As reported by the African Union in March 2025, the Africa Food Safety Agency (AfFSA) will serve as a Specialized Technical Institution of the African Union, dedicated to coordinating and harmonizing food safety policies, regulations, and risk assessment frameworks across Member States.

In an article published in the journal npj Science of Food, experts said they anticipated AfFSA to be fully functional by the end of 2026.

The article noted that the operationalization of AfFSA will be pursued in a comprehensive approach along three lines that will be undertaken in coordination with each other:

• Institutional Establishment: Establishing a fully functional Secretariat in an official host country and developing governance frameworks.
• Advanced Food Safety Data Systems: Developing a continental food safety data hub with a rapid alert mechanism, a traceability system, and regional centers to build the foundation for a risk-based and evidence-based approach to food safety.
• Capacity Building and Stakeholder Engagement: Building the capacity of food control authorities and food businesses, launching public awareness campaigns to rally the continent around food safety and drive behavior change as well as fostering collaboration to evolve to a model of food safety governance based on shared responsibilities.

“The three components are equally urgent and need to be advanced simultaneously to avoid costly delays in the functioning of the Agency and the ultimate goal of improved food safety in the continent. Considering the processes involved and the needed collaborations, the AfFSA is anticipated to be fully functional by the end of 2026,” the article says.

The full npj Science of Food article regarding perspectives on the new Africa Food Safety Agency can be found here.