The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the establishment of a new WHO Collaborating Centre dedicated to advancing food safety and healthy diets, strengthening global efforts to reduce diet-related diseases and improve nutritional wellbeing. The centre, hosted by the Research Group for Risk Benefit at the DTU National Food Institute in Denmark, was formally welcomed by WHO on 28 January 2026.
WHO Collaborating Centres play a vital role in global public health by providing scientific expertise, research support, and technical guidance to WHO programmes worldwide. They form a global network of institutions that enhance WHO’s capacity to develop policies, guidelines, and health systems strategies. The newly designated centre will focus specifically on supporting global work in food safety and healthy diets, addressing two major and growing public health challenges.
One of the centre’s core responsibilities will be to support the improvement and updating of global foodborne disease data. This will help strengthen understanding of the health impact of unsafe food and guide more effective policy responses. It will also contribute to the development of integrated risk-benefit assessments of foods and diets, examining nutritional value alongside microbial and chemical risks, while also considering sustainability and long-term health impacts.
In addition, the centre will work to strengthen national capacities by supporting countries to generate, interpret, and use data related to foodborne diseases, dietary risks, and public health nutrition. This approach aims to equip governments and health authorities with the tools needed to design stronger food safety systems, improve dietary policies, and protect populations from preventable health risks linked to unsafe food and unhealthy diets.
The establishment of this centre comes at a time when unhealthy diets and unsafe food continue to contribute significantly to both infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases worldwide. Poor nutrition, food contamination, and weak food systems place millions of people at risk each year, especially vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and low-income communities.
By strengthening scientific collaboration and evidence-based policy development, the new WHO Collaborating Centre is expected to play a key role in improving global food systems. Its work will support healthier diets, safer food supply chains, and stronger public health protection, contributing to WHO’s broader mission of promoting health, preventing disease, and improving quality of life across all regions of the world.
Source:WHO
