The Science Behind Food Safety

As global trends like climate change, urbanization, and shifting demographics reshape the food industry, the pressure is on to deliver safe, secure, and sustainable food at every stage of the supply chain. To mark World Food Safety Day 2025 this June 7th, we spoke with Annelies Van Oosterom, Kiwa’s International Business Development Manager Food, Feed & Agriculture, about the role of science in helping us tackle food safety risks worldwide.  

In a world facing many food and food safety challenges, Kiwa is proud to be one of the world’s leading accredited certifiers in the food, feed and farm domain. We partner with producers, processors, and suppliers to design, implement, audit, and monitor robust protocols—ensuring confidence, compliance, quality and safety across the globe. ‘Food has always been traded across borders,’ comments Annelies. ‘But today, an unprecedented variety and volume of food travels the world daily, feeding billions. This global food trade brings immense opportunity, but it also demands shared rules to keep food safe, fair, and trustworthy.’ 

The Food Code

This is where the Codex Alimentarius, or ‘Food Code’, comes in. Developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO), the Codex sets international food standards, guidelines, and codes of practice that ensure safety, quality and transparency in global food markets for consumers buying imported goods or importers sourcing food from across the world. Since its inception in 1963, the Codex - which carries the tagline, 'Safe, Good Food for Everyone, Everywhere’ - has evolved to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world. With international food trade now exceeding USD 2 trillion annually, the Codex and the science behind it continue to play a vital role in shaping a safer, fairer global food system—for everyone.

Three areas of risk

So, what are some of the major threats we face on the journey toward ensuring ‘safe, good food for everyone, everywhere’? Annelies highlights three areas of risk:

• food-borne diseases;
• food fraud;
• climate change.

Food-borne diseases

Every year, around 600 million people fall ill and 420,000 die due to eating unsafe food. This means that approximately 1 in 10 people worldwide become ill annually from foodborne diseases. The economic burden exceeds USD 110 billion annually in low- and middle-income countries due to lost productivity and healthcare expenses. At least 200 different diseases are caused by food becoming contaminated through an array of hazards. These include bacteria, chemical substances, fungi or parasites, unhealthy additives, residues of veterinary drugs, contaminants, natural toxins in food and feed, and the impact of pesticides. Foodborne diseases slow socioeconomic development by straining healthcare systems and undermining national economies, tourism, and trade. As Annelies notes, “There is a lot at stake in protecting consumer health in the food trade. Ensuring food safety is not just a public health imperative—it is essential to building resilient communities and fostering sustainable economic growth.”

Food fraud

Another major risk in the food industry is food fraud, which can take many forms. Annelies lists a few of them:

• Substitution involves replacing a higher-value ingredient with a cheaper one—like using vegetable oil instead of olive oil;
• Adulteration refers to adding foreign substances, such as diluting milk with water to increase volume;
• Mislabelling is also common, involving false claims about a product’s origin, type, or ingredients;
• Counterfeiting happens when imitation products are made that closely resemble genuine items;
• Tampering or product relabelling involves repackaging expired or low-quality goods to make them appear fresh or high-quality;
• Document fraud, where falsified paperwork misrepresents a product’s origin, quality, or certification, is another tactic used to deceive buyers.

Commonly targeted products include olive oil, seafood, honey, spices, milk, juice, organic foods, maple syrup, beef, and pork. A notable example is the 2013 horsemeat scandal, where beef products sold in Ireland and the United Kingdom were found to contain horse and pork DNA. The scandal severely damaged consumer trust, led to a USD 410 million drop in value in the affected sector and caused frozen burger sales to plummet by 43%. ‘Food fraud can have serious consequences for both consumers and businesses,’ Annelies observes.

Climate change

The third and greatest risk, according to Annelies, is climate change. ‘The food and agriculture sector is at the frontline of climate change. From extreme weather, including heat stress and altered precipitation, to biodiversity loss and shifting growing zones - the impact is real. Climate change results in decreased food availability, potentially reduced food quality, and rising food prices. For example, heat stress in livestock increases contamination risks; mold in grains due to humidity raises mycotoxin threats; and shifting cultivation zones introduce new chemical and microbiological hazards.’

The role of science

In protecting the world against these and other food-related risks, science plays a vital role, says Annelies. ‘Science is behind everything we do, because all global food safety standards, established to control risk factors, are based on scientific data. As the risks and hazards increase, so does the scientific research. Science is at the heart of food safety. It helps us to understand what makes food unsafe. And it is integral to our work of preventing food-borne diseases, combatting fraud and mitigating climate change.’

Recent breakthroughs

Recent scientific development has led to many improvements in food safety. Annelies mentions a handful of examples:

• the strengthening of the requirements on issues like water use, biodiversity, and soil health;
• integrated pest management and landscape conservation;
• organic standards that demand natural inputs;
• animal welfare;
• closed-loop systems;
• the integration of sustainability in food safety systems.

Science and compliance build trust

World Food Safety Day 2025 is a reminder that while scientists and certifiers race to adapt to changing risks and hazards, businesses in food, feed and agriculture must also face the challenge of keeping in step with rising expectations and shifting global dynamics. ‘Compliance to international standards is no longer optional, it is a strategic must,’ says Annelies. ‘Increased global trade requires clear standards and trust in food products, and consumers want transparency and ethical practices in food production. This is where Kiwa shines, because at Kiwa we help businesses navigate these changes and ensure certification processes remain robust and future-proof. Whether it’s food safety, feed quality, organic practices, or sustainability goals, certification helps you stay one step ahead: it’s a ticket to trade and to world food safety.’