World Food Safety Day 2026 – Asia and Pacific Edition: From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere

Background 

World Food Safety Day 2026, under the theme, “From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere”, recognizes that data on foodborne illness can empower action. By moving from an understanding of the burden of foodborne disease to cost‑effective and evidence-based solutions, it is possible to ensure safer food for everyone, everywhere. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) will launch new estimates of foodborne disease burden, providing the most comprehensive global and regional estimates to date, as well as the first‑ever national estimates covering the period 2000–2021. These estimates fill a critical global data gap and can help support countries in managing risks, allocating resources for consumer protection and reducing the future burden of foodborne diseases. 

Objectives 

In the Asia‑Pacific region, food systems are increasingly interconnected, with complex supply chains and significant cross‑border movement of food products. These shared dynamics underscore the importance of collaboration and experience-sharing to address food safety risks effectively. 

In this context, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and the WHO Regional Offices for the Western Pacific and for South-East Asia are jointly organizing a webinar to mark World Food Safety Day. This initiative aims to: 

• Present regional data on the new estimates of the burden of foodborne diseases to support the prioritization of food safety actions
• Provide a platform for bi‑regional exchange of experiences and good practices
• Reinforce the message that food safety is multisectoral and a shared responsibility 

Participants 

National food safety and public health authorities, technical experts, academic institutions, United Nations agencies, development partners, WHO Collaborating Centres and representatives from the private sector and civil society engaged in food safety are welcome to join the webinar. 

Provisional agenda 

Opening remarks

• Dr Huong Tran, Director of Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control, WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific

Keynote presentation: New global and regional estimates of the burden of foodborne diseases: what the data tell us

• Rob Lake, Institute of Environmental Science and Research, New Zealand

Panel discussion: Using data for actions: country experiences in reducing the burden of foodborne diseases

• Rob Lake, Institute of Environmental Science and Research, New Zealand
• Banchob Sripa, Professor, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
• Alka Rao, Advisor, Science, Standards and Regulations, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

Q&A 

Remarks from Aya Orito Nozawa, Chair of the FAO/WHO Codex Coordinating Committee for Asia 

Closing remarks

• WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia