Following the release of WHO’s new foodborne disease burden estimates and relating to the 2026 World Food Safety Day theme, “From Burden to Solutions—Safe Food Everywhere,” FAO and WHO are highlighting how Codex Alimentarius standards and related work help prevent foodborne disease.
The review summarized current knowledge about the potential contribution of foodborne bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes to the human gut resistome, suggesting the integration of gut microbiome and AMR data into risk assessment frameworks.
Ahead of World Food Safety Day, FAO and WHO have introduced a Food Safety Roadmap Development Tool and an online learning course on Codex-aligned risk assessments, supporting competent authorities and other stakeholders seeking to utilize science and data to improve national food safety systems.
FAO, WHO, and the Codex Coordinating Committees for Africa and the Near East led a training with more than 350 participants from the Africa, Near East, and Eastern Mediterranean regions, focused on participation in Codex standard-setting work.
Chemical migration and microplastics shedding from recycled plastic food contact materials pose potential food safety concerns. Biopolymer risks are also not yet fully understood. The Codex Alimentarius Commission is considering developing guidance on recycled materials used in food packaging.
Associated with freshwater fish consumption and handling, GBS ST283 causes invasive infections, including meningitis, septic arthritis, and bacteremia. WGS has played a central role in recognizing the pathogen as a foodborne hazard. FAO has identified GBS ST283 as a hazard requiring structured risk profiling.
The 28th session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods made advances related to maximum residue limits (MRLs), extrapolation approaches, and risk management guidance, with several measures forwarded to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption.
A JEMRA meeting was convened to help inform discussions about potential updates to Codex Alimentarius guidance, reflecting how scientific advances could strengthen microbiological risk assessments for food safety.
The information gathered will be used to support FAO/WHO scientific advice intended to inform future Codex Alimentarius discussions on frozen food handling guidance.
The theme, “From Burden to Solutions—Safe Food Everywhere,” stresses the role of evidence-based action, promoting the forthcoming updated WHO global foodborne disease estimates as a data source to inform targeted food safety and public health interventions.
