The Seventh World Food Safety Day - 2025
Food Safety: Science in Action
26/05/2025 - 11/08/2025
Date: 26 May – 11 August 2025 (Every Monday) 11.00 – 12.30 (Cairo Time)
Series of Webinars, Cairo
Background
Food safety is crucial for agrifood transformation in the Arab region, driven by rapid population growth and increased food demand. Consumers in this region face heightened exposure to contaminated food and foodborne diseases due to several factors such as dry climate, unsafe water supplies, and rising temperatures from climate change.
Various hazards, including chemical residues, microbial contaminants, and physical hazards, can compromise food safety at different stages, increasing the risk of foodborne diseases. Ensuring food safety at every stage of the food chain is vital to address these vulnerabilities and protect public health among growing food spoilage and supply chain challenges. Maintaining food safety is a shared responsibility among governments, producers, and consumers, each playing a vital role in ensuring the food we consume is safe.
Science and innovation are essential for transforming agrifood systems and achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The FAO and WHO recognize the diverse national challenges, needs, and capacities, including infrastructure, education, and technical skills. Science underpins food safety actions, and it is everyone's responsibility to apply scientific principles. Food safety measures and practices must be based on science-based guidance and advice to ensure food remains safe.
Food Safety is Everyone’s Business
The FAO and WHO jointly observe World Food Safety Day (WFSD) on 7 June, established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018.
This year's theme, "Food Safety: Science in Action", focuses on promoting global awareness of food safety issues, preventing foodborne illnesses, discussing collaborative approaches to improve food safety across sectors, and advocating for solutions to enhance food safety practices.
The World Food Safety Day is an opportunity to draw attention to the significant advancements in scientific research. The knowledge gained from comprehensive evaluations of food safety hazards has deepened our understanding of food contamination and its implications for public health. Eventually, this enables policymakers, food industry professionals, and consumers to make informed and responsible decisions, thereby ensuring the protection of public health.
Commemorating this year’s WFSD with the theme Science in action includes:
A press release – written message for the Regional Directors.
Series of webinars focused on evidence in food safety.
Engaging content for social media, cards and posters in three languages.
A video with insights from food safety experts in the region.
Objectives
The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO EMRO) and the FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (FAO RNE) will co-organize a series of webinars. During these events, scientists, researchers, senior officials, international experts, and food actors will be invited to share their expertise and perspectives on leveraging science, innovation, and knowledge to ensure safe and healthy food for all.
These webinars aim to provide comprehensive insights into evidence-based practices in food safety, addressing current challenges and emerging trends in the Arab region, especially on:
Promoting the best practices to adopt and implement effective food safety measures.
Building capacities of food safety professionals on emerging food safety topics.
Develop a repository of webinar recordings and resources.
Format
A series of 11 virtual events (webinars) will be co-organized by WHO EMRO and FAO RNE, taking place; each Monday from May to August 2025.
Each webinar in these co-organized regional celebration series will last between 60 to 90 minutes and include simultaneous interpretation in Arabic and English in the FAO RNE Led sessions.
Expert speakers from WHO, FAO, Academia and Regulatory Bodies will be invited to present.
Agenda
| Date and Time (Cairo time) | Title | Link |
1 | Monday 26 May 2025 11.00 – 12.30 | Empowering Decisions through Risk Assessment and Evidence-Based Strategies | Meeting ID: 955 0650 6976 Passcode: 711666 |
2 | Monday 02 June 2025 11.00 – 12.30 | Risk-Benefit Assessment For Informed Decision-Making | Meeting ID: 981 3244 8167 Passcode: 880131 |
3 | Monday 16 June 2025 11.00 – 12.30 | Innovative Science in Action: Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance | Register in advance for this webinar here
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4 | Monday 23 June 2025 11.00 – 12.30 | Unveiling the Science Behind Food Safety Laboratories | Meeting ID: 972 1334 2601 Passcode: 128763 |
5 | Monday 30 June 2025 11.00 – 12.30 | Research for Evidence-Based Strategies to Improve Consumer Behaviors | TBC |
6 | Monday 07 July 2025 11.00 – 12.30 | The JECFA Toolbox for Veterinary Drug Residues Risk Assessment | TBC |
7 | Monday 14 July 2025 11.00 – 12.30 | Building Robust National Food Control Systems: Insights from the FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool | TBC |
8 | Monday 21 July 2025 11.00 – 12.30 | Food and Environmental Assessment of Foodborne Outbreaks | Meeting ID: 934 1254 7646 Passcode: 827494 |
9 | Monday 28 July2025 11.00 – 12.30 | Strengthening Foodborne Disease Surveillance: Determining Capacities And Identifying Priorities | Meeting ID: 937 1758 0225 Passcode: 003132 |
10 | Monday 04 August 2025 11.00 – 12.30 | Exploring Toolbox for Food Safety: The Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and HACCP Toolbox for Food Safety Ensuring Food Safety: Hygiene Practices and Health certifications for Food Handlers. | TBC |
11 | Monday 11 August 2025 11.00 – 12.30 | Innovative Science in Action: Novel Food Tackling Novel Food (Cell-based meat and novel food proteins). | TBC |