Modern food systems are increasingly compromised by environmental pollutants, posing serious threats to human health and sustainable development. As global populations rise and urbanization accelerates, pollutants originating from agriculture, industry, waste mismanagement, and climate-induced disasters are contaminating crops, animal products, and water supplies. These exposures disproportionately affect already vulnerable communities, exacerbating health disparities and undermining efforts to ensure safe nutrition and well-being for all. While food security frameworks often emphasize availability and access, the issue of food safety—especially the long-term exposure to contaminants—remains under-addressed in many regions. This Topic bridges this gap by integrating research that considers exposure science, health outcomes, environmental justice, and sustainable development principles. It also calls for urgent attention to systemic gaps in monitoring, regulation, and community protection, particularly in rural areas of developing nations where vulnerability is most pronounced.

This Research Topic aims to explore the complex and interconnected risks posed by environmental pollutants as they infiltrate global food systems. Amid growing concerns over food safety, environmental degradation, and rising public health threats, this collection critically examines how contaminants—including heavy metals, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), microplastics, and industrial residues—enter and accumulate in the food chain through air, water, and soil. The Topic aligns with key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by addressing how pollution undermines food system integrity (SDGs 2 & 12), threatens human health (SDG 3), spreads through contaminated water sources (SDG 6), and is exacerbated by climate change (SDG 13).

With a focus on an integrated scientific approach, this Research Topic welcomes contributions that investigate exposure pathways, assess health outcomes, and propose sustainable interventions. It emphasizes the disproportionate impact of foodborne pollutants on vulnerable groups—such as children, pregnant women, and low-income communities—especially in regions with weak regulatory frameworks. By combining toxicological evidence, environmental and geospatial modeling, public health surveillance, and grassroots perspectives, the aim is to inform science-based policy and foster equitable, safe, and resilient food systems in the face of escalating environmental stressors.

This Research Topic welcomes innovative contributions addressing the intersection of environmental science, food safety, toxicology, epidemiology, and public health. Key themes to be explored include:

• Pollutants in air, water, and soil contaminating food sources and posing direct public health risks

• Unsafe farming practices increasing food contamination and affecting population health through daily consumption

• Climate change influencing pollutant behavior, increasing food contamination risks and related health issues

• Contaminated food contributing to rising non-communicable diseases such as cancer, kidney failure, and developmental disorders

• Increased vulnerability of children, pregnant women, and the elderly to health impacts from contaminated food

• Greater exposure of poor communities to food pollutants due to limited choices and weak food safety systems

• Low awareness of food safety leading to increased consumption of contaminated or adulterated products

• Weak food surveillance systems delaying detection of contamination and endangering public health

• Lax enforcement of food safety policies allowing unsafe products into the food chain

• Community-led food monitoring enhancing local responses to public health threats from contaminated foods

• Risk models helping public health experts predict the long-term impacts of foodborne contaminant exposure

• Geospatial tools and AI improving the tracking of food contamination across regions

• Holistic strategies linking food safety, environmental quality, and public health to improve outcomes

• Informal food vendors often selling unregulated products and increasing the risks of dietary exposure to pollutants

• Industrial waste and pesticide runoff contaminating food sources and affecting population health

• Policy gaps in food safety systems increasing risks of exposure and burdening public health

• Toxic substances accumulating in food, increasing health risks with frequent consumption

• Inadequate access to clean food and water driving dietary exposure to harmful substances

• Nutritional habits influencing the level and type of foodborne pollutants consumed

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Integrated Risk Assessment of Environmental Pollutants in Food Systems: Exposure Pathways, Health Outcomes, and Public Health Implications