793. June 7 is World Food Safety Day

June 7 is World Food Safety Day, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018. Food safety is a different concept from food security, but they are related. Broadly speaking, food security is about people being able to eat properly, and food safety is about what they eat not being contaminated. If it is not safe, it cannot be called food.

The following are excerpts from the World Food Safety Day website.

An estimated 600 million cases of foodborne illness occur each year. There are more than 200 diseases that can be caused by food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemicals. Unsafe food poses a threat to human health and the economy, and particularly affects vulnerable populations such as women and children, people affected by conflict, and migrants. Worldwide, an estimated 420,000 people die each year from foodborne diseases, and 125,000 children under the age of five die each year from consuming contaminated food.

World Food Safety Day, celebrated on 7 June, aims to raise awareness and promote action to prevent, detect and control foodborne hazards, thereby contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are working with Member States and other relevant organizations to promote World Food Safety Day. This international day is an opportunity to ensure that the food we eat is safe, to place food safety on the public agenda, and to intensify efforts to reduce foodborne illness worldwide.

Food safety must be ensured at every stage of the food chain, from production, harvesting, processing, storage, distribution, preparation and consumption. Food safety is a shared responsibility between governments, producers and consumers, and everyone has a role to play in ensuring that the food we eat is safe and does not harm our health.
 

Reference

United Nations (2023) World Food Safety Day 7 June. https://www.un.org/en/observances/food-safety-day,  Accessed on May 31, 2023.

Contributor: SHIRATORI Sakiko (Information and Public Relations Office)