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WHO and the scientific foundation behind international food safety standards

WHO works with FAO and expert committees to conduct scientific risk assessments, providing the basis for Codex international food safety standards and standard-setting activities in many countries.

Update note: The content was reviewed against the WHO page cited at the time of editing. Information on the source page may be updated over time.

What role does WHO play in international food safety standards?

When F&B businesses follow changes in food management, the common question is not only “which standards are being applied”, but also what scientific basis lies behind those standards. According to WHO, the Standards and Scientific Advice on Food and Nutrition unit is the focal point for the organisation’s work on developing international standards in food safety and nutrition.

This unit provides science-based food safety risk assessments, together with evidence-based guidance on foodborne hazards, nutritional needs and policy recommendations. For gelato and F&B businesses, this is an important perspective for understanding why international food safety standards are not merely a set of operational requirements, but are also based on the risk assessment processes of specialist bodies.

The information was cross-checked against the WHO Standards and Scientific Advice on Food and Nutrition page at the time of editing.

How do the WHO/FAO committees provide a scientific basis?

Four expert groups and their assessment scopes

WHO works with FAO to manage several committees and joint expert meetings. Each group focuses on a different assessment scope, rather than addressing all food safety issues in the same way.

Expert group	Scope stated by WHO
JECFA	Food additives
JMPR	Pesticide residues
JEMRA	Microbiological risk assessment
JEMNU	Nutrition

Through the work of these groups, WHO describes the development of scientific risk assessments to determine safe exposure levels for certain chemicals and microorganisms in food, while also supporting the development of nutrition-related standards. This describes the scientific role of the system, not specific legal guidance for individual products or markets.

WHO and FAO expert groups in food risk assessment — The diagram helps readers distinguish the areas of expertise of the joint WHO/FAO expert groups.

The scopes of JECFA, JMPR, JEMRA and JEMNU are presented in WHO’s specialist information on the WHO/FAO committees.

From risk assessment to Codex standards

The link between scientific advice and standards development

One notable point in WHO’s information is the link between scientific advice and standards development. WHO states that scientific advice from the joint WHO/FAO committees provides the basis for the Codex Alimentarius Commission to develop international standards for food safety and quality.

The same source also states that these scientific assessments and advice provide a basis for food safety standards development in many Member States. In other words, Codex and national standards systems may use this scientific assessment foundation when developing standards; this article does not equate international standards with mandatory requirements in every country.

For those following market news or keeping up with F&B industry news, this distinction helps avoid the assumption that scientific information from WHO automatically replaces local regulations. Specific business obligations still need to be checked according to the relevant market, product and authoritative documents.

What should gelato and F&B businesses monitor?

Many people who are new to opening a shop ask where they should begin when terms relating to standards and risk assessment appear in industry news. Within the scope of the available source, the cautious answer is to start with how WHO divides the expert groups and to understand the connection between scientific assessment, Codex and national standards development.

The link between scientific assessment, Codex and national standards — An illustration of the chain from scientific advice to the development of international standards and standards in many countries.

Distinguish scientific sources from legal requirements: risk assessments and scientific advice provide a reference basis for standards development, but they are not compliance guidance for every establishment.
Identify the relevant issue correctly: additives, pesticide residues, microbiological hazards and nutrition are organised by WHO/FAO into different areas of expertise.
Read news within the wider chain: when a standard is mentioned, check whether it is a Codex standard or a regulation of a specific market, rather than relying only on the WHO name.
Ask questions relevant to business operations: businesses can continue to refer to F&B business guidance and Gelato knowledge, but should not regard this article as legal advice or a food safety procedure.

What this article cannot conclude

Limits of the overview

The accepted source only describes the role of WHO, the joint WHO/FAO committees and the connection between scientific advice, Codex and standards development in many countries. The source does not provide a list of specific requirements for a particular gelato product, recipe, storage conditions, shelf life, limits for individual substances or control procedures at a shop.

Therefore, the article does not conclude that any particular product or establishment meets any specific standard. When assessing compliance, businesses should identify the relevant market and consult the appropriate official documents, rather than drawing assumptions from WHO’s general information.

A market perspective for F&B professionals

WHO’s role in this system is worth following because it shows how international food safety standards are connected with scientific assessments of chemicals, microorganisms and nutrition. For the gelato and F&B community, understanding the WHO/FAO–expert committee–Codex chain can help people read market news more thoughtfully, particularly when distinguishing between the scientific basis and practical requirements.

This is guidance based on the WHO source cited in the article and was reviewed against the content published by WHO at the time of editing. Matters relating to specific regulations, certification, product dossiers or operational controls need to be considered separately according to the relevant legal context.