ASEAN Food Safety Network (AFSN) was established accordingly with the resolution of the 25th meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry - AMAF (2003 in Malaysia). The purpose of the establishment of the AFSN is to be a channel for ASEAN Member States to exchange information relevant to food safety.

         Consequently, Thailand conducted an elaboration of the website which has been launched at www.afsn.net since September 2004. So far, Thailand, as a coordinator of the AFSN, has worked closely with good effort and cooperation of all national focal points assigned by individual Member States.

         At present, the AFSN serves as a central platform for coordination and information exchange for ASEAN cooperation on food safety under ASEAN Ministers, namely ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF), ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) and ASEAN Health Ministers (AHMM). Current works of the AFSN include systems and activities for Member States to exchange information as well as work and communicate electronically via the network. These channels include the ASEAN Consultative Network as well as websites for a number of ASEAN Working Groups including Expert Group on Food Safety, Task Force on Codex and working group on Halal Foods.

         Furthermore, the AFSN has continually offered and disseminated food safety regulations and requirements, relevant information or situations which are recently issued, implemented or notified by Member States, other countries and international organizations. For example, Codex, INFOSAN, EU, ASEAN and the United States of America. Therfore, Member States are able to access and obtain recent information in order to prepare themselves for new inplemented requirements or urgent occurrences. This will assist the ASEAN Member States to maintain and enhance their potential and competitiveness in a global market.