3.1 Emerging health risk assessment in food systems in transition (KB-37-001-024)

Accelerating global changes increasingly force us to reflect on the sustainability of our food production systems. However in the transition towards a full a circular food system, where waste streams are fully reused, new pathways for the transmission of human and animal pathogens may arise. Also chemical contaminants (PFAS, drug residues, heavy metals, microplastics) can circulate and accumulate in the food system.

A good understanding of the spread and risks of pathogens and contaminants in food system is a prerequisite for sustainable and safe closure of cycles, but also important for control of animal health and food safety. Food systems that are both safe and sustainable ask for different screening and surveillance strategies including new methods and tools. Changed production methods and new primary sources will also ask for new sampling methods and potentially also new sampling sites (hot spots). In this subtheme we focus on one emerging biological (HEV) and chemical hazard (PFAS).