Food allergy can represent a serious human health issue. The observed rise in regional incidence and global prevalence of food allergies raise, among other, also questions about the risks related to the consumption of new, modified, and alternative protein sources. As we strive towards transforming food systems to match our need for sustainability, food security and adequate nutrition, we cannot lose sight of the importance of food safety. Population growth, socioeconomic development, and urbanization, among other factors is putting increasing pressure on the global food supply in general, and on protein sources in particular. New protein sources, such as plant-based meat alternatives and edible insects, while promising to be sustainable protein sources, can also potentially expose allergic and non-allergic consumers to...

The world production of marine macroalgae, or seaweed, has more than tripled since the turn of the millennium, increasing from 10.6 million tonnes in 2000 to 32.4 million tonnes in 2018. Increased cultivation and utilization of seaweed are expected to be important pillars of sustainable food security and a robust aquatic economy in the coming years. It is important, therefore, to consider the food safety implications of (increased) seaweed use for food. Many factors can affect the presence of hazards in seaweed, including: the type of seaweed, its physiology, the season in which it is produced, production waters, harvesting methods and processing. Several hazards such as heavy metals and marine biotoxins have been reported to be (potentially) associated with seaweed....

Cell-based food technologies allow for the production of animal proteins from in vitro grown animal or microbial cells. These technologies are developing rapidly and could play a role in safeguarding access to animal proteins for a growing world population, while further analyses are necessary to evaluate their sustainability and impact on human health and environmental health. There are currently a wide range of different terminologies in relation to the technologies, production processes and the final products, which might hamper clear communication to audiences from varying backgrounds and sectors. Moreover, the terminologies can influence both consumer perceptions and national regulatory frameworks, including the possible labelling requirements of cell-based food products to provide consumers with information regarding food safety, allergens, and nutrition....

JEMRA convened a series of expert meetings on preventing and controlling microbiological hazards in fresh fruits and vegetables. The purpose of this final meeting was to reconvene the Expert Committee to collect, review, and discuss relevant commodity-specific interventions in all other fresh fruits and vegetables from the primary production to point-of-sale. The objective of the meetings was to evaluate commodity-specific interventions used at all stages of fresh fruit and vegetable production from primary production to postharvest activities, transportation, pointof-sale, and consumer use. Emphasis was placed on the identification and evaluation of interventions used throughout the world to reduce microbiological hazards on fresh fruits and vegetables that contribute to the risk of foodborne illnesses, taking into consideration their effectiveness, practicality, and suitability.

This document contains food additive specification monographs, analytical methods, and other information prepared at the ninety second meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), which was held virtually from 7 to 18 June 2021. The specification monographs provide information on the identity and purity of food additives used directly in foods or in food production. The main three objectives of these specifications are to identify the food additive that has been subjected to testing for safety, to ensure that the additives are of the quality required for use in food or in processing and to reflect and encourage good manufacturing practice. This publication and other documents produced by JECFA contain information that is useful to all...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been clearly identified as a major global health challenge. It is a leading cause of human deaths and also has a toll on animals, plants, and the environment. Despite the considerable socio-economic impacts, the level of awareness of the problem remains woefully inadequate, and antimicrobials are not generally recognized as a global common good, one that everyone has a role and responsibility to conserve. It is imperative for antimicrobial stewardship to be more widely implemented to achieve better control of the AMR phenomenon. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations plays an important role in promoting and facilitating antimicrobial stewardship. The specific needs to be addressed and barriers to be overcome, in particular,...

What is foresight? How does it help our agrifood systems and the global food safety arena? The world we live in is constantly evolving. Keeping pace with these changing global contexts—while continuing to deliver safe and nutritious food for the growing global population—rests on the ability of our agrifood systems to sufficiently anticipate, absorb, and adapt to the changes. In this regard, there are concerted efforts underway to transform agrifood systems to make them more resilient, sustainable, and equitable in the face of the economic, environmental, and social challenges of today and those that may arise. This document is an author manuscript version of article that has been published externally in Food Safety Magazine June 8, 2022

As the global population rises there is an increased need to find solutions to adequately feed the world. This is in the context of growing awareness about the impacts of conventional agriculture on the environment, effects of climate change and drive for healthier living. All this has prompted a heightened interest in exploring sources of food that are both nutritious and environmentally sustainable. Some of these new food sources are explored in a recent FAO publication entitled, Thinking about the future of food safety - a foresight report. One food source that has garnered steady attention recently – from media, consumers, national agencies to private sector – is edible insects. This document is an author manuscript version of article...

Over a third of global agrifood exports cross borders at least twice before reaching the final consumer. The complexity of food supply chains and the growing importance of the global agrifood trade thus creates new and ever greater challenges for the management of food safety. Geographically dispersed foods that have been produced, processed and distributed by multiple actors can pose heightened food safety risks. Tracing the origins of unsafe food is also more complex and time-consuming. For this reason, many nations have implemented more rigorous systems of food control for agrifood imports, while many others need assistance to develop them. To this end, FAO developed this guidance as part of a project entitled 'Digital solutions in support of improved official...

Responding to a request from the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) implemented a series of activities aimed at collating and analysing the available information on microbiological hazards related to LMF and ranking the foods of greatest concern from a microbiological food safety perspective. Seven categories of low-moisture foods which were ultimately included in the ranking process, and the output of the risk ranking, in descending order was as follows: cereals and grains; dried protein products; spices and dried herbs; nuts and nut products; confections and snacks; dried fruits and vegetables; and seeds for consumption.