How Climate Change Can Affect Food Safety

A heatwave can affect a harvest long before it reaches the supermarket. Heavy rain can change the quality of the water used to grow or process food. These connections help explain why climate adaptation belongs in the food safety conversation.

Food safety starts before the kitchen

We often associate food safety with cooking, refrigeration and clean hands. Yet the conditions in which food is grown, transported and stored also influence its safety. Changes in temperature and rainfall can affect the organisms and environmental conditions that contribute to contamination. The effects depend on the hazard, the food and the location.

Consider flooding. Water carrying sewage or chemicals can contaminate crops, premises and water supplies. Damage to electricity networks can also interrupt refrigeration. A single event can therefore create several food safety challenges at different points in the supply chain.

Water connects climate and food safety

Water is essential for growing and processing food. When supplies become less reliable, decisions about water use become more difficult. A producer may need to conserve water while maintaining the quality required for a particular operation.

EFSA has highlighted this challenge in its work on water used to process fruit, vegetables and herbs. Its advice considers the water source, potential hazards and how the food will be consumed. These details matter because water that introduces harmful microorganisms can compromise the products it touches.

For businesses, a useful starting question is whether existing food safety plans account for changing environmental conditions. Where could a water shortage, flood or prolonged hot period put the greatest pressure on current controls? Answering that question requires local knowledge as well as scientific evidence.

Research that reflects regional differences

AMBROSIA is investigating the relationship between climate change and food safety across four European biogeographical regions: Atlantic, Continental, Mediterranean and Boreal. Its work focuses on selected hazards in cereals and fresh produce, with the aim of improving risk assessment and supporting adaptation.

The AMBROSIA Innovation Hub connects this research with the people who can help put knowledge into practice. Farmers, food businesses, researchers and other stakeholders bring experience of the conditions under which food safety decisions are made. Sharing that experience can help make discussions about adaptation more relevant to everyday work.