Ep. 219: World Food Safety Day 2026 — Food Safety Matters

Elaine Borghi, Ph.D. is Unit Head for Monitoring and Surveillance, Nutrition, and Food Safety at the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Borghi contributes to the coordination of efforts for nutrition and food safety data management, the generation of regional and global-level estimates and data-sharing tools, and the facilitation of inter-department data and methods harmonization. She holds a Ph.D. from the Statistics Department of the University of Wisconsin and a master's degree in Statistics from the State University of Campinas in Brazil. Before her time at WHO, Dr. Borghi was a lecturer at the State University of Campinas for 12 years. In addition to teaching, she provided statistical support to research in agriculture planning for rural sustainable development.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Borghi [24:38] about:

How the methodology behind the new WHO global foodborne disease burden estimates has evolved since the original 2015 estimates
New insights related to national and regional differences and trends over time
How WHO compiles and validates the data on which the estimates are based, and the role that international partners and surveillance systems play in this process
Translating the data into actionable food safety interventions, as promoted by the theme of WFSD 2026, "From Burden to Solutions—Safe Food Everywhere"
How different stakeholder groups can utilize the estimates to prioritize risks, allocate resources, and strengthen food safety systems
What regional differences in the burden of foodborne illness reveal about the need for targeted interventions
The importance of also estimating and communicating the economic burden of foodborne diseases
How WHO envisions the updated estimates shaping global food safety policy, surveillance, and collaboration.

News and Resources

News

FDA Modernizes Oversight of Pesticides in Food [3:48]

Bipartisan Bill Would Give FDA Authority to Destroy Contaminated Food Imports [7:00]

'Natural' Food Dyes May Have Health Risks Too, Studies Show [13:38]

Study Suggests Sweetener May Contribute to Liver Disease [20:51]

Resources

World Food Safety Day 2026 to Coincide with Release of Updated WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Estimates

Global Foodborne Disease Burden Comparable to Malaria, Per Updated WHO Estimates

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