World Food Safety Day 2026: From Burden to Solutions for Safer Food Everywhere

This year’s World Food Safety theme, “From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere,” highlights a critical shift in perspective. Food safety should not be viewed as a regulatory burden, but as a strategic enabler of trust, efficiency, and sustainable growth across global supply chains. 

Ensuring food safety is a shared responsibility, spanning producers, manufacturers, regulators, and service providers. At Cotecna, we support this ecosystem by delivering reliable Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) services that help transform food safety challenges into practical, scalable solutions. 

Why Food Safety Matters More Than Ever 

As global food systems become increasingly complex, so do the risks associated with them. Evolving regulations, emerging contaminants, and growing consumer expectations require businesses to adopt more robust and transparent food safety practices. 

Today’s consumers demand: 

• Safe and high-quality products 
• Transparency and traceability 
• Ethical sourcing and sustainability 

For businesses, this means moving beyond compliance to proactive risk management, ensuring food integrity at every stage of the supply chain. 

Turning Compliance into Solutions Through TIC 

At Cotecna, we help clients shift from reactive compliance to proactive solutions. Our TIC services enable businesses to identify risks early, meet regulatory requirements, and maintain consistent quality standards across markets. 

Verification of Conformity (VoC): Enabling Safe Trade 

Cotecna operates several Verification of Conformity (VoC) programs focused on food safety, ensuring that exported products meet the regulatory requirements of importing countries. 

These include: 

• Saudi Arabia – SFDA Food Program: Certification of regulated food products to ensure safety and compliance with national standards 
• Qatar – Food Conformity Assessment Program: Supporting safe imports across key food categories including meat, dairy, and fresh produce 
• Egypt – NFSA Program: Ensuring food and food-contact products meet Egyptian safety regulations 
• Nigeria – CRIA Program: Preventing substandard and falsified food imports through inspection and laboratory testing 
• UAE – Drinking Water Certification: Ensuring compliance under the Emirates Quality Mark scheme 
• Africa Programs: Supporting food safety compliance across countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Congo, and Zimbabwe. 

Through these programs, Cotecna helps transform regulatory requirements into streamlined processes that facilitate safe and efficient trade. 

Halal Certification: Supporting Safety, Quality, and Market Access 

Halal certification is a key component of global food safety and quality assurance. Cotecna’s services ensure compliance with both Islamic dietary requirements and internationally recognised food safety standards. 

We support businesses to: 

• Meet stringent halal and international standards 
• Improve traceability and transparency 
• Strengthen consumer confidence 
• Access growing global halal markets 

Addressing Emerging Food Safety Risks 

As part of our solution-driven approach, Cotecna offers advanced testing and targeted services to address evolving food safety challenges: 

• PFAS Testing: Detecting harmful contaminants through accredited laboratory analysis 
• Adulteration Detection: Tackling issues such as turmeric contamination through specialised testing 
• Seafood Compliance Testing: Supporting export compliance with international regulatory requirements 
• Organic Food Analysis & Certification: Ensuring integrity and compliance within organic supply chains 
• Global Spice Testing & Certification: Ensuring food safety and compliance 

Our global network of specialised laboratories and certification providers provide accurate, reliable, and timely results. 

These laboratories and certification providers include:  

• Europe: Neotron, Cotecna Lab Netherlands, Fitosoil and Suolo e Salute  
• China: Baier 
• South Asia and Middle East: Wimpey Laboratories, GeoChem India and Shiva Analyticals 

A Comprehensive Approach to Food Safety 

Cotecna offers end-to-end food safety solutions, including: 

• Microbiological and chemical testing 
• Allergen detection and nutritional analysis 
• Pesticide residue testing 
• ISO 22000 certification and HACCP implementation 
• GMP audits and quality assurance services 

By integrating these services, we help clients move from fragmented compliance efforts to comprehensive food safety management systems. 

Our Commitment: Safe Food Everywhere 

At Cotecna, we believe food safety is not a burden, it is a solution that enables trust, protects consumers, and drives sustainable growth. 

On World Food Safety Day, we stand alongside our partners and clients in advancing safer, more resilient, and more transparent food systems worldwide. 

Discover how Cotecna’s food safety and TIC services can help you turn compliance into practical solutions. Contact our experts to ensure safe, compliant, and trusted food supply chains everywhere. 

Download the free 2026 Cotecna Food Safety Brochure 

About Cotecna

For over 50 years, we have been supporting agriculture, food and pharma, minerals and metals, and consumer products supply chains all over the world. We provide testing, inspection, and certification services to help our clients navigate evolving regulations, ensure product compliance, and support their sustainability journey.