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Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Food: New approach combines safety and sustainability

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

A recent lead article challenges fundamental assumptions in food safety and advocates for a risk-based approach – to enhance the sustainability and resilience of food systems.

Foodborne diseases cause about 600 million illnesses and around 420,000 deaths globally every year. But not every pathogen that is detected also poses a relevant risk to consumers. Increasingly sensitive detection methods, which will identify even miniscule amounts of pathogens and their toxins, are fueling a policy of “zero tolerance” that is leading to food being discarded prematurely. Any detection of a pathogen is deemed unacceptable – regardless of the dose, exposure or ability of a food to support microbial growth.

A recent lead article published in the journal Frontiers in Science questions these central principles of food safety. LMU professor Sophia Johler and her co-authors from Cornell University advocate shifting the focus away from “zero tolerance” to a risk-based assessment of foods – to enhance the sustainability and resilience of our food systems.

Away from the principle of zero tolerance

“Zero risk does not exist – and should also not be the goal,” emphasizes Johler. Efforts that are being made to make food that is already sufficiently safe to eat even safer have drastic consequences for the environment and for the availability of food, with only marginal added value in terms of public health. What’s needed instead are evidence-based acceptable levels of protection.

Food production is responsible for around 30 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions. The researchers emphasize that a shift in how the safety of a food item is assessed, moving away from zero tolerance and toward sufficiently safe food, can make a valuable contribution to reducing these emissions. “Food safety needs to be considered alongside sustainability and food security,” says Johler.

Assessment using AI

According to the authors, one approach that is highly promising is to integrate modern data-based models. Artificial intelligence, genomics and extensive system data could be used to assess risks more precisely and define acceptable levels of protection. “Data-driven models and artificial intelligence make it possible to assess highly complex, real-world risks with greater precision,” explains Johler. As part of this, food safety needs to be more closely aligned with sustainability, food security and priorities for society.

These insights provide important food for thought for politicians, industry and research: Move away from zero tolerance and embrace balanced management of risk based on scientific evidence.

Journal

Frontiers

DOI

10.3389/fsci.2026.1720772

Article Title

Balancing food safety and sustainability: trade-off risk assessments and predictive modeling

Article Publication Date

27-Mar-2026

Monday, March 30, 2026

Who is Paris's newly sworn-in mayor, Emmanuel Grégoire?

Emmanuel Grégoire begins his first day in office as mayor of Paris on Monday, a week after beating rival Rachida Dati in the second round of local elections. The 48-year-old Socialist now steps into the limelight after years in the shadow of his political mentors. So who is he and what are his plans for the French capital?

Issued on: 30/03/2026 - RFI

Newly elected Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire looks on during a 'farewell thank you' ceremony of Paris outgoing Mayor Anne Hidalgo at the Paris City Hall in Paris on 25 March 2026. © AFP - JOEL SAGET

Grégoire was officially sworn in on Sunday, having won 50.5 percent of the vote – beating conservative contender and former culture minister Dati, on 41.5 percent, while Sophia Chikirou of the hard left got just over 8 percent.

Shortly after winning office, he took a bike ride through the streets of Paris towards City Hall, in a nod to his promise to make the French capital (even) greener.

Succeeding fellow Socialist Party member Anne Hidalgo, who held the post for 12 years, he now heads the 163-seat Paris city council – the country's largest – and will handle a budget of €10.5 billion.

Grégoire was little known to the general public before the election campaign. He has been described as a long-distance runner in Paris politics, having spent two decades as a loyal Socialist party insider behind the scenes.

Grégoire was born in Les Lilas, an eastern suburb of Paris, in 1977. He studied political science in Bordeaux and joined the Socialist Party in 2002, aged 24.

He worked in the medical and healthcare sector before going into politics full time.

In 2010 he became chief of staff of Paris’s then-mayor, Bertrand Delanoë, then worked in the prime minister’s office under Socialist president François Hollande.

He was first elected to the Paris City Council in 2014 and became Hidalgo’s first deputy mayor from 2018 to 2024, handling key portfolios including the budget, urban policy and public services.

He was elected an MP in 2024, and last year launched his bid for mayor.

Rivalry within the left

Despite being the Socialist Party's pick to succeed Hidalgo, a dispute between the two almost derailed his bid.

“Anne Hidalgo didn’t back me. She did everything she could to torpedo my candidacy. I am neither her candidate, nor her heir,” Grégoire told broadcaster Franceinfo last month, without elaborating.

He acknowledged their closely shared views about the future of Paris, but said his approach was “different" – describing himself as “available, accessible and always listening".

Having initially supported another Socialist figure as her successor, Hidalgo did ultimately endorse Grégoire.

At the city level, Grégoire led a broad left-ecologist political coalition of Socialists, Greens and Communists. But he refused any alliance with the hard-left party France Unbowed (LFI), led by firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

LFI had been a traditional ally of other left-wing parties, but the alliance collapsed as political rivals accused its politicians of tolerating anti-Semitic rhetoric. Some critics also blamed the hard left for fuelling tensions after a far-right militant was beaten to death in Lyon last month.

Ahead of the runoff, LFI candidate Chikirou offered to join forces with Grégoire against Dati, but he declined, saying they did not share the same “values".

Housing Parisians, not just tourists

Grégoire put housing at the centre of his election campaign, repeatedly declaring: “Airbnb is my enemy."

“I’m fine with Parisians renting out their primary residence when they go on vacation. But I don’t want entire neighborhoods in Paris to be emptied of their residents because apartments are used exclusively to house tourists,” he said.

With Paris long one of the world’s top tourist destinations, tens of thousands of apartments are used as tourist rentals instead of being available to Parisians, he noted, pledging to create 60,000 new social and affordable housing units as mayor.

“We have the same problems in Paris as in New York, San Francisco, cities with which I have worked a lot on these issues,” Grégoire told the news agency AP. “What happens if we don’t regulate? Speculation drives residents out.”

He also vowed to fight overcrowding at sites such as the Louvre Museum and the Montmartre neighbourhood, by urging tourists to experience lesser-visited locations

Continuing his predecessor's green policies, Grégoire has promised to further increase the number of cycle lanes and make the River Seine cleaner.

He also vowed Paris would resist the right and far right in the lead-up to next year's presidential election.

"Paris will be the heart of the resistance against this alliance of the right, which seeks to take away what we hold most precious and fragile – the simple joy of living together," he said last Sunday, shortly after the exit polls showed he was set to become the 48th mayor of the city.

(with AP)

Monday, March 23, 2026

French left wins mayoral elections in Paris, Marseille and Lyon

Left-wing parties have held onto Paris, Marseille and Lyon, according to provisional results announced on Sunday evening. The far right failed to take the big cities it had hoped, but made significant inroads in smaller ones.

Issued on: 23/03/2026 - RFI
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Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire, who chose not to ally with hard-left LFI in the second round, was elected mayor of Paris. © Geoffroy van der Hasselt / AFP

Most of France's almost 35,000 villages and towns elected municipal leaders in a first round last weekend, but the races went to run-offs on Sunday in about 1,500 communes, including bigger urban centres.

In Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, a former deputy of outgoing Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo, beat right-wing former minister Rachida Dati.

Provisional results put 48-year-old Grégoire on 51 percent and Dati on 40 percent. Sonia Chikirou of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) came third with on around 8 percent.

Rachida Dati had described the campaign to become mayor of Paris as "the battle of (her) life". REUTERS - Benoit Tessier

Former justice and culture minister Dati, a protegee of convicted ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, had hoped to seize Paris for the right after 25 years of rule by the Socialists, and become its second female mayor in a row.

"Paris has decided to stay true to its history," Gregoire told a cheering crowd, before making the journey to Paris City Hall by bike.

Emmanuel Gregoire is surrounded by journalists and supporters as he arrives in front of the Paris City Hall after early results suggested he won the second round of the French mayoral election in Paris. REUTERS - Abdul Saboor

In Marseille, the leftist incumbent, Benoit Payan, was comfortably re-elected with more than 53 percent, beating far-right candidate Franck Allisio of the National Rally, after running neck-and-neck in the first round.

Taking Marseille, France's third biggest city, would have given a huge boost to the RN, which controls only one town – Perpignan – of more than 100,000 inhabitants.

'Reasons to hope'

In the northern port city of Le Havre, Edouard Philippe was comfortably re-elected with 47.7 percent of the vote, provisional results showed.

The centre-right former prime minister, who has declared he will run for president in 2027, is seen as one of the strongest opponents to the RN's potential presidential pick – whether veteran leader Marine Le Pen or her 30-year-old lieutenant Jordan Bardella.

"There are reasons to hope," Philippe told his supporters.

Edouard Philippe (C-L) makes a V-sign after being re-elected as mayor of Le Havre. © Lou Benoist / AFP

However another former prime minister – centrist François Bayrou – lost his seat in Pau, where he's been mayor since 2014. The seat was won by Socialist Jérôme Marbot, running on a united left ticket.

President Macron's centrist Renaissance party had few illusions of making big gains in the local elections by party leader Gabriel Attal welcomed Renaissance victories in Bordeaux and Annecy, taken from the Greens .

He also highlighted what he called an “anti-extremist” lesson. “The French reject this drift toward the extremes and want to start hoping again,” he said.

Limited far-right gains

MP Eric Ciotti, who ran on a combined right-wing/far-right ticket, won the city of Nice on the Côte d'Azur, beating outgoing conservative mayor Christian Estrosi on 45 percent versus 39.5 percent respectively.

Ciotti deemed it a victory for his strategy of uniting the right and far right.

The RN party had been hoping for wins in southern urban hubs, notably Marseille, Toulon and Nimes, but exit polls suggest otherwise. Nimes elected Communist candidate Vincent Bouget.

Eric Ciotti (centre) sits alongside Marine Le Pen (right) and RN spokesperson Sebastien Chenu (L) at a meeting of the far-right party in 2024 after he left the conservative Republicans to form a broad right/far-right alliance. AFP - GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT

However, the RN won the smaller southern towns of Menton, Carcassonne, Orange and Castres. It also took control of Vierzon, La Flèche and Liévin – bastions of the left.

In winning Wittelsheim, it made its first inroads in the region of Alsace on the border with Germany.

“Never before have the RN and its allies had so many elected officials across France,” said RN president Jordan Bardella, claiming the party had won 70 communes.

No green wave

In Lyon, France's second largest city, incumbent mayor Grégory Doucet of the Greens beat right-wing candidate and former president of Olympique Lyonnais Jean-Michel Aulus by a margin of less than 3,000 votes.

Aulus initially refused to concede defeat and announced he would file an appeal citing "irregularities during the election". He later said he would accept defeat if the final results were confirmed.

While the last municipal elections in 2020 saw a "green wave" – with ecologists taking big cities like Lyon, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Poitiers, Besançon and Annecy – the party managed to hold onto only Grenoble and Lyon.

Difficult alliances

One of the key takeaways from this second round of municipal elections is that alliances between the Socialists (PS), Greens and hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) – designed to keep out the far right – did not pay off.

PS-LFI alliances lost out in Toulouse, Limoges, Poitiers and Besançon.

While in Paris and Marseille, the Socialists, with Greens support, won without forming an alliance with LFI.

The hard-left party led by firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon won the towns of Roubaix and Creil in the north of France, and Vénissieux in the Rhone valley. It had already won Saint-Denis, north of Paris, in the first round.

Overall turnout stood at 57 percent – the country's lowest in local polls bar the 2020 edition that took place during the Covid pandemic.

Emmanuel Grégoire elected Paris mayor, succeeding fellow left-winger Anne Hidalgo

Socialist frontrunner Emmanuel Grégoire comfortably defeated veteran conservative Rachida Dati in a second-round runoff for Paris mayor on Sunday, defying forecasts of a close race to extend the left's quarter-century rule in the French capital.

23/03/2026 - FRANCE24

By: Benjamin DODMAN

The French capital's mayor-elect Emmanuel Grégoire cycled to the Hôtel de Ville, the Paris City Hall, after his resounding victory.

© Kenzo Tribouillard, AFP

Socialist frontrunner Emmanuel Grégoire was elected Paris mayor on Sunday, beating right-wing former minister Rachida Dati in the last major test of the French public mood ahead of next year’s all-important presidential election.

Grégoire, a 48-year-old former deputy of outgoing Mayor Anne Hidalgo, was credited with around 51% of the vote, trouncing Dati and hard-left rival Sophia Chikirou – and defying forecasts of a close race.

“Paris has decided to stay true to its history,” Grégoire told a cheering crowd, vowing to resist the right and far right in the lead-up to next year’s presidential polls.

“Paris will be the heart of the resistance against this alliance of the right, which seeks to take away what we hold most precious and fragile: the simple joy of living together,” he added.

Emmanuel Grégoire defied forecasts of a close race to comfortably win the French capital's mayoral election. © Kenzo Tribouillard, AFP

The newly elected mayor then cycled to City Hall on a Velib’, the French capital’s flagship bike-sharing system, signalling continuity with his predecessors.

His victory follows 25 years of transformational rule under successive left-wing mayors Bertrand Delanoë and Hidalgo, who have turned the polluted metropolis into a tree-lined city of bike lanes and pedestrian streets.

Tense campaign

The election caps a tense campaign that saw Grégoire accuse President Emmanuel Macron of meddling in local politics to weaken his chances, a claim the French leader dismissed as “nonsense”.

The Socialist frontrunner had taken a commanding lead in the first round last week with almost 38% of the vote, more than twelve points ahead of Dati, who served as culture minister under Macron.

But Dati's alliance with a centre-right rival and the tactical withdrawal of a far-right challenger looked to have boosted her chances going into the second round, even as Grégoire refused to team up with Chikirou, splitting the left-wing vote.

France’s municipal elections : Emmanuel Grégoire elected Paris mayor

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen had also called on voters in Paris to oust the left from power – though that call may have been more of a blessing for Grégoire, with the Le Pen brand still toxic to most voters in the French capital.

For Grégoire, Sunday's resounding victory provides vindication of his decision not to ally with Chikirou's France Unbowed, whose radical rhetoric has alienated many moderate voters – and possibly cost the left victories elsewhere in France.
'Inner wound'

A discreet politician who has worked behind the scenes both in government and at City Hall, Grégoire has vowed to pursue the capital’s green revolution and improve public housing in the densely populated city of 2 million people that is grappling with a housing crisis.

As heir to Hidalgo, he will also face a public angered by roadwork disruptions, mounting debt and a scandal involving child sexual abuse allegations by school monitors in nursery and primary schools.

Grégoire, who has promised to improve the recruitment and training of school monitors in Paris, has spoken publicly about being a victim of sexual abuse in an after-school swimming programme for several months when he was in primary.

“I have long carried in me an inner wound,” he said last year, adding that he hoped telling his story might encourage children to speak out.

The incoming mayor has promised a leadership style “closely connected to the people” and has sought to distance himself from Hidalgo's style of governance, which critics described as abrasive, even as he promises to embrace and continue much of her legacy.

Socialist incumbent defeats far-right challenger in key Marseille mayoral election

Left-wing incumbent Benoît Payan was comfortably re-elected mayor of France's second city Marseille on Sunday, holding off a challenge from far-right candidate Franck Allisio, projections from several pollsters showed.

Issued on: 22/03/202
FRANCE 24

Marseille's left‑wing incumbent Mayor Benoît Payan easily beat his far-right rival Frank Allisio in France's mayoral elections, two exit polls showed on Sunday.

The far‑right National Rally (RN), Allisio's party, had targeted France's second-largest city to show it could build electoral momentum ahead of next year's presidential race, and failing to win Marseille's city hall is a major setback for the party.

Payan had warned earlier this month that Marseille falling into the hands of the far right would be "an earthquake for the country".

The two candidates were neck-and-neck in the first round last Sunday, providing RN party with a once-unthinkable shot at power in France's second-largest city.

But the far right’s chances took a hit when hard-left candidate Sébastien Delogu of France Unbowed (LFI) withdrew from the second round, out of concern that splitting the left’s vote could help the National Rally.

Third-placed Martine Vassal of the mainstream right, in contrast, remained in the race, splitting the right-wing vote in Sunday’s runoff.

Famous for its historic port and striking Mediterranean views, Marseille has become the focus of French authorities’ battle with a nationwide surge in cocaine use.

Opinion polls showed security was voters’ top concern ahead of the two-round municipal elections, benefiting the far right and its tough-on-crime rhetoric.

In a bid to bolster his security bona fides, Payan drafted into his campaign Amine Kessaci, a well-known 22-year-old anti-drugs activist who has lost two brothers in drug-related murders.

Official data showed a 4.1% decrease in overall crime in Marseille last year compared to 2024 and police data show drug-related killings have ‌fallen after a ⁠peak in 2023. But murders related to drug dealing have shocked residents. Benoit Payan, Marseille's incumbent mayor, comfortably saw off a challenge from the far right.

Marseille's left‑wing incumbent Mayor Benoît Payan easily beat his far-right rival Frank Allisio in France's mayoral elections, two exit polls showed on Sunday.

The far‑right National Rally (RN), Allisio's party, had targeted France's second-largest city to show it could build electoral momentum ahead of next year's presidential race, and failing to win Marseille's city hall is a major setback for the party.

Payan had warned earlier this month that Marseille falling into the hands of the far right would be "an earthquake for the country".

The two candidates were neck-and-neck in the first round last Sunday, providing RN party with a once-unthinkable shot at power in France's second-largest city.

But the far right’s chances took a hit when hard-left candidate Sébastien Delogu of France Unbowed (LFI) withdrew from the second round, out of concern that splitting the left’s vote could help the National Rally.

Third-placed Martine Vassal of the mainstream right, in contrast, remained in the race, splitting the right-wing vote in Sunday’s runoff.

Famous for its historic port and striking Mediterranean views, Marseille has become the focus of French authorities’ battle with a nationwide surge in cocaine use.

Opinion polls showed security was voters’ top concern ahead of the two-round municipal elections, benefiting the far right and its tough-on-crime rhetoric.

In a bid to bolster his security bona fides, Payan drafted into his campaign Amine Kessaci, a well-known 22-year-old anti-drugs activist who has lost two brothers in drug-related murders.

Official data showed a 4.1% decrease in overall crime in Marseille last year compared to 2024 and police data show drug-related killings have ‌fallen after a ⁠peak in 2023. But murders related to drug dealing have shocked residents.

France local elections: Paris stays left as far-right makes mixed gains

By Sophia Khatsenkova

Published on 23/03/2026 - EURONEWS

The results offered an early snapshot of France’s political balance before 2027. Here are the main takeaways.

France’s municipal runoff delivered a mixed verdict for the country’s main political forces on Sunday: the Left held Paris with Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire, the far-right and its allies scored a major symbolic win in Nice, and mainstream parties pointed to resilience in several big and mid-sized cities ahead of the 2027 presidential race.

Municipal elections in France are local contests to elect mayors and local councils, but they are closely watched because they test party organisation, alliance-building, and grassroots strength before national campaigns begin.

In the capital, Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire defeated conservative rival Rachida Dati, ensuring Paris remains under left-wing control after outgoing mayor Anne Hidalgo chose not to seek another term.

The result extends a quarter-century of left-led rule of the capital and hands to the Socialists one of the most visible prizes of the night. Grégoire presented the result as a mandate for a progressive vision of the city.

Elsewhere, the left also had reasons to celebrate. In Marseille, Socialist incumbent Benoît Payan was re-elected after the far right had hoped to seize France’s second-largest city.

While in Lyon, Green mayor Grégory Doucet held on after a hard-fought race against his conservative rival, which was reshaped by a last-minute merger with the list of hard-left party France Unbowed.

Socialists record strong showing

The Socialists also held or performed strongly in several regional cities, reinforcing the impression of a broader recovery for the traditional left.

For the far right, the picture was more complex. National Rally (RN) leader Jordan Bardella hailed what he called the party’s biggest local breakthrough, and RN kept the southwestern city of Perpignan while also winning smaller municipalities.

But the party fell short in several of the larger cities it had targeted, notably Marseille, Toulon and Nîmes. The exception was Nice, where Éric Ciotti — once a senior figure in the mainstream right and now allied with RN — won the race, giving the far right and its partners control of France’s fifth-largest city.

The elections also brought clearer signs of fragmentation on the centre-right and in President Emmanuel Macron’s camp.

Former prime minister Édouard Philippe was re-elected in Le Havre, strengthening his standing as a possible 2027 contender, while Macron’s centrist forces could point to a symbolic win in Bordeaux, where Renaissance candidate Thomas Cazenave defeated outgoing Green mayor Pierre Hurmic.

At the same time, the loss of Macron's former PM, François Bayrou, in southwestern Pau, underlined the vulnerabilities of the broader presidential alliance.

Turnout remained a concern. According to the Interior Ministry, participation in mainland France stood at 48.1% at 5 p.m., higher than the Covid-disrupted 2020 election but still below pre-pandemic levels.

Taken together, the results do not predict who will succeed Macron in 2027. But they do sketch the political landscape from which that contest will emerge: a left that can still win major cities, a mainstream right that remains locally entrenched, a centre searching for durable footholds, and a far right that is growing but may still face limits in the country’s biggest urban battlegrounds.

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Churches in Islamic countries

Christian buildings have been part of the architectural heritage of Islamic countries for many centuries. Coexistence and mutual influence are the historical norm.

Vienna University of Technology

Whether pyramids, mosques, or churches – sacred buildings play a central role in architectural research. Negar Hakim from the Institute of Art History, Building Archaeology and Conservation at TU Wien is particularly interested in how different religions, cultures, and traditions interact. A few years ago, she studied the construction of modern mosques in countries with Muslim minorities; more recently, she turned her attention to Christian architectural traditions in Islamic countries and, together with Johann Hinrich Claussen, Cultural Commissioner of the Council of the Protestant Church in Germany, co-edited an issue of the magazine Kunst und Kirche on the topic “Churches in Islamic Countries.”

The volume demonstrates that Christian architecture in Islamic countries is not an alien element, but an integral part of the historical and cultural DNA of these regions.

Cultural Diversity

The Middle East and North Africa are regions of central importance for the development of early Christianity. Many of the oldest churches and monasteries were built there long before the spread of Islam. Countries such as Lebanon, Iran, Tunisia, and Turkey contain Christian buildings that are significantly older than most Christian structures in Europe.

“The situation of Christian minorities and Christian architecture varies greatly from country to country,” says Negar Hakim. “In several Islamic countries, such as Iran, Tunisia, and Turkey, Christian architecture is actively preserved by the state.” Christian buildings are recognized as part of the national cultural heritage, and some are even listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. They also play an important role in tourism and in shaping the cultural identity of these countries. In Egypt, Tunisia, and Mauritania, one finds church buildings of remarkable historical depth and aesthetic quality.

“From late antique basilicas to medieval rock and monastic churches to Ottoman-influenced parish churches, we find a built culture in many predominantly Islamic regions that reaches far beyond regional boundaries,” Hakim emphasizes.

Stable Buildings, Shrinking Communities

In many places, however, Christian communities struggle to survive. Many churches are protected monuments; they are structurally intact and professionally maintained, yet they are rarely or no longer used for liturgical purposes. At the same time, there are still active Christian communities in many Islamic countries that strive to preserve their traditions, architecture, and iconography. “The disappearance of these communities would be a cultural loss – also for us in Europe,” says Hakim.

The situation is particularly difficult in regions affected by armed conflict, such as Syria or Gaza. There, architecture of immeasurable value has been destroyed.

Cultural Intermingling as the Historical Norm

Architecture can serve as a connecting element between cultures and religions. “We can observe overlaps between architectural traditions,” explains Hakim. “Elements of one tradition are incorporated into the buildings of another. Churches adopt local forms, and hybrid styles emerge.”

The assumption that Christian traditions are primarily rejected in Islamic countries is contradicted by these findings: in many regions, coexistence of religions is not the exception, but the historical norm. For centuries, Christianity and Islam have existed with, alongside, and intertwined with one another. And although some Christian communities are shrinking or disappearing, new churches continue to be built today – sometimes under challenging conditions – developing contemporary forms and continuing these traditions.

A closer look at selected countries

Iran
The recognition of Armenian monastic ensembles in northwestern Iran as UNESCO World Heritage sites highlights something often overlooked in political and cultural debates: Christian architecture is not a marginal phenomenon and not a counterpoint to Iranian history, but an integral part of its cultural heritage of outstanding universal value.

Tunisia
After independence in 1956, the Christian community in Tunisia shrank significantly – but it did not disappear. Many churches did not become ruins, but cultural centers. Sacred architecture was transformed rather than erased. The buildings remained part of the urban fabric – as visible layers of history and as sites of cultural reinterpretation.

Egypt
In Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, a mosque and a cathedral stand deliberately side by side. This spatial arrangement is no coincidence, but an expression of state symbolism. Sacred buildings here function as an architectural stage for religious harmony – less an organically grown urban structure than a consciously designed national statement.

Turkey
The history of Hagia Sophia – church, mosque, museum, and again mosque – shows that sacred architecture is not subject to exclusive religious ownership. Its successive conversions reflect political shifts and debates about identity. Here, architecture becomes a repository of historical layers – and at the same time a mirror of contemporary politics.

Qatar
The Christian complex in Doha exemplifies the politically framed visibility of religious minorities in the Gulf region. It allows religious practice but deliberately avoids prominent representation in the urban space. The building stands for tolerance – not equality – and illustrates how questions of religion, state, and geopolitics are negotiated through architecture.

Method of Research

Meta-analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Kirchen in islamischen Ländern

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Trace levels of food pathogen do not always translate to health risk, says study

Ultra-sensitive food safety tests may drive food waste and unavailability with limited public health benefit, according to a Frontiers in Science study

Frontiers

These food safety measures and ultra-sensitive tests may drive edible food being thrown away, excessive packaging, and extra costs for consumers.

The international team of researchers make it clear that food safety is an important concern, as foodborne pathogens account for approximately 420,000 deaths and 600 million cases of illness each year. However, the authors argue that food systems will be more sustainable, while continuing to protect public health, if “zero-detection” expectations are replaced with evidence-based targets for “sufficiently safe” food.

Their new article sets out how regulators might find trade-offs with other important factors, such as food supply security, sustainability, and nutritional health.

“Although the public expects food to be completely safe, there will always be some risk of foodborne illness. Zero risk doesn’t exist, and we shouldn’t be aiming for that either. Just as we don’t limit highway speeds to 10 miles per hour to minimize road deaths, we need to take a balanced approach that considers possible negative consequences of extreme food safety measures,” said lead author Prof Martin Wiedmann from Cornell University.

Impact of aiming for zero risk

The study’s authors highlight several situations where excessive caution can cause harm.

Many rules and purchasing standards rely heavily on detecting a pathogen, sometimes treating any detection as unacceptable without fully considering dose, exposure, the food’s ability to support microbial growth, or who is most at risk.

For example, a food product might be considered contaminated if it tests positive for the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, regardless of levels.

These alarms can result from ultra-sensitive tests detecting small amounts of microbes unlikely to cause disease in humans. In some cases, the concerns may come from bacteria that are not harmful themselves, but are an indirect indicator of contamination.

Throwing away such food reduces the available food supply and wastes resources. Similarly, recalling food products from consumers can damage consumer trust, pushing people away from otherwise healthy products.

Other protective measures, such as storage temperatures, packaging, and heat treatment, can waste energy, increase costs, and reduce nutritional content. While these are all important safety measures, they should only be applied if needed and associated trade-offs should be considered.

“A tremendous amount of food is wasted that would have been sufficiently safe to eat. Too often, trade-offs such as environmental or economic costs are only considered after a traditional microbial risk assessment. We cannot afford to carry on like this at a time when we desperately need to reduce our impact on the planet and assure not only food safety but food security,” said co-author Prof Sophia Johler at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany.

Focus on risk rather than hazard

The current situation is driven by an emphasis on hazard-based assessments, according to the authors, where regulations focus on detecting pathogens, regardless of the threat to consumers. The researchers argue that the food system should move towards more flexible risk-based approaches, which assess the probabilities of harms and adjust the safety measures accordingly.

Regulations that overemphasize stringent corrective actions (such as recalls) when swab samples from a food-processing facility test positive for an indicator, for example, could lead to undue corrective actions in areas that are unlikely to contaminate the food. The authors explain that this could be an opportunity cost that diverts resources away from more effective interventions and control strategies in high-risk areas.

“There’s well-established evidence that focusing on end-product testing is generally ineffective to ensure safety. Overemphasis on end-product testing may distract from other food safety measures (e.g., applying validated and verified process controls), which can provide greater public health benefits,” said co-author Dr Sriya Sunil at Cornell University.

Better tools to assess priorities

Computational tools that incorporate vast amounts of information across the food production system could help with establishing acceptable risks.

One challenge is how to prioritize different hazards. For example, in the US, norovirus causes thousands of times more cases than Listeria monocytogenes, yet Listeria monocytogenes causes more deaths per year.

While there are trade advantages to having consistent international food safety standards, the balance between competing interests may vary between regions. This can become even more complex when factoring in the health and environmental implications of greenhouse gas emissions.

“Specialists across social sciences, economics, and life sciences must work together to establish values that align with consumers’ priorities. Together with advanced models that build on geographic information, AI, and genomics, we can assess, manage, and communicate risks far more accurately,” said Wiedmann.