Assessment of Food Safety and Quality Core Issues of Selected Countries as Drivers for Food Security Vulnerability

This study assesses the food security vulnerability of 113 countries by their food quality and safety core issues. The countries were clustered according to their food security features and reconnoitered their practices related to the core issues. The relationship of food quality and food safety issues of selected countries was also investigated. Food quality was measured by diet diversification, nutritional standards, micronutrient availability, and protein quality. Cluster analysis was used to reduce observations and display groupings of countries with similar practices whereas regression analysis was done to investigate the relationship between food safety and food quality attributes as indicators of food security. Result of cluster analysis generated ten (10) clusters with two clusters having a large number of observations. Cluster 1 which includes Algeria, Angola, Bahrain, Botswana, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and many others are considered the worst countries while cluster 2 are the best countries. Cluster 2 comprises Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Germany, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, United States of America, etc. Regression equation model in every cluster was generated using a software. In the first cluster, protein quality has a higher effect on food safety while an increase in nutritional standards decreases the safety of food. Cluster 2, on the other hand, showed an increase in protein quality decreases the food safety, and micronutrient availability showed a considerable positive effect on food safety. Findings identified countries considered rich based on its GDP does not guarantee food security vulnerability. Food security vulnerability may result if the countries do not implement wellplanned food safety regulations and nutritional standards, deficient micronutrient availability and protein quality, and diet invariability. Moreover, regression analysis revealed significant relationship between food safety, diet diversification, nutritional standards, micronutrient availability and protein quality as indicators of food security and vulnerability of a country.