Evaluation of climate change effects on food sustainability, safety and quality
Abstract
Climate change and food safety have become interdependent worldwide research priorities. In order to meet the EU challenge of doubling food production by 2050 (to meet population demands) while dealing with the impact of climate change on food safety, investment in research is required.
Climate change will clearly influence food safety in the short and medium future (Fig. 1). For instance, changes in temperatures and precipitations will increase chemical and microbial risks. To control or prevent these additional burdens, mitigation strategies have to be put in place and those measures need to be defined and evaluated in such a way that the sustainability of the food sector is guaranteed, otherwise, they will not be valid in the long term.