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Ensuring food safety in a circular economy: Four key areas

Year of publication 2024

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 4 p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet

Synopsis (short abstract) Introducing circular processes and policies is one route to agrifood systems transformation, a key accelerator to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. A circular economy represents a major departure from the current linear production system and from many assumptions underlying existing food safety approaches. While circular solutions offer promising sustainability benefits, they also introduce certain food safety concerns, such as the risk of contaminants, antimicrobial resistance and physical hazards. This brief provides an overview of the food safety considerations across four key areas in the transformation to a circular agrifood system – water scarcity, food loss and waste, food packaging waste, and land use efficiency. It is one of five briefs accompanying the FAO publication, Food Safety in a Circular Economy.

Last updated 02/10/2024

Language English

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    This document summarizes proceedings of the FAO Side event at the 47th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC47) as a follow-up to the recent FAO publication "Food safety in a circular economy". The aim was to stimulate discussion on the food safety aspects that need to be considered and addressed when implementing circular practices in agrifood production. The webinar was part of the activities under the FAO Food Safety Foresight Programme.
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    A circular water economy involves using limited water resources more efficiently. Water recycling and reuse offer many opportunities for agrifood systems and will likely become more important as water stress increases globally. However, potential food safety risks need to be taken into consideration when designing and implementing circular processes for water.This brief provides an overview of the food safety considerations in water recycling and reuse in the transformation to a circular agrifood system. It is one of five briefs accompanying the FAO publication, Food Safety in a Circular Economy.
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