Abstract:
Food systems are expected to provide not only sufficient quantities of food but also foods that are safe, nutritious, sustainable, and resilient. While nutrition strategies traditionally focus on dietary quality and nutrient intake, food safety remains an indispensable prerequisite for achieving optimal nutritional outcomes. Unsafe food undermines nutrition by increasing the burden of foodborne diseases, reducing nutrient absorption, threatening vulnerable populations, and weakening public confidence in food systems. This presentation explores how integrating food safety into nutrition policies can strengthen public health and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. It highlights the growing convergence between food safety, nutrition, innovation, and sustainability within modern food systems. Drawing upon international frameworks developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Codex Alimentarius Commission, together with practical regulatory experiences from Jordan, the presentation demonstrates how risk-based food control systems, science-based decision-making, digital transformation, and intersectoral collaboration contribute to healthier and more sustainable food environments. Key topics include the role of preventive food safety management throughout the food chain, risk assessment as a foundation for evidence-based policy, emerging food safety challenges associated with climate change and novel foods, and the importance of data-driven surveillance in protecting consumers while supporting innovation and trade. The presentation also discusses how integrated regulatory approaches can simultaneously improve food safety, enhance nutritional quality, strengthen consumer trust, and promote sustainable food production. The presentation concludes that the future of nutrition cannot be achieved through dietary recommendations alone. It requires comprehensive food systems in which safety, nutrition, sustainability, and innovation are addressed as interconnected priorities. By embedding food safety within nutrition strategies, countries can build more resilient food systems capable of protecting health, reducing disease burden, and ensuring equitable access to safe and nutritious food for present and future generations.
