World Food Safety Day – History, Theme and Significance

World Food Safety Day (WFSD)

World Food Safety Day (WFSD) is celebrated annually on 7 June. It aims to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage food-borne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism, and sustainable development. Food is one of humanity’s most basic needs for survival. During the present epidemic, it is more crucial than ever to eat nutritious and wholesome foods to stay healthy. Every year this awareness is highlighted to promote awareness about the importance of excellent nutrition and eating.

World Food Safety Day is observed in a variety of ways in different countries.

World Food Safety Day is celebrated to raise awareness of the health repercussions of contaminated food and water around the world. Consumers’ health may be jeopardized if food safety is not ensured. This year’s theme, “Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow,” emphasizes the immediate and long-term benefits of safe food production and consumption for people, the environment, and the economy. Recognizing the systemic links between human, animal, and plant health, the environment, and the economy will aid us in meeting future requirements.

What is the history behind world food safety day?

In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly declared the annual 7 June to be World Food Safety Day, recognizing the global burden of food-borne infections, which impact people of all ages, particularly children under the age of five and those living in low-income countries. In 2020, the World Health Assembly approved a resolution aimed at bolstering food safety initiatives in order to lessen the burden of food-borne illness.

Governments, producers, and consumers all have responsibilities for food safety. From farm to table, everyone has a part to play in ensuring that the food we eat is safe and nutritious. WHOseeks to mainstream food safety in the public agenda and minimize the global burden of food-borne illness through World Food Safety Day? Everyone is concerned about food safety.

Food safety is a critical public health concern and a prerequisite for optimal health and long-term development. Every year, it is projected that over 23 million people in the WHO European Region become unwell as a result of tainted food, with over 4600 people dying.

To ensure the availability of safe and healthy food for all, this campaign raises awareness and encourages action to help avoid, detect, and manage food safety problems. The topic for this year is emphasizing the immediate and long-term benefits of safe food production and consumption for people, the environment, and the economy.

WHO continues its efforts to mainstream food safety in the public agenda by including all actors in the food chain – from production to consumption – in promoting food safety awareness and taking real action to minimize the burden of food-borne illness through World Food Safety Day.

It is critical to have enough safe and nutritious food to maintain life and promote excellent health. Food-borne diseases stymie socioeconomic development by putting a strain on health-care systems and negatively impacting country economies, tourism, and trade.

Food safety is becoming a growing concern to human health, with an estimated 600 million cases of food-borne illness each year – nearly one in every ten people in the globe becoming unwell after eating contaminated food. Food-borne sickness affects 40% of children under the age of five, resulting in 125 000 fatalities each year.

Many individuals, particularly women and children, suffer as a result of contaminated or low-quality food. As a result, it’s critical to educate the general public about the need of not only eating excellent food, but also identifying it and adhering to safe food standards.

Access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food is critical for sustaining life and fostering good health, according to the World Health Organization. According to the website, “food-borne infections stymie socioeconomic progress by taxing health-care systems and damaging country economies, tourism, and trade.”

With an estimated 600 million cases of food-borne disease each year – nearly one out of every ten people in the globe becoming unwell after eating contaminated food – this is a growing threat to human health. “Children under the age of five bear 40 percent of the burden of food-borne disease, with 125 000 deaths per year,” it states.

The theme “Food safety, everyone’s business”, for the year 2020 initiated many action-oriented campaigns that promoted global food safety awareness and called upon countries and decision makers, the private sector, civil society, UN organizations and the general public to take action for everyone’s health.

Several countries host specific World Food Safety Day events in order to raise public awareness about the importance of the day. Many people are still perplexed by the 2020 World Food Safety Day topic, as well as the day’s history and meaning.

What is the significance of world food safety day?

The importance of World Food Safety Day has undoubtedly heightened as the world fights the deadly COVID-19 outbreak. World Food Safety Day is urging worldwide solidarity to assist the world’s most vulnerable people in recovering and making food systems more resilient to shocks. It doesn’t matter if it’s a pandemic, a natural disaster, or another bad event.

The day’s events bring together governments, corporations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the media, and the general public. The major goal of the day is to raise global awareness and action for those who are hungry, as well as the importance of ensuring that everyone has a good food.

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