The magnitude of the global public health burden due to foodborne diseases is comparable to that of HIV/AIDS, malaria or tuberculosis, and most of this burden is in low- and middle-income countries. It's conservatively estimated that 141,000 deaths and 91 million acute illnesses occur annually in Africa from foodborne hazards, with the African region having the world's highest per capita incidence of foodborne illness.

It's estimated that more than 600 million people fall ill and 475,000 die every year from eating food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins or chemicals. According to the World Bank, unsafe food costs low-and middle-income economies alone about USD 110 billion in lost productivity and medical expenses annually. Unsafe food also limits trade.

Hazards are not the same as risks. The mere existence of pathogens in food is not necessarily an indication that consumers are at risk. In many parts of Africa, it’s common knowledge that certain foods may contain hazards and common practice to neutralize them by thoroughly cooking or, with milk, through boiling. In Ethiopia, traditional fermentation of milk has been found to provide a 200-fold reduction in the risk of Staphylococcus poisoning. A focus on risks is therefore more effective at ensuring safer food.

Pork is the most important animal food product in Cambodia and Vietnam. It is primarily processed and sold in traditional slaughterhouses and wet markets which, while addressing local consumer demand, often suffer from poor hygiene. Pilot tests have shown that simple interventions to improve hygiene during food handling in slaughterhouses and markets can enhance the safety of pork.

If it is not safe, it is not food. Food security is achieved when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to food that meets their dietary needs for an active and healthy life. In fact, food safety is a critical part of the utilization component of the four dimensions of food security – availability, access, utilization and stability.

Undernutrition and foodborne diseases are related. Infectious foodborne diseases commonly manifest as diarrhoea, which is strongly associated with stunting. Children under the age of five years are at a higher risk of malnutrition and death due to unsafe food and carry 40 percent of the burden of foodborne disease. Studies have found an association between aflatoxin exposure and stunting. Safe food allows for the uptake of nutrients and promotes long-term human development and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The health of people is intricately connected to the health of animals and the environment. Pathogens transmissible from animals to people through direct contact or through food, water and the environment have an impact on public health and socio-economic well-being. The safety of food is affected by the health of animals, plants and the environment within which it is produced. By working together through a holistic One Health approach, governments, food producers, academia, researchers, and non-governmental and international organizations can effectively combat food safety risks such as antimicrobial resistance.

Safe food allows for suitable uptake of nutrients and promotes long-term human development. Safe food production improves sustainability by enabling market access and productivity, which drives economic development and poverty alleviation, especially in rural areas.

Nutrition and health experts have a key role to play in ensuring that food systems produce affordable, nutritious and safe food in an equitable manner that safeguards environmental sustainability. Although COVID-19 is not transmitted by food, the impact of the pandemic has disrupted the global agri-food system and demonstrated the importance of planning in advance. As part of preparation for the next pandemic, governments should prioritize minimizing disruptions in the food supply chains, as consumers must always have reliable access to safe food. To build back better, we need to collaborate across disciplines, sectors and borders.

Food safety is everyone’s responsibility and therefore everyone’s business. Today, food is processed in greater volumes and distributed over greater distances than ever before. Collaboration is therefore essential across sectors within communities, businesses, governments and across borders, to ensure the availability of safe food around the world in a sustainable manner now and in the future. Good governance and regulations are also key to food safety.