FAO and WHO Build on Scientific Efforts to Update Food Safety Standards for Powdered Formula for Infants and Young Children

05/02/2026

Worldwide Call for Experts and Data to Contribute to Risk Assessment

In response to recent outbreaks and growing public concern about the safety of powdered infant formula, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) are prioritizing the next phase of its scientific work to better understand and prevent contamination of powdered formula for infants and young children.

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA), an international scientific working group, has a long history of tackling global food safety issues. Building on its previous work, including last year’s expert meeting on Clostridial contamination in foods, JEMRA is now focusing these efforts on the presence of contaminants in powdered formula. To support this effort, JEMRA issued a new Call for Experts and Data on 5 February.

This recent call to action invites expert input and scientific data on potential hazards in infant formula. “We are more efficient and proactive when we collect information on several potential hazards simultaneously,” said Kang Zhou, Food Safety Officer from the Agrifood Systems and Food Safety Division at FAO.

The current call for experts and data seeks detailed scientific information related to:

The presence and behavior of bacteria in powdered formula;
Environmental conditions and production factors that may influence formula contamination;
Detection methods, control strategies, and mitigation practices.

JEMRA will use the information collected to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment that will ultimately help the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene update the Codex Alimentarius standards for powdered formula. These standards support science-based food safety practices that are voluntarily adopted by food safety authorities and manufacturers worldwide to reduce the likelihood of contamination and enhance the health and safety of infants and young children.

Scientific advice provided by JEMRA is an essential step in enabling risk managers to develop evidence-based standards. “Risk assessments are the backbone of effective safety standards,” added Zhou. “JEMRA is calling on the global food safety community to contribute data that will provide the strongest possible scientific foundation for updating Codex Alimentarius standards. The more comprehensive the data, the more robust and more actionable the final recommendations will be.”

FAO and WHO are accepting applications for experts now, with candidate selection beginning on 15 March 2026. All relevant data and information should be submitted before 15 May 2026. Refer to the Call for Experts and data on microbiological risk assessment on powdered formula for infants and young children and the associated submission instructions for more details.

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About the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) is an international scientific expert group administered jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO). In this context, FAO and WHO promote the Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA) framework to inform actions and decisions aimed at reducing food-borne disease and facilitating domestic and international food trade. The JEMRA ‘s areas of work and activities include: risk assessments for pathogen-commodity combinations; expert advice on microbiological risk management; guidelines and methods for conducting the microbiological risk assessment process; and capacity development and technology transfer through courses, workshops, and the provision of risk assessment and risk management tools.

Related resources:

Food safety and quality

FAO and WHO Build on Scientific Efforts to Update Food Safety Standards for Powdered Formula for Infants and Young Children