Food Safety
Foodborne disease kills 420,000 people annually.
Food safety is critical to health and development. Contaminated food sickens 600 million people each year and kills 125,000 children under five. In low- and middle-income countries, unsafe food costs $110 (USD) billion annually in health and productivity losses. The global food chain’s complexity and climate change heighten these risks.
Insights
Political: National food safety systems remain fragmented. Coordinated, risk-based regulation and stronger international surveillance are needed across all sectors of government.
Economic: Productivity losses and treatment costs from foodborne illness total over $110 (USD) billion yearly in low- and middle-income countries, impeding economic growth and trade competitiveness.
Social: Vulnerable populations—especially children—bear the greatest burden. Inadequate food safety perpetuates cycles of illness, malnutrition and inequality.
Technological: Advances in food traceability, contamination detection, and blockchain-enabled transparency remain underutilized in low-resource settings.
Legal: Weak enforcement of safety standards, poor regulation of informal markets, and gaps in global compliance frameworks expose millions to preventable risk.
Environmental: Climate change amplifies food safety threats by increasing pathogen transmission through water, soil, and food systems, especially during extreme weather events.
Reflective Questions
How might we design food safety systems that are scalable and equitable?
What role can local producers and informal markets play in strengthening safe, nutritious food systems?
How can digital technologies democratize food safety monitoring and empower consumers to demand accountability?
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References:
World Health Organization, 2024. Food safety. Geneva: World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/food-safety
