The traditional canon of established threats to the safety of the food supply is daunting as is. However, a variety of societal, environmental and technological factors are driving the emergence of new and unprecedented threats. Globalization of the food supply and increased international travel has led to greater consumption of foods once considered “exotic”, exposing new populations to viral, bacterial, protozoan or helminthic pathogens. Large and sustained outbreaks of communicable diseases, such as Ebola, not only impact food distribution and security, but may also create new opportunities for wider transmission through food vectors. Environmental contaminants such as steroids, antibiotics, pharmaceuticals or pesticides may find their way into human food systems via agricultural runoff, and the risks to the food supply and to human health of engineered nanomaterials are not yet fully understood. Finally, in an increasingly interconnected digital world, compromise of food formulation, refrigeration, distribution and related cyberinfrastructure could have severe food safety consequences. This session brings together a number of experts from various disciplines to discuss emerging threats to our food supply and how these threats can be addressed and contained.

Presentations