The Standards and Scientific Advice on Food and Nutrition (SSA) Unit is the focal point for WHO’s work on international standard-setting in food safety and nutrition. The Unit provides science-based food safety risk assessments and related evidence-based guidance on foodborne hazards, nutrient requirements across life stages as well as food safety and nutrition policy recommendations.

SSA manages the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR), Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) and Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Nutrition (JEMNU) expert committees for WHO jointly with FAO. Through these committees, WHO develops scientific risk assessments to define safe exposure levels to various chemicals and microorganisms in our food as well as nutrition-related standards. Scientific advice from these WHO/FAO committees is the basis for the development of international food safety and quality standards by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, as well as national food safety standard-setting in many Member States.

The Unit is also managing support for food safety capacity building in Member States through the Codex Trust Fund.