EU Food Safety Forum: A New Initiative to Strengthen Food Safety in Europe

METROFOOD-IT participated in the inaugural European Food Safety Forum held in Brussels on November 28 and 29, organized at the conclusion of the European project FS4EU (FoodSafety4EU). Over its three-year lifespan, the project provided solutions to the European Commission, aiming to align research, policy, and innovation with the needs and perspectives of society to enhance food safety throughout Europe. Claudia Zoani, a researcher at ENEA and coordinator of the METROFOOD-IT project, attended the Brussels event.

"During the two days in Brussels, the Eu Food Safety Forum was launched, an initiative aimed at ensuring the continuity and stability of FS4EU project activities. By creating a stakeholder platform addressing various aspects of food safety, the Forum will become an annual event. Project partners have signed Terms of References for the voluntary continuation of activities to sustain discussions on food safety," stated Zoani. In particular, the Forum was designed as a recurring meeting to bring together stakeholders in the food safety system to share knowledge, discuss best practices, address hot topics, and propose collaborations to enhance the effectiveness of European policies and research on these issues.

During the two-day event in the Belgian capital, the platform and results of the Food Safety Operational Labs (FSOLabs) were presented. These labs represent special cycles of meetings among experts from different levels of food safety systems. Zoani highlighted, "In the FS4EU project, the focus was on food safety understood as both chemical and microbiological safety. Digital tools were developed, including a platform named Food Safety Platform, organized as an online Knowledge Center rich in informative materials, ranging from glossaries to documents catering to various user types, addressing all aspects of food safety."

The initiative closely involves the METROFOOD project: "METROFOOD-RI is among the supporting partners of the project, as is ENEA. This collaboration is particularly significant as it establishes the possibility of data sharing with the digital platform of FS4EU. Additionally, there is undoubtedly a shared purpose and close collaboration to engage consumers on the topic of food safety," concluded Zoani.