Farm to fork risks

General objectives 

Driven by climate change and environmental degradation, Europe plans to be a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy (Green deal) by 2050. Because of the link between our health, a healthy society and a healthy planet, sustainable food production is at the heart of the European Green Deal. The European Farm to Fork strategy should accelerate the transition to a sustainable food system. This accelerated transition will have an impact on how the actors within the value chain can continue to guarantee food safety.  

It is therefore essential that food companies have access to knowledge about the new (or other) dangers that this more sustainable food system will entail. Often it will be about aspects that are applied upstream in the value chain, which means that the processor will be faced with new challenges. If there is insufficient awareness of the new hazards, there is a risk that the risks to public health associated with this will not be adequately controlled.  

Potential challenges for the food companies

• Allergenicity in relation to the evolution of protein diversification  

• Heavy metals  

• Toxic phytochemicals (in plants) or biological plant protection products  

• (New) chemical and microbial process contaminants  

• Mycotoxins due to protein diversification in protein sources and global warming  

• Spread of antibiotic resistance  

• Food ingredients and products based on by-products  

• Reformulations of food products with alternative raw materials or less salt, sugar and fat  

• New sustainable processing methods 

Expected results 

• New techniques and processes while maintaining food safety aspects. 

• Optimization of food safety understanding of farm to fork risks.