EFSA’s 2026 food safety message turns science into safer kitchen habits

Published 5 June 2026. The European Food Safety Authority used its World Food Safety Day 2026 announcement to make a practical point for home cooks: food safety is not only about detecting outbreaks after they happen. It is also about applying small, repeatable precautions while shopping, preparing, cooking and storing food.

World Food Safety Day took place on 7 June, and EFSA said this year’s theme focused on the burden of foodborne disease and the need for effective solutions. The authority cited the World Health Organization’s estimate that contaminated food causes 866 million illnesses and 1.52 million deaths worldwide each year. EFSA’s message is therefore broader than a seasonal reminder. It connects scientific risk assessment with the decisions people make in an ordinary kitchen.

In its official announcement, EFSA explained that the impact of unsafe food cannot be measured only by counting reported cases. Severity, long-term health effects and wider social and economic consequences also matter. That wider view helps explain why basic kitchen habits remain useful even when no specific product recall is in the news.

EFSA also prepared communication materials for partners across Europe, including editable visuals, localised social media content and “Myth vs Fact” formats. The aim is to make food-safety science easier to use in daily life rather than leaving it in technical reports.

Five checks for a safer meal

EFSA’s linked proper food handling guidance turns that message into a short routine. These checks are especially useful when preparing meals that combine raw ingredients, cooked components and ready-to-eat foods.

Clean hands and surfaces. Wash your hands before handling food, during preparation and after using the toilet. Clean and sanitise worktops, utensils and other surfaces used for preparation. Keeping the kitchen clean also helps limit contact with pests and animals that can carry contamination.
Separate raw and cooked food. Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood away from ingredients that will be eaten without further cooking. Use different boards and utensils where possible, and store raw and cooked food separately in the refrigerator. A clean plate should be used for cooked food rather than returning it to a plate that held raw ingredients.
Cook thoroughly. Meat, poultry, eggs and seafood need thorough cooking. EFSA gives 70°C as a thermometer check for foods such as soups and stews. That figure is a useful example of why a food thermometer can be more dependable than judging by appearance alone; cooks should still follow the cooking instructions for the specific food and recipe.
Control time and temperature. EFSA advises not leaving cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours. Refrigerate cooked and perishable food promptly, keeping the refrigerator below 5°C. If food is being served immediately, keep it hot above 60°C rather than allowing it to sit in the temperature range where bacteria can multiply more easily.
Defrost and check dates carefully. The safest way to defrost food is in the refrigerator. Some foods can be cooked from frozen, but the packaging must say so and its instructions should be followed. Do not use food past its expiry or use-by date as labelled.

Why the message matters for everyday cooking

These steps are deliberately ordinary. They do not require a special appliance, a particular brand or a complicated recipe. They are most valuable when repeated at the moments where mistakes are easy: moving from raw chicken to salad preparation, cooling a large pot of food, putting leftovers away, or defrosting dinner in a hurry.

The separation rule is particularly important because cooking can kill many harmful bacteria, but it does not protect food that becomes contaminated afterwards. A cooked burger placed back on a raw-meat plate, or a clean salad cut on a board used for poultry, can undo the safety benefit of thorough cooking. Using clean equipment and a simple preparation order—ready-to-eat foods first, raw ingredients last—can make the workflow easier to control.

Temperature checks also need context. A thermometer reading is not a substitute for the manufacturer’s instructions or a tested recipe, and one number does not apply to every ingredient. It is a tool for confirming that food has reached the condition required by the preparation method. When reheating leftovers, EFSA likewise recommends heating them thoroughly rather than relying only on a warm surface or a short microwave cycle.

A practical routine for busy kitchens

Before cooking, clear enough space to keep raw ingredients apart from foods that are ready to eat. During preparation, wash hands after touching raw meat, poultry or seafood, and clean any utensil that moves between food groups. Once the meal is cooked, serve it promptly or keep it hot. If there are leftovers, divide them into suitable containers and refrigerate them promptly instead of leaving a large pot to cool slowly on the counter.

For barbecues and outdoor meals, the same logic applies: keep raw and cooked food on separate plates, clean the grill and tools, and use a thermometer where the cooking instructions call for one. Defrost meat in the refrigerator rather than on the worktop, and do not assume that browning on the outside proves that the centre is safe.

EFSA’s World Food Safety Day announcement does not turn cooking into a laboratory exercise. Its value is the reminder that evidence-based food safety is built from consistent choices. Clean equipment, separation, thorough cooking, prompt refrigeration and careful date checks form a practical chain. Breaking one link may create an avoidable risk; keeping the chain intact makes safer food a routine part of cooking.