Food Safety and Security
Food safety and security are important One Health issues. A safe and reliable food system depends on sustainable agricultural practices, effective disease prevention, and strong food production standards that support healthy livestock and crops, ensuring a safe, wholesome food supply.
Several One Health issues can disrupt food production, reducing food availability and increasing the risk of foodborne illness, including:
- Disease outbreaks
- Antimicrobial resistance
- Climate change
- Environmental contamination
Issues with food safety and security can also influence other One Health challenges, including impacts on human, animal, and environmental health. They can:
- Increase disease risk through poor nutrition and unsafe food or water exposure
- Strain agriculture and public health systems
- Alter animal management practices
These changes strain the environment, driving land-use changes, increased pollution, and the depletion of vital resources
A resilient and safe food system requires strong surveillance programs, effective biosecurity practices, and the coordinated management of interconnected One Health challenges across human, animal, and environmental health.
How is AHFSS Addressing Food Safety and Security?
Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch
The Milk and Dairy Food Safety (MDFS) Branch of AHFSS plays a critical role in addressing this One Health issue by ensuring that California-produced milk and dairy products are safe and wholesome for consumers around the world, helping to maintain a reliable and resilient dairy food system.
By conducting regular inspections and surveillance sampling at dairy farms and milk processing facilities, MDFS helps prevent contamination, reduce the risk of foodborne illness, and protect the public. MDFS also supports food security and market stability through testing and oversight that help ensure the availability of high-quality, properly labeled dairy products. These efforts protect producers and consumers, maintaining confidence in the dairy supply chain.
Additionally, MDFS statutory requirements and construction standards for market milk dairy farms and processing plants, along with livestock health standards, promote safe dairy production and manufacturing practices to protect consumers.
MDFS’s regulatory oversight of raw milk production and distribution is key in minimizing the risk of foodborne illnesses and zoonotic disease transmission associated with raw milk consumption. This work collectively safeguards animal and public health while strengthening the dairy supply chain.
Learn more about the MDFS Branch of AHFSS and their work to address this One Health challenge.
Meat, Poultry, and Egg Safety Branch
The Meat, Poultry, and Egg Safety (MPES) Branch of AHFSS plays a role in maintaining California’s food security and safety through a One Health approach.
MPES ensures consumers have reliable access to safe, high-quality products. By inspecting egg production establishments and wholesale facilities, and by auditing layer operations, MPES monitors the safe handling of eggs from farm to table. MPES also inspects federally exempt meat and poultry processing establishments.
MPES oversees rendering operations to ensure the safe management of carcasses, packinghouse waste, and inedible kitchen grease. In addition, in collaboration with CalRecycle and the Water Boards, MPES is responsible for developing best management practices in accordance with Assembly Bill 411 (2025) to ensure that carcass composting activities protect groundwater quality and the human food supply from contamination with potentially harmful pathogens.
Through educational outreach and training, including annual training for industry inspectors, MPES supports industry compliance and promotes continuous improvement in food safety and quality, reducing risks to both public and animal health. Together, these activities strengthen our food system while also supporting broader One Health goals.
Learn more about the MPES Branch of AHFSS and their work to address this One Health challenge.