On World Food Safety Day, the International Special Dietary Foods Industries (ISDI) joins the global community in reaffirming a shared commitment to safe food for all. This year’s theme – “From burden to solutions: safe food everywhere” – is a powerful reminder that food safety is both a public health imperative and a practical, science‑driven endeavour that requires sustained collaboration across the food chain.
Foodborne risks do not affect everyone equally. Infants and young children, patients, older adults and people with specific medical or dietary needs are among those most vulnerable to unsafe food. For these populations, food safety is not optional – it is essential. Ensuring the safety of special dietary foods is therefore fundamental to protecting health, supporting development and improving quality of life at every stage.
Manufacturers of special dietary foods operate in a high‑responsibility environment, where food safety and quality are embedded at the core of product design, production and use. A strict approach to food safety combines rigorous supplier qualification, risk‑based ingredient management, controlled logistics, and comprehensive, science‑based food safety management systems. These systems are aligned with international standards, including Codex principles, and are continuously monitored, verified and improved to reflect advances in science and technology.
Clear, accurate information is an essential extension of food safety. Transparent labelling and responsible communication help consumers, caregivers and healthcare professionals understand how special dietary foods should be used safely and appropriately, reinforcing trust and supporting informed choices.
This year’s World Food Safety Day also highlights the importance of data and evidence in moving from burden to solutions. Robust information on the magnitude, distribution and impact of foodborne risks enables governments, regulators and food businesses to prioritise action, design effective interventions and strengthen food control systems. For people with special dietary needs, such evidence is critical to ensuring that foods designed to support health do not themselves become a source of harm.
Furthermore, science-based special dietary foods are tailored to the nutritional requirements of people with special dietary needs and support the growth, health and well-being of vulnerable populations, from birth to old age.
On World Food Safety Day, ISDI calls for continued collaboration between governments, international organisations, scientists, healthcare professionals and industry to translate science into effective standards and practices. By working together across sectors and borders, we can reduce the burden of foodborne disease and ensure access to food that is safe, nutritious and appropriate for those who need it most – everywhere.
ISDI is the leading international expert association on special dietary foods, including foods specifically designed for infants and young children. ISDI members are national and international associations that are active in this sector from more than 20 countries over 6 continents. Our members manufacture and market foods that are formulated, in accordance with applicable Codex Alimentarius standards, to meet the compositional criteria, quality requirement and nutritional needs of infants and young children.
Jean Christophe Kremer
ISDI Secretary General
+32 476 82 03 90
secretariat@isdi.org
ISDI elected a new Governing Board at its General Assembly meeting on 24 February 2026. The new Board will serve a two-year mandate from 2026-28 and will be responsible for ISDI’s governance for this time. Xavier Lavigne, representing Medical Nutrition International Industry (MNI), was later elected by the Board as the new President of ISDI, succeeding Venetta Miranda, Executive Director at the Asia Pacific Infant and Young Child Nutrition Association (APIYCNA), who had served in the role since 2017.
Xavier Lavigne said: “ISDI is guided by a simple belief: when science and collaboration come together, we can change lives. Specialised nutrition supports people in their most vulnerable moments at all stages of life. It is this responsibility that inspires us every day and we will carry it with us as we navigate the challenges and opportunities to come.
“From supporting access to safe, high quality, innovative and sustainable nutrition to serving as a global knowledge hub for science-based nutrition research and advocacy, our mission remains clear – to ensure everyone with special dietary needs have the foods they need to live, grow and thrive.”
Jean Christophe Kremer, ISDI Secretary-General, said: “On behalf of ISDI, I would like to thank Venetta Miranda for her dedication to ISDI during her time as President, as well as for her leadership in presiding over ISDI’s success in this period. Under Venetta’s leadership, ISDI has transformed itself into a modern, professional association that is fit for purpose to represent the breadth of the specialised nutrition industry at global level.”
Alexandre Biella, representing CANILEC, and Natasha Bye, Chief Executive Officer at the British Specialist Nutrition Association (BSNA), are welcomed as new members of the Board.
They join Xavier Lavigne (MNI), Venetta Miranda (APIYCNA), Peggy Diby (SANI), Magdalena Broseta (Diaetverband), Nynke Keestra (VNKFD), Robert Post (Infant Nutrition Council of America) and Miriam Ryan (Dairy Industry Ireland), who were re-elected.
ISDI extends its gratitude to outgoing Board members Kaushik Janakiraman and Declan O’Brien, who recently retired from his position as Chief Executive Officer at BSNA, for their outstanding contributions to ISDI over the years.
ISDI is the leading international expert association on special dietary foods, including foods specifically designed for infants and young children. ISDI members are national and international associations that are active in this sector from more than 20 countries over 6 continents. Our members manufacture and market foods that are formulated, in accordance with applicable Codex Alimentarius standards, to meet the compositional criteria, quality requirement and nutritional needs of infants and young children.
Jean Christophe Kremer
ISDI Secretary General
M: +32 476 82 03 90
E: secretariat@isdi.org
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