Which regulatory action is designed to coordinate international response to food safety events?

• A. Public Health Alerts
• B. Market Withdrawals
• C. Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
• D. INFOSAN Alerts

Answer: (C)

The action being tested is the formal, global mechanism that triggers coordinated international response to major health events. A Public Health Emergency of International Concern is declared by WHO when an event represents an extraordinary public health risk that may spread between countries and requires a unified, cross-border response. This designation activates international cooperation, risk assessment, surveillance, resource mobilization, and temporary recommendations that guide how countries work together to control the threat, including actions that can affect food safety outbreaks with international implications. While other options involve specific communications or national regulatory steps, the PHEIC is the overarching tool that coordinates actions across borders at the international level.