Broadcast: Jan 31 2003

The World Health Organization is warning countries to take steps to prevent terrorist attacks on food supplies.

About 1.5 million people, most of them children, die each year from eating ¹⁾contaminated food.

The head of the World Health Organization's food safety program, Jorgen Schlundt, says the vast majority of these deaths are not deliberately caused, but he says the potential danger is great, which is why governments should be prepared.

"The way to try to deal with it is to strengthen some of the systems that we already have in place," he said, "Means that the systems for ²⁾surveillance, both of disease and for surveillance of food, contamination of the food."

Dr. Schlundt says the health agency is willing to work with governments to make them more aware of the dangers terrorists pose to food supplies. It has also just issued a report, Terrorist Threats to Food, that outlines the dangers.

The health agency suggests food can be transformed into a weapon relatively easily. As the report states, chemical or biological agents can be introduced ³⁾at virtually any point in the food chain.

Dale Gavlak VOA news, Geneva.

1)    contaminated[kEn5tAmineitid]v.污染

2)    surveillance[sE:5veilEns]n.监视, 监督

3)    at virtually事实上, 实质上