Creating a New Alliance for Food Safety with WHO

The establishment of a new network by the World Health Organization (WHO) aims to assist countries in monitoring and managing foodborne diseases. The inaugural meeting of the WHO Alliance for Food Safety is set to take place in Geneva, Switzerland, in May, with backing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Disease (DFWED).

In the year 2022, the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety 2022 to 2030 was adopted during the World Health Assembly. Countries have committed to enhancing food safety by focusing on five priorities and setting targets to guide efforts and measure progress in reducing foodborne infections.

Within the realm of Multisectoral collaboration mechanism for food safety events, the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) will play a crucial role in building capacity and ensuring proper reporting. Established in 2004, INFOSAN boasts over 800 members across 187 countries.

However, when it comes to the surveillance of foodborne diseases and contamination, there is a distinct lack of a unified structure to streamline efforts and aid countries. Utilizing the International Health Regulations Joint External Evaluation tool, efforts are underway to boost this area. The current global average capacity score of 1.5 is targeted to rise to 3.5 by 2030.

To assist in this endeavor, the WHO is considering reactivating the Global Foodborne Infections Network (GFN) and leveraging its network of collaborating centers. These centers, encompassing research institutes, university divisions, and academies, are designated to support WHO programs.

Through 2015, GFN served as a network enhancing the capabilities of countries in detecting, managing, and preventing foodborne and other enteric infections. With a focus on integrated, laboratory-based surveillance, outbreak detection, and response, GFN facilitated collaboration among experts in human health, veterinary medicine, and food-related fields.

More than 20 collaborating centers have been identified as having roles aligned with the food safety strategy. Efforts are underway to align their activities with the targets of the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety. Notable collaborating centers include the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Singapore Food Agency, Institut Pasteur, and Technical University of Denmark.

The upcoming meeting between WHO and DFWED aims to establish the food safety alliance, define terms of reference, and articulate its significance in foodborne disease surveillance. The objective is to engage WHO Collaborating Centers and other institutions in supporting the strategy’s implementation in this crucial area.

Simultaneously, the WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG) is working on updating estimates of the global, regional, and national burden of foodborne diseases by 2025, following initial publications in 2015.

Against this backdrop, the theme for this year’s World Food Safety Day has been unveiled as “Food safety — prepare for the unexpected.” The campaign will shed light on unforeseen food safety incidents and the importance of being prepared.