Overview and prospects of food biosafety

Abstract

Biosafety issues have become a major threat to the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems worldwide. As problems with food production and the food supply chain have become of greater concern to consumers, issues involving biosafety and food safety from a developmental perspective need to be urgently addressed. The term, food biosafety, is the combination of the core concepts of biosafety and food safety. It refers to the effective prevention of biological threats to food production and the food supply chain by controlling foodborne diseases arising from the consumption of edible plants and animal products, by preventing the establishment of invasive species, by strictly controlling the use of antibiotics, agricultural chemicals and veterinary drugs in the food supply chain, and by initiating food defense and anti-terrorism measures to protect the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems, thereby maintaining sustainable development in China. This article provides theoretical support for the extension of food biosafety to propose an innovative plan for the international co-governance of food safety.