Experts gather to address evolving food safety risks in Europe

Leading scientists, policymakers, industry representatives and early-career researchers from across Europe will gather on 10-11 June 2026 at Wageningen University & Research (Netherlands) for the joint final conference of the EU-funded HOLiFOOD and FoodSafeR projects.

Bringing together expertise from across the food system, the conference will present key scientific outcomes and explore how Europe can better anticipate and manage emerging food safety risks.

"As global food supply chains become more complex, new food safety risks are emerging. Advanced digital tools, including artificial intelligence, are essential to detect these risks earlier and support more effective and sustainable food safety systems," said Nathan Meijer, Scientific Researcher at Wageningen Food Safety Research.

Addressing emerging food safety challenges

Food systems are becoming increasingly complex due to global supply chains, new production technologies and changing consumption patterns. These developments create new challenges for detecting and managing food safety risks. The conference will showcase how both projects have developed innovative tools, data-driven approaches and multidisciplinary collaborations that strengthen Europe's readiness for future food safety challenges.

Conference highlights

"This conference will present new indicators and tools to better identify microbial and chemical food safety risks, alongside a holistic framework for proactive risk management. It brings together expertise from across the HOLiFOOD and FoodSafeR projects to support more resilient food safety systems in Europe," said Rudolf Krska, Head of the Institute of Bioanalytics & Agro-Metabolomics at BOKU and coordinator of the FoodSafeR project.

The program will explore key themes including:

• Artificial intelligence and data-driven prediction of emerging hazards

• Co-design of food safety tools through multi-stakeholder collaboration

• A digital hub providing information, guidelines and advice on emerging risks

• Food safety challenges in novel and low-regulated food production systems

• Advanced analytical and detection methods for chemical and microbiological hazards

• Holistic risk assessment approaches for resilient food safety management

​Call for posters

Researchers and professionals are invited to submit posters for presentation during the conference poster sessions. These sessions are designed to foster direct exchange between presenters and attendees, offering a visible platform for new results and ideas. More information on poster submission is available here.

Participation

The conference is open to:

• Researchers

• Food safety professionals

• Policymakers

• Industry stakeholders

• Students

Registration details and full programme can be found here.