26 May 2025 – In today's interconnected food market, food safety is more important than ever. Safe food supplies are essential for health, contribute to food and nutrition security, support national economies, trade and tourism and underpin sustainable development.
World Food Safety Day, marked each year on 7 June, provides a platform to highlight the centrality of safe food to all our lives. Science in action, the theme of the 2024 campaign, underlines how scientific research underpins every aspect of food safety, from risk assessment and hazard analysis to the development of evidence-based policies and good practices.
Science generates the knowledge that enables policy-makers, food industry professionals and consumers to make informed choices that protect health.
To amplify the theme of this year’s World Food Safety Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Food and Agriculture (FAO) Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa is hosting a series of webinars from May to August 2025.
The webinars feature emerging topics presented by experts and aim to provide a comprehensive overview of evidence-based practices in food safety. They address current challenges and emerging trends, with a focus on promoting food safety and meeting the evolving needs of food safety professionals in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
The webinar series aims to:
promote best practices to adopt and implement effective food safety measures;
build the capacities of food safety professionals on emerging food safety topics; and
develop a repository of webinar recordings and resources.
The target audience includes:
food safety professionals;
regulatory authorities;
food industry stakeholders; and
academics, researchers and students in food science and related fields.
Together, we can build a safer food environment for everyone.
|
Date |
Time (Cairo time) |
Title |
|
Monday, 26 May 2025 |
11:00–12:30 |
Empowering decisions through risk assessment and evidence-based strategies |
|
Monday, 2 June 2025 |
11:00–12:30 |
Risk-benefit assessment for informed decision-making |
|
Monday, 16 June 2025 |
11:00–12:30 |
Innovative science in action: tackling antimicrobial resistance |
|
Monday, 23 June 2025 |
11:00–12:30 |
Unveiling the science behind food safety laboratories |
|
Monday, 14 July 2025 |
11:00–12:30 |
Building robust national food control systems: insights from the FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool |
|
Monday, 21 July 2025 |
11:00–12:30 |
Food and environmental assessment of foodborne outbreaks |
|
Monday, 28 July 2025 |
11:00–12:30 |
Strengthening foodborne disease surveillance: determining capacities and identifying priorities |
Next webinar
Join us for the upcoming webinar on Risk-benefit assessment for informed decision-making. Explore how to evaluate potential risks/benefits to make informed, science-based decisions that safeguard public health while fostering innovation and sustainability in the food system.
Registration link: https://who-e.zoom.us/meeting/register/aeGX-HbyQPGFtAePcyjlVQ
Missed a webinar? Watch the recording!
Empowering decisions through risk assessment and evidence-based strategies
The webinar covers the role of science in food safety, risk assessment for safer food supplies and the role of international standards in ensuring food safety. Our experts discuss how to understand and assess risks from bacteria, chemicals and allergens in food, and how to develop effective control measures to prevent contamination during food production, processing and consumption.
Highlights
The importance of science in food safety:
understanding and assessing risks from bacteria, chemicals and allergens in food;
preventing contamination during food production, processing and consumption; and
setting evidence-based standards and regulations to ensure food safety across supply chains.
Risk assessment for safer food supplies:
utilizing the latest scientific research and data to inform decisions;
engaging with experts in food safety, nutrition and public health;
conducting thorough risk assessments to evaluate potential hazards and their impact on health; and
ensuring the scientific basis for decisions is transparent and accessible.
FAO/WHO Joint Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA):
established in 2000 to respond to the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene;
conducts microbiological risk assessments and holds 1–4 meetings each year; and
influences Codex standards and national food safety measures.
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA):
established in 1956 to evaluate the safety of food additives;
provides advice on food safety to FAO, WHO and Member States; and
develops standards based on evaluations, engaging experts from around the world.
Science-based Codex standards:
incorporate evolving scientific knowledge;
build credibility and trust in objective evidence;
protect public health by ensuring food safety; and
facilitate international trade by providing a common framework;
Future food safety challenges, including:
new food sources and production systems such as 3D food printing, precision fermentation and plant-based products;
the food safety hazards of new food production systems;
food safety in a circular economy, addressing issues such as food loss, water recycling and packaging waste; and
the impact of climate change on food safety.
Insights from Oman:
experience in translating science into action, with a focus on the titanium dioxide (TiO₂) ban.
Recommendations
1. Adopt science-based standards
Ensure that food safety standards are grounded in the latest scientific research to maintain credibility and trust.
2. Engage with experts
Collaborate with food safety, nutrition and public health experts to conduct comprehensive risk assessments.
3. Enhance transparency
Make the scientific basis for food safety decisions clear and accessible to build public trust.
4. Stay up to date with emerging technologies
Monitor and adapt to new food production systems and technologies to address food safety challenges.
5. Promote international collaboration
Work with international bodies like FAO and WHO to harmonize food safety standards and facilitate global trade.
6. Address climate change impacts
Develop strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change on food safety, including the use of environmental inhibitors for sustainable agriculture.
7. Implement effective control measures
Devise and enforce control measures to prevent contamination during all stages of food production, processing and consumption.
8. Learn from regional experiences
Utilize insights from other countries, such as Oman's response to the TiO₂ ban, to inform local food safety strategies.
You can access the full webinar recording by clicking the link below:
Passcode: Eu!?lQ2b