Foodborne illnesses (FBIs) affect 44 million people each year as a result of consuming food or beverages contaminated with pathogens, chemicals, and toxins. This situation has negative health, social, and economic impacts: 78,000 deaths annually in the Americas alone and losses of nearly $310 billion in global productivity in 2021. 

Finding solutions to reduce the burden of foodborne illnesses requires harnessing the potential of data, technological innovation, risk assessment, and regional cooperation to build safer, more resilient, and more sustainable food systems. This was the main conclusion of the regional webinar “From Burden to Solutions: Safe Food Everywhere,” held in observance of World Food Safety Day (June 7).  

The dialogue was organized by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (CCLAC), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and the International Regional Organization for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA).

During the opening ceremony, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Rene Orellana Halkyer, highlighted the importance of promoting the proper implementation of the Codex Alimentarius—a compendium of internationally accepted food standards, guidelines, and codes of practice—as the primary international reference for protecting public health, consumer confidence, and promoting fair practices in the food trade.  

“This translates into stronger food control systems, ensuring early detection of outbreaks along with effective response and communication through robust mechanisms for intersectoral collaboration. The continuous improvement of these systems strengthens consumer confidence and creates greater market access opportunities for producers and exporters in the region,” emphasized Orellana Halkyer, recalling FAO’s role in strengthening the regulatory frameworks of 19 countries in the region and training more than 2,800 professionals on Codex texts. He also featured the technical assistance that FAO has provided to strengthen the agri-food sector’s strategic response and consolidate its participation in the governance of National Action Plans against antimicrobial resistance in 14 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.  

The participating international experts shared experiences and innovative solutions to address the burden of foodborne diseases, emphasizing that food safety is a shared responsibility involving all stakeholders in the food chain—from farmers, producers, industry, transporters, authorities, academia, and chefs to consumers.  

Yuki Minato, Technical Officer at the WHO, presented progress in the collection and analysis of global data on the burden of foodborne diseases, highlighting the importance of having reliable information to guide effective interventions and prioritize resources. 

Marjorie Guerrero Jiménez shared the experience of Costa Rica’s National Animal Health Service (SENASA) with the Inspection and Control System for Establishments Producing Food of Animal Origin for Human Consumption (SICE), a tool that strengthens surveillance and compliance with food safety requirements in food production.  

Meanwhile, OIRSA’s Regional Director of Food Safety, Raúl Peralta Girón, presented the Interactive Simulator for Quantitative Assessment of Microbiological Risks, a regional initiative developed by OIRSA that transforms scientific data into practical decision-making tools, facilitating the understanding and management of microbiological risks associated with food. 

Agnes Agunos, FAO Specialist in Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance and Monitoring, made the final remarks highlighting the importance of epidemiological analysis and inter-agency cooperation in strengthening surveillance systems within the framework of managing foodborne antimicrobial resistance (AMR).