This factsheet presents key findings from FAO’s report Food safety in personalized nutrition – A focus on food supplements and functional foods, highlighting the food safety challenges linked to the growing use of these products in personalized nutrition.

This factsheet summarizes key insights from the FAO report, Food safety in personalized nutrition – A focus on food supplements and functional foods, on the rising use of food supplements and functional foods within personalized nutrition. 

The FAO Food Safety Foresight Framework Meeting was organized by the Agrifood Systems and Food Safety Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as part of the activities of the Food Safety Foresight Programme. 

Food supplements and functional foods play a key role in personalized nutrition plans, claiming to modulate physiological functions based on individual needs. As the field of personalized nutrition evolves, it is crucial to consider the safety implications of these products, particularly given their increasing use in recent decades. 

A Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) expert meeting on toxigenic clostridia in foodborne disease was convened in Rome, Italy from 17-21 February 2025. The Expert Committee reviewed recent scientific developments, data, and evidence associated with foodborne toxigenic clostridia, specifically including an up-to-date review of the disease burden, attribution to food commodities of highest public health concern, analytical methods in food commodities and control measures. 

This report, commissioned by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolving landscape of human and food-producing animal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) over the past two decades. Focusing on a range of chemicals consistently identified as EDCs, the report examines temporal trends in exposure and links these changes to factors such as regulatory actions, voluntary industry measures, and heightened consumer awareness. Drawing on biomonitoring data, the report offers critical insights into both progress and remaining challenges in reducing EDC exposure globally. This resource offers valuable insights for researchers, policymakers and stakeholders into the effectiveness of risk management strategies and ongoing challenges posed by EDCs.

Integrated farming is a circular approach to agriculture: wastes or by-products from a production system are used as inputs within another production system, while improving land use efficiency and productivity. To ensure integrated farms produce food that is safe to eat and maintain healthy livestock, entry points for food safety issues must identified and addressed.This brief provides an overview of the food safety considerations in integrated farming systems in the transformation to a circular agrifood system. It is one of five briefs accompanying the FAO publication, Food Safety in a Circular Economy.  

Packaging plays an important role in keeping food fresh and safe but generates waste in the form of plastic and other materials. A circular approach to food packaging can reduce packaging waste that is harmful to the environment. There are important food safety considerations for producers and consumers to be aware of, to ensure circular food packaging solutions are safe.This brief provides an overview of the food safety considerations in implementing circular food packaging solutions in the transformation to a circular agrifood system. This technical brief is one of five briefs accompanying the FAO publication, Food safety in a circular economy.

Reducing food waste can have a positive impact on food security, the climate and the overall sustainability of agrifood systems. Since food waste and by-products may contain contaminants, it is essential to incorporate food safety management measures when redistributing or upcycling these materials for other uses, to ensure consumer health.This brief provides an overview of the food safety considerations in repurposing or upcycling food waste and by-products in the transformation to a circular agrifood system. It is one of five briefs accompanying the FAO publication, Food Safety in a Circular Economy.

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.