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Food safety is a crucial aspect of public health as it ensures that the food we eat is safe for consumption. For delivering a sustainable, healthy diet for all, food system transformation is imperative and food safety is a key component. Climate change alters the geographic and seasonal patterns of foodborne pathogens, and population growth, urbanization, and the expansion of global food chains have increased the complexity of foodborne risk management, necessitating more adaptive surveillance systems that can respond to emerging threats.  

The World Health Organization (WHO) is committed to monitoring and addressing the burden of foodborne diseases, which can be caused by enteric, parasitic and chemical and toxin hazards in food. These hazards can lead to significant health issues, some causing lifelong impacts. As WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, "Unhealthy diets and unsafe food are among the top risk factors for the global burden of disease".1

The new WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety 2022-2030, based on 5 strategic priorities, has a vision to ensure that all people, everywhere, consume safe and healthy food so as to reduce the burden of foodborne diseases. WHO’s comprehensive approach to food safety highlights the importance of safeguarding our food supply to promote health and prevent diseases.  

 

1 Opening speech at the 42nd session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission ↩

Global impact
600 million cases
of people falling ill after consuming contaminated food resulted in 420 000 deaths in 2010, worldwide
Economic burden
$110 billion
in productivity losses and medical expenses were caused by unsafe food in low- and middle-income countries in 2010
Healthy life years lost
33 million DALYs lost
in 2010 from foodborne diseases. Children under 5 years bore 30% of this burden
Multisectoral collaboration
46%
of countries reported having a multisectoral collaboration mechanism for food safety events with over 80% capacity in 2024
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