A review titled "Building resilient food safety systems through a One Health approach to prepare for the next pandemic" was published in the journal npj Science of Food on July 2, 2026. The review analyzed vulnerabilities in food safety governance and identified seven high-risk pathogens with potential for food-related spread.

The review's analysis covered vulnerabilities exposed during past disease outbreaks. It synthesized peer-reviewed scientific literature and institutional reports published between 1996 and 2025. The research applied a One Health framework, which recognizes the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health.

The review referenced a 2024 World Health Organization framework that evaluated 1,652 pathogens. This framework identified 35 pathogens as high risk for causing a Public Health Emergency of International Concern or a pandemic. Of these 35 high-risk pathogens, seven were noted in the review due to their potential for food-related introduction and spread.

The seven pathogens included four bacteria and three coronaviruses. During the COVID-19 crisis, reductions occurred in routine inspections at food processing facilities because of lockdowns and workforce illnesses. Laboratories that previously tested food for pathogens shifted their analytical focus to human diagnostics during the same period.

The review stated that deforestation and human land-use changes contribute to wildlife-restricted pathogens overlapping with human settlements. The H5N1 avian influenza virus (clade 2.3.4.4b) has spread across bird and mammal populations and has remained infectious in raw dairy products. Global goods trade contracted by 12.2% in the second quarter of 2020.

The 2008 U.S. Salmonella outbreak was erroneously linked to contaminated tomatoes and was estimated to have cost the U.S. tomato industry more than $100 million. The 2011 European E. coli outbreak resulted in economic losses greater than those of the 2008 U.S. Salmonella outbreak.