As we mark World Food Safety Day on June 7 and kick off EU Green Week 2025, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how food systems can become safer, more sustainable, and circular. This year’s Green Week theme — Clean, Competitive & Circular — encourages us to rethink production and consumption patterns. At the heart of this transition are innovative projects like SISTERS, which are paving the way with bio-based, home-compostable packaging solutions.

Why Food Safety Matters

Organised annually by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Safety Day highlights the importance of preventing, detecting, and managing foodborne risks to ensure food is safe for everyone. With over 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses each year, food safety is a global priority.

This year’s theme, “Food safety: prepare for the unexpected,” reminds us that safe food is not only essential for human health but also for sustainable development and climate resilience.

EU Green Week 2025: Circular Economy in the Spotlight

Running from 3–7 June 2025, EU Green Week will unpack the “three Cs” — Clean, Competitive & Circular. This annual environmental event puts the spotlight on how circularity can drive economic resilience while reducing waste, boosting innovation, and increasing Europe's strategic autonomy.

A circular economy is essential for the future of the food sector — including how we package, distribute, and consume food.

SISTERS WP3: Innovating Bio-Based, Compostable Packaging

The SISTERS project, funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme, is on a mission to reduce food loss and waste across the agri-food value chain. Within the project, Work Package 3 (WP3) focuses on the development of innovative bio-based packaging that is both home-compostable and food-safe.

This packaging is designed specifically for use in Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs), supporting local producers and retailers who aim to reduce their environmental impact without compromising food safety or shelf life.

These solutions perfectly align with the themes of World Food Safety Day and EU Green Week, proving that circular packaging can be safe, practical, and sustainable.

Building a Safe and Circular Food Future

As we reflect on these two important initiatives, it becomes clear that the future of food must be both safe and circular. By advancing sustainable packaging solutions and promoting cross-sector innovation, projects like SISTERS are showing the way forward.