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Prioritizing food safety issues related to chemical water quality in agrifood systems

  • Publication | 2025
Global Food and Nutrition Security

Water systems are facing unprecedented pressure due to climate change, population growth, and societal changes, leading to the increased use of alternative water sources – often of lower or uncertain quality. These natural and alternative water sources can contain a range of chemical hazards, posing potential risks to food safety. This report highlights waterborne chemical hazards, their pathways into the food chain, their contribution to human exposure, emerging issues, and outlines approaches for their assessment and management.While progress has been made on identifying microbial risks in agrifood water sources, limited guidance is available on chemical hazards. This report presents a global approach to identifying and prioritizing food safety risks associated with waterborne chemical hazards.As agrifood systems evolve, the publication supports national and regional authorities, as well as stakeholders in the water and agrifood sectors, in prioritizing, assessing, and managing chemical hazards in agrifood water uses.

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Authors
FAO; WHO;
Geographic coverageGlobal
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05 Feb 2026

Related organisation(s)FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsWHO - World Health Organisation
Knowledge service | MetadataGlobal Food and Nutrition Security | Sustainable Food Systems | Water management
Digital Europa Thesaurus (DET)pollutantfood safetyAgriculturerisk managementfood security
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