Regional Webinar Commemorates World Food Safety Day 2025: Ensuring Safe Food for All in Africa

To commemorate World Food Safety Day 2025, a webinar was held on June 12, 2025, by AU-IBAR in partnership with the regional offices of FAO, WHO, WFP, and CCAFRICA. Under the theme of "Food Safety: Science in Action," the online gathering drew participants from all around Africa. The importance of scientific innovation and teamwork in guaranteeing food safety throughout the continent was highlighted at this year's event.

Opening Session and Keynote Address
Opening statements were given by representatives of different organisations to start off the webinar. Codex Alimentarius Commission Chair Dr. Allan Azegele established the tone by reflecting on the value of scientific advice in establishing food safety standards. Mr. Hakim Mufumbiro, Coordinator of CCAFRICA, continued by stressing the importance of regional cooperation in solving problems related to food safety.
Dr. Huyam Salih, Director of AU-IBAR, highlighted that it is Africa's shared duty to establish policy frameworks based on scientific evidence to guarantee food safety. She emphasised that AU-IBAR is dedicated to continuing its efforts in the areas of laboratory staff training, national food safety system strengthening, and cross-border data sharing.

Speaking on their respective organisations' efforts to enhance food safety governance in Africa, Dr. Moez Sanaa of the World Health Organization's Department of Nutrition and Food Safety and Dr. Mphumuzi Sukati of the Food and Agriculture Organization's Regional Office for Africa also provided valuable insights. Their remarks reaffirmed the need to incorporate scientific knowledge into the food chain at every stage.
Science in Action: Contribution of Evidence-Based Approaches

The keynote speech given by Dr. Benoit Gnonlonfin, Global Program Lead for Sanitary and Phytosanitary Programs at CABI International, noted that scientific evidence has been crucial in establishing food safety regulations and advocating for consumer protection in Africa.  During his speech, he emphasised how African nations may improve their food safety results by combining risk-based assessments with science-led policy.

Role of Academia and Research Institutions
Academic institutions, research groups, and accredited laboratories played a significant role in the webinar's central session, which discussed how they contribute to food safety data collection and risk assessment. The increasing problem of microbiological contamination was addressed by experts including Dr. James Noah Ssemanda, while the importance of studying pesticide residues in African food products was emphasised by Mr. Geoffrey Onen. Furthermore, Dr. Yann Christie Sissinto Adjovi investigated aflatoxins, a persistent problem in food safety. 
Speaking on the need to enhance accreditation frameworks, Ms. Lucy Namu of the Kenya National Accreditation Service emphasised the significance of ensuring that food safety laboratories meet international standards. To demonstrate the breadth of scientific cooperation required to enhance food safety systems, these conversations were crucial.

Initiatives and Frameworks Supporting Food Safety Data Generation
In a session moderated by PACA's Winta Sintayehu and WHO's Technical Officer for Food Safety, Minato Yuki, participants discussed current efforts and potential future frameworks to improve food safety data collection and monitoring. Critical instruments for monitoring and managing foodborne risks across the continent were introduced, including the Africa Food Safety Index and the Africa Aflatoxin Information Management System (AFIMS). As an important step towards enhancing food safety, their impact on making data more accessible and facilitating informed decision-making was highlighted.

Strengthening Food Safety through Data Management
The webinar also featured presentations on the need for better information management and the integration of national data systems. The technical officers of WHO and other regional bodies presented ideas for improving the estimation of the burden of foodborne diseases across the continent. Emphasizing the importance of harmonized data, they called for enhanced collaboration between national health and food safety agencies to build comprehensive food safety surveillance systems.

Collaborative Action Moving Forward
In the closing remarks, the discussion turned to how African governments and the private sector can collaborate to strengthen food safety systems. Emphasis was placed on creating public-private partnerships to improve access to safe food. Key recommendations included enhancing digital traceability across the food supply chain, prioritizing food safety in regulatory frameworks, and investing in capacity building for food safety officers, regulators, and smallholder producers.

As part of the wrap-up, Ruth Knight, the main moderator of the event, thanked all the participants and urged continued collaboration across sectors to ensure that food safety becomes an integral part of Africa’s sustainable development agenda. She reinforced the necessity of applying scientific knowledge to make informed decisions that will protect public health, drive trade, and enhance food security in Africa.

Conclusion
Participants in the regional webinar honouring World Food Safety Day 2025 had a valuable opportunity to hear from experts, stakeholders and legislators on food safety's trajectory in Africa.  By working together, the event highlighted how important research is for public health and for setting standards for food safety.  Going ahead, AU-IBAR and its partners will keep pushing to improve food safety regulations and give African nations the tools they need to deal with new threats by developing science-based plans.

An impassioned plea for increased funding for food safety systems and research around the continent was delivered as the event ended.  In order to provide a better, more sustainable food system for an expanding population, Africa can benefit from promoting collaborations that span several sectors.