Towards improving food safety in Cambodia: Current status and emerging opportunities
Leah Thompson, Jessie Vipham, Lyda Hok, Paul Ebner
Abstract
Cambodia has made significant efforts to improve nutritional outcomes while demonstrating increasing interest in ensuring that food safety challenges do not negate these efforts. This integrative review examines food safety in Cambodia to identify areas where efforts, both existing and recommended, could focus to best limit Cambodians’ exposure to foodborne disease. The review considers: 1) documented foodborne disease outbreaks in Cambodia; 2) aggregated food safety research taking place in Cambodia; 3) current food safety regulatory structures in the country; and 4) gaps in food safety knowledge or practices. Lastly, the review proposes an framework to bridge food safety gaps through the integration of improved surveillance, targeted intervention research informed, and a comprehensive understanding of Cambodians motivations, opportunities, and capabilities to adopt food safety practices.