Engineering for a better world

How technology can outsmart microorganisms to secure safe foods for all

Many of us take the safety of our foods for granted, but according to the World Health Organization¹, every year almost 1 in 10 people globally – that’s an estimated 600 million individuals – will become ill after eating contaminated food, resulting in a staggering 420 000 deaths. In fact, unsafe food that contains harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical contaminants can, over the short- or longer term, cause more than 200 different diseases. Such diseases range from (most commonly) diarrhoea, to meningitis, and even cancer.