As a global food manufacturer, Mars believes that our responsibility for food safety extends beyond us alone. It is an obligation that depends on trust to enable us to deliver the quality experiences expected by our consumers, and is shared with those across our supply chains and through our partner networks. The 2025 World Food Safety Day theme is “Science in Action,” and Mars is proud to share how we embrace scientific innovation and digitalization through collaboration to ensure safe food for people and pets.
Pioneering Science-led Innovation
Mars is committed to science-driven solutions that drive improvements in food safety that enable Safe Food for all. A cornerstone of our strategy is the utilization of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). This cutting-edge tool enhances our microbial risk management by enabling precise pathogen tracking and improved traceability across our global supply chains.
Harnessing the Power of Digitalization
At Mars, we are exploring a range of new digital tools and technologies to build upon and refine our current processes to ensure that we meet evolving and emerging food safety challenges. These technologies have the potential to transform our efforts from a traditional "seek and destroy" model to an advanced "predict and prevent" strategy, enabling timely interventions before food safety incidents arise.
Our robust data management framework supports this digital evolution by ensuring the secure and ethical use of information across operations. Using data responsibly and collaboratively offers an opportunity to protect consumers, reduce food waste and generate shared value.
Fostering Collaborative Efforts
At the heart of our food safety endeavors is a strong culture of collaboration. Mars actively engages with more than 25 partner organizations to share knowledge, exchange best practices, gain new insights and help improve the resilience of supply chains in vulnerable countries around the world. Initiatives like the Food Safety Coalition and Mars Cargill Better Together Project exemplify how collaborative frameworks can effectively tackle global food safety challenges.
A Unified Commitment to Safe Food
Through the synergy of science-led innovation, digitalization and collaboration, Mars is committed to advancing global food safety. As we celebrate World Safety Day, we reaffirm our pledge to continue to raise the bar in quality and safety through #ScienceinAction. By pushing the boundaries of what is possible, we aim to deliver safe, high-quality food for all and set a visionary course for the future of food safety. At Mars, if it's not safe, it's not food.
Now streaming! World Food Safety Day with Mars and the UN World Food Programme
View a recording of a special LinkedIn Live webinar hosted by Mars in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), in recognition of World Food Safety Day. Leading voices from Mars and WFP discuss how technical expertise and long-term partnership are driving meaningful impact in the humanitarian food value chain.
- Dr. Abi Stevenson, Chief Science Officer, Mars (Host)
- Pavlos Fragkopoulos, Corporate Quality Director, Sourcing, Mars
- Virginia Siebenrok, Head of Food Safety and Quality, World Food Programme
