World Food Safety Day on 7 June aims to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, 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) jointly facilitate the observance of World Food Safety Day, in collaboration with Member States and other relevant organizations. This international day is an opportunity to strengthen efforts to ensure that the food we eat is safe, mainstream food safety in the public agenda and reduce the burden of foodborne diseases globally.
This year’s theme is “Food Standards Save Lives“. Standards not only provide farmers and processors with guidance on the hygienic handling of food, but also define maximum levels of additives and contaminants, among other components, that can be safely consumed. Governments, organizations, and regional or intergovernmental bodies are responsible for setting such standards.
Every year, 600 million people get sick due to the 200 different types of illnesses that can be transmitted by food. Young people and populations with limited resources are among the most affected. Foodborne illnesses cause 420,000 preventable deaths every year.
