TEHRAN – Observed annually on June 7, the World Food Safety Day 2025 is themed ‘Food safety: science in action’, highlighting that science is at the heart of food safety.

Science plays a vital role in protecting public health. It helps us understand what makes food unsafe and guides us on how to prevent foodborne diseases. It draws attention to the use of scientific knowledge as key to reducing illness, cutting costs, and saving lives.

Food safety is a cornerstone of public health and sustainable development; access to safe, healthy and nutritious food is not only a fundamental right, but also a shared responsibility and collective commitment.
Foodborne illnesses are a growing global challenge, threatening the health of millions of people.

They are usually infectious or toxic in nature and often invisible to the plain eye, caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances entering the body through contaminated food or water.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 600 million people fall ill each year after eating contaminated food, and more than 420,000 die every year. Sadly, children under 5 years of age carry 40 percent of the foodborne disease burden, the official noted.

Unhealthy food consumption creates a cycle of disease, malnutrition, and health inequalities that disproportionately affects vulnerable groups such as infants, the elderly, and the sick.

Meanwhile, increased global food trade, changing consumption patterns, widespread tourism, climate change, microbial resistance, and even bioterrorism threats have added new complexities to food safety.

Food contamination may occur at any stage of the supply chain from production to consumption and is influenced by factors such as water and soil contamination, air pollution, and improper food preparation practices and storage.

Data, evidence, and documentation are the foundations of effective food safety policy-making and actions. From safety standard development and monitoring systems to disease outbreak analysis and evidence-based education, science is effective when it leads to action.

Food safety can only be achieved through collective responsibility. Every single individual, at every level from producer to consumer, from decision-maker to implementer, from family to government, must act as a risk manager. The decisions we make every day about what to eat, how to prepare it, and how to store it affect the health of ourselves, our families, and our communities.

The World Food Safety Day aims to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect, and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism, and sustainable development.

Ensuring food safety is a shared effort; by relying on science and taking action, we can make a safer food cycle, a healthier society, and a brighter future.