Tokyo addresses food safety efforts for upcoming Games

food safety

TOKYO -- The organizer of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games plans to issue safety criteria by the end of this year regarding food served at the Olympic and media villages.


     Why is food an Olympic issue? The move emerged at the London Olympics in 2012, where organizers introduced strict food safety standards with the aim of offering delicious, healthy and eco-friendly food for athletes. It adopted internationally recognized food safety initiatives, such as Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and certification by the Marine Stewardship Council. The Rio de Janeiro Olympics this summer have set similar criteria for food served there. And Tokyo has committed to continue the effort.

     It is a global trend today that food safety awareness extends to consideration of environmental conservation and the rights of workers. The GAP is known as an initiative designed to encourage multi-faceted risk management among farmers and food suppliers. This includes measures to prevent water contamination from pesticides and protect workers' health and safety, in addition to ensuring the safety of the food itself.

     Major global businesses often include a GAP certificate in their criteria for food and ingredient suppliers. The effort helps improve awareness among farmers of hazards to human health, including pesticide residues.
     "It is surprising that a lot of farmers were not aware they should clean their equipment after applying pesticides, until they studied the safety control procedures stipulated in the GAP," said Yasuaki Takeda, managing director of Asia GAP Research Institute, a nonprofit organization.

     Meanwhile, there are a number of similar GAP standards by different bodies around the world, which often confuses farmers which they should adopt. The Global G.A.P. is widely recognized as a global standard and adopted by many European businesses. On the other hand, the U.S. government is considering establishing its own kind of GAP, in accordance with its Food Safety Modernization Act, and requiring businesses to adopt the framework.

    In Japan, too, a GAP promotion body was established in 2006 to launch a Japanese version of GAP, commonly known as JGAP. However, municipalities and other organizations have also established their own GAP standards and regulations. To increase recognition and a common understanding of food safety practices, Japan's Agriculture Ministry in 2010 issued a guideline regarding GAP.

Global recognition
The Global Food Safety Initiative is an international food safety promoter made up of leading retailers, manufacturers and food service operators. One of its objectives is to award certification to food safety promotion schemes, such as GAP standards, that meet its criteria. The Global GAP has been awarded a certificate from the GFSI, but JGAP has not. Now, Japanese promoters will have to work on gaining recognition from overseas businesses that JGAP is a reliable gauge of food safety practices.

     Meanwhile, there are similar food safety promotion bodies awarding certification to fishery businesses. This includes the Marine Stewardship Council for wild fish and seafood, and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council for farmed marine products. But the Japanese fishery industry, discouraged by the cost of certification, has been slow to participate in the effort.