MedFOODNet project
Ensuring food safety in a globalised and interconnected world is becoming an increasingly complex challenge. Changing consumption habits, evolving food systems, and the growing complexity of international supply chains increase the potential for biological and chemical risks throughout the food chain. In this context, effective and evidence-based risk communication is essential not only to protect public health but also to strengthen citizens’ trust in food safety authorities and institutions.
MedFoodNet – Research-to-Practice Network for Enhanced Food Safety Communication in the Mediterranean Region has been launched as a new international initiative funded by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and coordinated by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe). The project will run for 24 months and aims to strengthen food risk communication capacities across Mediterranean countries by fostering collaboration between science, policy, and society.
MedFoodNet brings together communication specialists, researchers, risk assessors, and risk managers to translate scientific evidence into clear, accessible, and actionable messages for citizens. By promoting a research-to-practice approach, the network seeks to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and public understanding of food safety issues.
Objectives
MedFoodNet is designed to make food safety communication more trustworthy, and relevant for people across the Mediterranean region. To achieve this, the project focuses on three key areas:
Building a Mediterranean community of food safety communicators
MedFoodNet will bring together experts in food safety, public health, communication, and research from across the Mediterranean. Through networking activities, joint governance structures, and training opportunities, the project will strengthen the skills and cooperation needed to communicate food safety risks effectively and consistently across countries.
Understanding how people perceive food risks
The project will explore how citizens receive, interpret, and discuss information about food safety. By analysing public perceptions, media coverage, and online conversations, MedFoodNet will identify the most relevant concerns, information gaps, and misinformation trends. Co-creation activities involving stakeholders and communication professionals will help develop communication approaches that better respond to people’s needs and expectations.
Reaching citizens with clear and trustworthy messages
MedFoodNet will develop coordinated communication initiatives to improve public awareness and understanding of food safety issues. Activities will include joint outreach campaigns, dissemination of project results, support for communication actions promoted by EFSA, and engagement with the scientific community through conferences and events. The ultimate goal is to help citizens make informed decisions and strengthen trust in food safety authorities and scientific evidence.
MedFoodNet Partners
Coordinator
Italy
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS)
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto di Scienze delle Produzioni Alimentari (CNR-ISPA)
- Università degli Studi di Perugia
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Piacenza)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta (IZSPLV)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) ,
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana (IZSLT)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno (IZSM)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM)
Spain
Portugal
Greece
Tunisia
Albania
Kosovo
- Food and Veterinary Agency (AUVK)
Synergies
MedFoodNet will not start from scratch. The network will build on existing European and national communities already working to improve how food safety information reaches citizens.
At the European level, MedFoodNet will collaborate with established networks coordinated by EFSA, bringing together communication specialists and national experts who help ensure that food safety messages are accurate, consistent, and accessible across countries. The project will also connect with the scientific community through the Society for Risk Analysis – Europe (SRA-E), fostering the exchange of knowledge, best practices, and innovative approaches to risk communication.
At the national level, MedFoodNet will work closely with Italy’s National Group of Experts for Food Risk Communication, coordinated by the Ministry of Health. This collaboration will help align communication efforts, share experiences, and promote a more coordinated approach to informing citizens about food safety issues.
By connecting these existing networks and communities of practice, MedFoodNet will create new opportunities for collaboration, learning, and joint action, ensuring that reliable, science-based food safety information can reach people more effectively throughout the Mediterranean region.
The EU FOOD SAFETY PLATFORM supports the network to strenghten cooperation and boost food safety risk communication across Europe and beyond.
Next Steps & Updates
The project Kick off meeting was held on 29 april 2026; the project was presented during the Symposium “Risk and sustainability on the plate: steering science, policy and society for fairer communication and safer food”, 34th Annual Conference of the SRA-E “Advancing Risk Science for a Safer and Fairer Future”, University of Alicante, Spain on 28th May 2026.
The consortium is preparing training activities while mapping and preparing an inventory of risk communication materials and resources already produced by the partners. The project will also be showcased in the EU FOOD SAFETY FORUM 2026.
MedFOODNet Team
Barbara Tiozzo
Project Coordinator
IZS VE
Antonio Moretti
CNR ISPA Director
CNR ISPA
Veronica Lattanzio
EU FOOD SAFETY PLATFORM Coordinator
