Since 1976, the Global Environment Monitoring System - Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment Programme, which is commonly known as GEMS/Food, has informed governments, the Codex Alimentarius Commission and other relevant institutions, as well as the public, on levels and trends of contaminants in food, their contribution to total human exposure, and significance with regard to public health and trade. The Programme, implemented by the WHO in cooperation with a network of WHO Collaborating Centres for Food Contamination Monitoring and participating institutions located in over 70 countries around the world.
