India, Sept. 26 -- if it's not safe, it's not food," explains Sukhvinder Pal Singh, who has spent 20 years of his life finding ways to make food safer and last longer. Singh, director of Australia's Central Coast Primary Industries Centre, has won the 2025 Food Safety Award from the country's Institute of Food Science and Technology for his contribution in reducing food risks and building trust in fresh produce.

"People often do not think much about food safety in everyday life," he says and points out how simple steps like washing hands before eating, keeping raw meat away from fruits and vegetables, storing food in the refrigerator, and cooking it well are more important than we realise.

"Fruits and vegetables are key parts of our dai...