explores the private and public actions required to address food safety risks in fresh food product exports from developing countries. Thus DC exporters must learn to supply safe products and to defend their interest in transparent, science-based standards. Successful export market development will also require public actions by DC governments. Such actions may include research to improve production methods, testing and certification of product, implementation of new regulation, negotiating pre-certificate by importer governments, and participation in international negotiations regarding SPS measures.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, International Relations/Trade,