▲ Poster for the 6th International Conference on Foodborne Antibiotic Resistance

[Korea Education Newspaper] The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that it will hold the '6th Global Conference on Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance (GCFA)' from May 13 to May 14 at Hotel Naru Seoul M Gallery (located in Mapo-gu, Seoul) under the theme 'New Horizons for Responding to Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance: Big Data Construction and Innovation in Global Food Safety Management'.

This conference was organized in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Food Regulatory Agency Heads Council 'Afras 2026' to lead international discussions on antibiotic resistance in the food sector and to connect data-based integrated surveillance systems and the use of the latest technologies from each country to domestic institutional improvements and field applications.

In addition, this year, we plan to hold a new expert workshop and share the achievements of the global capacity building support projects promoted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, with the aim of publicizing Korea's responsible role in the international community.

On the first day, starting with a welcome address by Minister of Food and Drug Safety Oh Yu-kyung and a congratulatory speech by Thanawat Tiensin, Deputy Director General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), presentations by 11 experts from 9 countries including the United States and Germany will share global policies and national strategies for responding to foodborne AMRs, innovations in AMR surveillance and reduction using advanced technologies, and practical examples of data-based food supply chain AMR management and international cooperation.

On the second day, a workshop will be held with the participation of domestic government ministries responsible for responding to antibiotic resistance, such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, as well as domestic and international experts from industry and academia, to continue in-depth discussions on the theme of "Measures to Enhance Safety Management through Integrated Management of Antibiotic Use and Resistance in the Food Supply Chain."

Minister Oh Yu-kyung of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated, “I hope this conference will be an opportunity to share the importance of responding to antibiotic resistance with the international community and to explore effective response directions based on the policy experiences of each country.”

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety plans to continue strengthening the science and data-based response system for foodborne antibiotics through close communication among international organizations, the government, industry, and academia, and to enhance public health and the credibility of K-Food.

[News Source: Ministry of Food and Drug Safety]