The request will support the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods in determining whether existing maximum levels (MLs) for total aflatoxins in certain commodities require revision, as well as assessing the need for and feasibility of establishing MLs for additional cereals and grains.
A new report, Worldviews and Food Safety, examined how different cultures’ underlying assumptions about the relationships between humans, food, and the environment shape understandings of what constitutes "safe" food, which risks are prioritized, and how food safety decisions are made.
In a new report, FAO assessed mycotoxin contamination in food and feed across the region and highlighted disparities in national regulatory frameworks, laboratory capacities, and surveillance systems, as well as the increasing impact of climate change on contamination risks.
WHO and FAO convened 352 participants from more than 40 countries to strengthen multisectoral food safety emergency response planning in Africa and the Middle East, covering emergencies like natural disasters, humanitarian emergencies, and food supply chain disruptions.
Following the historically large cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce that swept the U.S. this summer, FAO highlighted the importance of pre-harvest water safety, sanitation, and hygiene to prevent microbial contamination of food in a new fact sheet resource.
A new FAO technical brief explains how plastic pollution moves through agrifood systems and creates interconnected risks to food safety and human, animal, plant, and environmental health.
In a new publication, FAO authors argued that robust scientific evidence and clear risk communication are essential to effective food safety decision-making, and highlighted challenges posed by emerging technologies like AI, social media misinformation, and the framing of scientific information.
In an effort to address the “silent pandemic” of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a recently concluded UK Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)–FAO project has helped partners across Africa and Asia to improve their AMR detection, analysis, and mitigation capabilities.
Controlling foodborne antimicrobial resistance requires a One Health approach centered on food hygiene. Although antimicrobial stewardship can slow the emergence and enrichment of resistant bacteria, existing environmental reservoirs mean that resistant bacteria can contaminate food regardless of antimicrobial use.
Potential uses include pathogen and chemical hazard detection, food fraud identification, outbreak surveillance, risk forecasting, and regulatory decision-making. Barriers to wider adoption remain, such as data quantity, quality, and accessibility; confidentiality; and transparency.
