Trending Now - Food Safety Scientist Honored With World Food Prize for Impact on Public Health

WHO:

Huub Lelieveld, Dutch food scientist

World Food Prize organization

Unilever, where Lelieveld began his career

Global Harmonization Initiative, founded by Lelieveld in 2004

WHAT:

Huub Lelieveld was awarded the World Food Prize for his work in food safety.

His efforts have averted millions of cases of foodborne illness and reduced food waste.

Unsafe food causes 600 million foodborne illnesses and 420,000 deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization.

The World Food Prize includes a $500,000 award.

WHERE:

Des Moines, Iowa, where the World Food Prize is awarded.

Netherlands, where Huub Lelieveld is from.

WHEN:

The World Food Prize was announced on Wednesday, March 25th, 2026.

Lelieveld began his career at Unilever over six decades ago.

The Global Harmonization Initiative was founded in 2004.

WHY:

Lelieveld's motivation is to ensure that everyone has access to safe food.

He believes that food safety should not be a competitive issue and aims to spread hygienic technology globally.

HOW:

Lelieveld developed hygienic production methods and equipment to improve food safety.

He worked with colleagues to create more efficient food manufacturing processes that rely less on chemicals.

The Global Harmonization Initiative draws on a network of a few thousand scientists to address food safety challenges.

(UPDATED March 26, 2026 00:38 UTC)

Huub Lelieveld, a Dutch food scientist, was awarded the World Food Prize on Wednesday for his groundbreaking work in food safety, which has helped avert millions of cases of foodborne illness and significantly reduced food waste. The prize, presented in Des Moines, Iowa, comes with a $500,000 award and recognizes Lelieveld's dedication to ensuring safe food access globally, a mission he has pursued since starting his career at Unilever over six decades ago. Through the Global Harmonization Initiative, which he founded in 2004, Lelieveld has developed hygienic production methods and collaborated with thousands of scientists to tackle food safety challenges without relying heavily on chemicals.