Food safety isn’t just about hygiene in kitchens or compliance with regulations – it’s increasingly tied to the global climate crisis. In my webinar presentation for Highfield Publications in November 2025, I explored how extreme weather events (EWEs) and shifting environmental conditions are reshaping the risks we face in the food chain. To access the free webinar, click HERE.
Pressures on the Global Food Chain
Complex supply chains: With hundreds of handling points, there are countless opportunities for contamination or fraud.
Ethical and criminal risks: Modern slavery, illegal slaughter, and food fraud thrive when supply chains are disrupted.
Climate change: Rising temperatures, floods, droughts, and storms amplify these vulnerabilities.
Vulnerable Groups
Certain populations are hit hardest:
Children under 5, the elderly, and immuno‑suppressed individuals
Those facing homelessness, poor sanitation, or poverty
Communities displaced by disasters or struggling with rising food prices
Consequences of Extreme Weather Events
Apart from devastation and loss of life, livelihood and housing, the food safety effects are summarised below. Where there is a food shortage, it follows that there will be rising prices and opportunities for food crime.
Floods: Sewage contamination, crop destruction, mould, and food spoilage.
Droughts: Crop failure, dust carrying pathogens onto salad crops.
Heatwaves: Livestock stress, reduced yields, and faster bacterial growth in food.
Wildfires: Ash and smoke contamination, soil fertility loss, and supply chain disruption.
Warming seas: Increased risk of Vibrio species and ciguatera poisoning in shellfish and reef fish – moving into areas previously unaffected
Pests and Pathogens
Warmer conditions allow pests to proliferate and migrate to new regions, while bacteria and toxins (like aflatoxins and mycotoxins) thrive in wet, warm environments.
Food Business Resilience Planning
Here are a few ideas to help.
Supply Chain Awareness
Track global weather events that could disrupt supply.
Verify supplier hygiene and ethical standards.
Identify critical foods most vulnerable to climate impacts (RAG rating).
Risk Management
Develop contingency plans for key ingredients and suppliers.
Carry out risk assessments across your food chain.
Prepare for power outages with backup refrigeration and IT systems.
Fraud Prevention
Scrutinize unusually cheap deals – fraud is often behind them.
Train staff to spot substitution, adulteration, and fraud indicators.
Protecting People
Consider how shortages and rising prices affect customers and employees.
Communicate transparently about risks and safety measures.
Sustainability
Work towards carbon neutrality to help mitigate climate change.
Invest in resilient practices: sustainable farming, renewable energy, eco‑friendly logistics.
The Bigger Picture
Climate change doesn’t just threaten food safety – it undermines food security, public health, and economic stability. Rising prices, shortages, and fraud create a perfect storm that requires vigilance, collaboration, and proactive planning.
Climate change is now a food safety issue. From floods contaminating crops to warming seas creating an environment for marine toxins to develop, the risks are multiplying.
