In the observance of World Food Safety Day, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) recognize behind-the-scene of assiduous scientific work in protecting humans against food safety threats. With 2025’s theme of “Science in Action”, scientific knowledge provides underlying guidances for ensuring food safety worldwide. Without sense of steadfast commitment and shared responsibility demonstrated by prominent scientists across the globe, it is impossible to maintain the integrity of food safety particularly during unprecedented global challenges like emergence of superbugs and extreme weather events.

In food safety realm, thorough scientific evaluation are carried out by members of The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee of Pesticides Residues (JMPR), and Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA). JECFA was established in 1956 and focuses on the risk of food additives, veterinary drugs, natural toxins, and contaminants in food and feed. JMPR on the other hand, responsible to evaluate the residues of pesticides in food and feed. Given the adoption of risk-based approach, JEMRA was established in 2000 to perform risk assessment and propose appropriate risk management involving contamination caused by pathogens, viruses, and parasites throughout the food supply chain.

The responsibility of keeping our food safe is not limited to scientists but also to everyone else be it food business owners, home-based food operators, as well as consumers. Each and every person who prepare, handle, and sell foods at home, traditional markets, food processing facilities, and retails should employ the best practices that comply with food regulations and standards. Educators in kindergarten, schools and higher education institutions have a big role in imparting appropriate knowledge about food safety such as recognizing and eliminating hazards in foods, preventing cross contamination, practicing proper handwashing steps as well as applying effective cleaning and sanitation on food-contact-surfaces.

Past themes of Word Food Safety Day:

2020 – Food safety, everyone’s business

2021 – Safe food now for a healthy tomorrow

2022 – Safer food, better health

2023 – Food standards save live

2024 – Food safety: prepare for the unexpected

This article is prepared by Dr. Nurul Hawa Ahmad. She is a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Food Science & Technology, UPM as well as an interim research associate at Institute of Tropical Agriculture & Food Security, UPM. Email: nurulhawa@upm.edu.my

Date of Input: 12/06/2025 | Updated: 12/06/2025 | nur_jasni