Malak Ibrahim Abdelaaty Elbasyouny is a food safety specialist, nutritionist, and the founder of Dr. Fruita Academy, working at the forefront of building a safer, healthier, and more resilient African food ecosystem. Her work sits at the intersection of food safety, sustainable nutrition, research, and policy advocacy, strengthening food systems from production to consumption. For Malak, food is more than sustenance—it is a catalyst for public health, environmental sustainability, and inclusive economic empowerment.

Malak’s expertise has had a measurable impact on Africa’s food security and global trade potential. As a Senior Food Safety Specialist, she played a critical role in ensuring that Egyptian aquaculture exports complied with stringent European Union food safety standards, supporting international market access while reinforcing regulatory compliance across Africa’s seafood value chain. Her applied research on cultivating oyster mushrooms from agricultural waste introduced a low-cost, nutrient-dense solution to malnutrition and food loss, earning recognition through collaborations with CONICET and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Through Dr. Fruita Academy, Malak has trained and educated over 5,000 individuals across communities, institutions, and food businesses on food safety, nutrition, and best practices in food handling. This work empowers individuals to improve health outcomes, reduce foodborne risks, and unlock economic opportunities within the food sector. Beyond education, Malak actively engages in policy advocacy and systems strengthening, contributing to initiatives with the WHO, FAO, and One Health platforms to advance evidence-based food safety regulations and long-term food system resilience.

Her commitment to innovation, leadership, and social impact was recognized when she was named a Top 20 Winner of the JAMIL Femme Entrepreneurship Program for Sustainable Impact (2023–2024). Looking ahead, Malak’s vision is to develop innovative, climate-resilient superfoods that enhance nutrition while addressing Africa’s food security challenges. Through research, education, and policy engagement, she continues to shape food systems that are not only safer and healthier, but also sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready.