Eleven Asian countries have rehearsed preparation for a cross-border food contamination event.
All 11 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Jakarta, Indonesia, in July for a food safety emergency response simulation exercise. ASEAN includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Foodborne illnesses cause more than 1.5 million deaths and 426 million illnesses each year in Asia Pacific. Rapid information-sharing between countries can help identify unsafe products sooner, remove them from the market and reduce the number of people exposed.