According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), every day an average of 1.6 million people fall sick due to unsafe food. As such, June 7 every year is observed as World Food Safety Day to throw light on the issue of food safety standards.
Sometimes contagious, even fatal, food-borne diseases like typhoid, E. coli etc. are brought on by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. And poor food safety regulations can lead to a rise in contaminated food and water. Ensuring our food remains free of contamination along the supply chain before it finally comes to our tables, is then of supreme importance.
Serving as a reminder that the safety of our food is a shared responsibility, this international day is an opportunity to ensure that food safety principles and policies are a part of the public agenda to nip the issue of food-borne diseases in the bud. We must remember that the safety of our food is dependent not solely on food regulatory authorities but also food retailers, producers and even individuals.
This year marks the fifth iteration of the day after the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed it in 2019. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) jointly enable the celebration of this day.
As a multitude of people and organisations are involved in making even a single packet of food, ensuring that it remains uncontaminated becomes a mammoth task. This is where laws set by governing bodies like the WHO, along with America’s Food and Agriculture Organisation and the Food and Drug Administration come in.
Another reason for the observation of this day is to rouse the public’s conscience to ascertain, administer and avert foodborne risks hence encouraging the betterment of public health and economic systems. Food safety is paramount to building a healthier and sustainable future.
The theme for 2023 is to draw attention to food standards to ensure the safety of the food we eat as 1 in 10 people in the world are affected by food-borne diseases. “Food standards save lives” has been declared the motto for this year by the WHO.
