THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN ENSURING GLOBAL FOOD SAFETY: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Food safety has become an important issue of public health, economic development, international trade and good governance. The globalization of food production and distribution means that a foodsafety failure in one location can rapidly affect consumers, markets and public health across national borders. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that contaminated food causes around 600 million illnesses and 420,000 deaths each year, demonstrating the scale of the problem. Government policies therefore have a central role in establishing standards, regulating food businesses, monitoring hazards, protecting consumers, coordinating institutions, managing outbreaks and participating in international food-safety governance. This paper examines the role of government policies in ensuring global food safety, with particular attention to regulatory frameworks, institutional coordination, international standards, risk assessment, inspection, traceability, food labelling, consumer awareness and emergency response. It also analyses major challenges, including fragmented governance, uneven enforcement capacity, globalization of supply chains, climate change, antimicrobial resistance, emerging technologies, informal food markets and unequal resources between developed and developing countries. The paper argues that food safety cannot be achieved through regulation alone. It requires a whole-ofgovernment and whole-of-food-chain approach based on science, transparency, accountability, international cooperation and public participation. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for strengthening national food-control systems, harmonizing standards, investing in laboratories and digital traceability, improving institutional coordination and ensuring that developing countries receive adequate technical and financial support.