Review calls for integrating food safety into pandemic preparedness through One Health approach
By
Hugo Francisco de Souza
Summary
A Perspective review published in npj Science of Food argues that food safety systems are critically overlooked in pandemic preparedness planning. Using a One Health approach, the authors warn that future pandemics—even those not caused by foodborne pathogens—could severely disrupt food supply chains, weaken regulatory oversight, and erode consumer trust. The review calls for integrating food safety into pandemic preparedness across surveillance, laboratory capacity, workforce readiness, and regulation to build more resilient systems.
Source
Key quotes
· 3 pulledUnless countries treat food safety as core health infrastructure, the next pandemic could disrupt supply chains, erode consumer trust, and expose a critical weakness in global preparedness.
The authors call for One Health planning that integrates food safety into pandemic preparedness, surveillance, laboratory capacity, workforce readiness, and regulation.
Pandemics can weaken food safety systems even when the pathogen is not foodborne.
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