Implementation gaps in food safety interventions: evidence from a multi-vocal review focusing on animal-source foods in Ethiopia

Food safety in Africa is shifting from identifying risks to implementing solutions, especially in the production, handling, and processing of animal-source foods.

These foods are an essential and highly nutritious part of human diets in Ethiopia but pose significant health risks due to a high prevalence of foodborne illnesses which originate from consumption of infected animal products or from contamination along the value chain.

A new study, led by scientists from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (July 2025), was carried out to analyze the current food safety intervention landscape in Ethiopia.

The aim of the study was to identify critical gaps and challenges related to the implementation of interventions aimed at improving the safety of animal-source foods.

First exploration

The study is the first exploration of implementation gaps across the animal-source food safety intervention landscape in Ethiopia.

The researchers carried out a literature review of 26 documents (4 peer-reviewed and 22 grey literature) and interviewed 14 key informants.

From the data collected, they identified six specific implementation gaps related to workforce, product value chains, technology, finance and policy.

These gaps include a limited focus on milk and meat value chains, inadequate infrastructure capacity, insufficient data and documentation, a lack of regulatory enforcement, and a limited understanding of the relationship between food safety and food security.

These challenges limit the overall reach, application and scalability of animal-source food safety measures in Ethiopia.

Positive aspects

The study, however, also identified several positive aspects that could contribute to the success of interventions.

These include government commitment, development finance support and regional legal frameworks.

However, the interventions were often fragmented, resulting in poor cooperation between implementation and regulatory stakeholders.

Addressing the challenges

Addressing these challenges will require a clearer articulation of national food safety goals, strengthened cross-sectoral collaboration, and strategic investment in critical infrastructure.

Ultimately, building a coherent, well-coordinated and resilient food safety system is essential not only for safeguarding public health but also for enhancing food security and supporting sustainable development in Ethiopia.

Citation

Bekele, M., Grace, D., Knight-Jones, T.J.D., Mutua, F., Lindahl, J.F. and Daivadanam, M. 2025. Implementation gaps in food safety interventions: evidence from a multi-vocal review focusing on animal-source foods in Ethiopia. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 9: 1546347.

Photo: A commercial chicken farm in East Shoa, Ethiopia (ILRI/Paul Karaimu)

Curated by Tezira Lore, Communication Officer, ILRI