The fight for food safety in Lebanon

In Lebanon, eating has always been a cultural act, a gesture of hospitality, identity, and pride. But behind that lies the question of whether the food Lebanese people eat is actually safe.

The country's compounding emergencies have put enormous strain on food systems that were already fragile. Today, one in five people in Lebanon is facing crisis or emergency levels of acute food insecurity, according to the latest IPC report published in May 2025. Around 1.17 million Lebanese residents, Syrian refugees, and Palestine refugees cannot reliably access sufficient, safe food. And as purchasing power collapses, consumers are increasingly turning to cheaper, less regulated alternatives, raising the stakes on quality control at every level of the supply chain.

A system under strain

Lebanon has long struggled with a fragmented food oversight structure.  The consequences are measurable beyond Lebanon's borders. Data from the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) recorded 56 alerts between 2020 and 2025 linked to Lebanese exports to the European Union alone, flagging microbial contamination in herbs and vegetables, pesticide residues in fruits, and labeling and traceability failures. Each rejection damages not just individual exporters, but Lebanon's reputation as a food producer on the international stage.

Inside the country, displacement has added a new and urgent dimension to the crisis. With hundreds of thousands of people sheltering in temporary accommodation, ensuring food safety in displacement centers has become a public health imperative. Contamination risks rise sharply when food is prepared and distributed at scale, in improvised facilities, under pressure.

The ministry of health to The Beiruter

It is against this backdrop that the Beiruter spoke with the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, which shared details of its latest initiative to address the crisis head-on.

Minister of Public Health Dr. Rakan Nassar al-Din recently chaired a dedicated meeting at the Ministry to examine food safety procedures, both nationally and specifically in the context of displaced populations in shelters.  The delegation received Professor Eli Awad, President of the Lebanese Food Safety Authority (LFSA). The meeting marked a moment of inter-institutional coordination, one that has historically been lacking in Lebanon's food safety architecture.

Minister Nassar al-Din affirmed that food safety is a national priority, stressing the importance of coordination between all relevant bodies given the direct impact of this issue on public health. He also made clear that the Ministry of Public Health's role in this domain goes beyond support: it is a central actor in backing the LFSA's work and ensuring its mandate is carried forward in a way that truly protects citizens.

Professor Awad, for his part, reaffirmed the LFSA's commitment to sustained cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health. Professor Akiki outlined the key steps already taken to activate the Authority's operations, along with proposed coordination mechanisms designed to strengthen Lebanon's national food safety capabilities.

A specific focus of the meeting was food safety in displacement shelter, a sensitive and complex challenge given the scale of Lebanon's recent internal displacement and the difficult conditions in which food is being prepared and distributed. Those present agreed on the critical importance of coordination to ensure that the highest possible safety standards are maintained, even in crisis conditions.

A national priority

The creation and activation of the Lebanese Food Safety Authority represents a structural step toward that goal: a dedicated body with a mandate to unify standards, coordinate agencies, and build the national capacity that Lebanon has long lacked. But an authority is only as strong as the political will and resources behind it.

What ends up on the table is not just a question of culture or cuisine. It is a question of health, dignity, and the state's most basic obligation to the people it serves.