Prioritizing food safety issues related to chemical water quality in agrifood systems

Overview

Reliable access to safe and sufficient water is critical to food security and protecting public health. However, water systems face unprecedented pressure from climate change and rising demand. Agriculture, the largest user of freshwater globally, increasingly relies on alternative water sources, some of which may contain chemical contaminants that pose potential risks to food safety. While progress has been made on identifying microbial risks in agrifood water sources, guidance on chemical hazards remains limited.

Prioritizing food safety hazards related to chemical water quality in agrifood systems identifies high-priority waterborne chemical hazards through a three-stage process: compiling examples of reported chemical hazards in water sources, assessing their potential uptake into food production systems, and evaluating their dietary exposure. This flexible, science-based approach can be tailored to local contexts, helping to ensure food safety against a backdrop of rapidly evolving water uses. By outlining approaches for assessing and managing waterborne chemical hazards, this publication addresses gaps in food safety risk management and offers guidance on many of these contaminants. Emerging issues, such as new technologies, the use of alternative water sources, and chemical mixtures, further complicate the landscape, highlighting the need for continuous adaptation of risk assessment frameworks.

This publication supports national and regional authorities, as well as stakeholders in the water and agrifood sectors, in prioritizing, assessing, and managing chemical hazards in agrifood water uses. It also emphasizes the importance of foresight in identifying emerging food safety issues and of advocates for a One Health approach that acknowledges the interconnections between water scarcity, food security, and human, animal, and environmental health.