Food Safety in Cambodia: A Systematic Narrative Review of Farm-to-Fork Risks, Governance Frameworks, and Priority Interventions
Year: 2026
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Background: Foodborne diseases are an important yet under-measured public health problem in Cambodia, where rapid urbanization, heavy reliance on informal markets, and uneven control capacity create multiple contamination pathways. Objectives: To synthesize Cambodia-specific evidence on foodborne disease burden and surveillance, characterize hazards and high-risk foods and settings along the farm-to-fork continuum, analyze food safety governance and regulatory frameworks, identify implementation gaps, and propose priority interventions. Methods: A systematic narrative review was conducted using a farm-to-fork framework. PubMed (searched January 15, 2026, using: (Cambodia[MeSH] OR Cambodia[Title/Abstract]) AND ("food safety"[MeSH] OR "foodborne diseases"[MeSH] OR "food contamination"[MeSH])) and Google Scholar (first 200 results by relevance) were searched from inception to January 2026. Grey literature was identified from WHO, FAO, and Cambodian ministry websites. A total of 847 peer-reviewed records were identified, with 52 meeting inclusion criteria after screening. Grey literature (n=23) and legal/policy documents (n=3) were also included. Data were extracted on hazards, governance, and system gaps. Results: National sources reported 135 foodborne disease outbreaks during 2014–2019 (5,825 cases; 81 deaths), representing events meeting national notification criteria with approximately 40% laboratory-confirmed. Surveys indicate frequent contamination of common foods with Salmonella spp. (n=456 samples, 2019–2021; chicken 45.6%, pork 32.1%; Chea et al., 2021) and Staphylococcus aureus (chicken 67.2%, pork 51.8%; Chea et al., 2021), with emerging antimicrobial resistance. Conclusion: Converting legislative advances into health gains requires coordinated, One Health-oriented investments in surveillance, laboratories, inspection, infrastructure, training, and risk communication, supported by targeted research.
Institution: University of Puthisastra
Language: English
Topic: Food Safety and Hygiene
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7128317336
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