World Food Safety Day 2022: Theme, significance, and observations made by WHO

The basic necessities of life and food, shelter, and clothing. The World celebrates Food Safety Day on June 7 every year to raise concerns about degrading food quality and motivate response to identify, avoid or manage potential foodborne hazards

Food is the body’s energy source. It allows us to nourish our bodies with all the nutrients and proteins they need to flourish. This day is celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of food safety and to encourage people to take action to improve their food security. Health, economic success, agriculture, market access, tourism, and sustainable development are other aims of this day around the world.

World Food Safety Day: Significance

Foodborne infections affect people of all ages but especially children under the age of five and those living in low-income nations, in particular. Such health issues are recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO)

To commemorate this day, the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the importance of food safety. It continues to work toward reducing the spread of food-borne diseases.

“With an estimated 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses annually, unsafe food is a threat to human health and economies, disproportionally affecting vulnerable and marginalised people, especially women and children, populations affected by conflict, and migrants,” mentions the United Nations on its website.

World Food Safety Day: History

In 2018, the UN General Assembly designated June 7 as World Food Safety Day. The event was facilitated by the WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN. The World Health Assembly issued a resolution in 2020 to boost global food safety measures to alleviate the burden of foodborne disease.

World Food Safety Day: Theme

The WHO announced the theme of this year’s World Food Safety Day, “Safer Food, Better Health”. It also launched a campaign to encourage global participation.

As a part of this year’s campaign, WHO has asked the government to ‘Foster multisectoral collaboration’, start public support programs focusing on food safety, design strong policies, and legal frameworks to strengthen the national food safety system and ensure it complies with food safety standards.

To the food businesses, WHO has asked to follow food safety commitments to identify, evaluate and control food safety hazards, to comply with national and international food standards.

WHO says educational institutions and workplaces need to include food safety education into wellness policies, promote safe food handling at food halls and canteens, and involve families in food safety activities, allowing them to learn and inform others by changing simple day-to-day actions.

Consumers need to make safe and healthy dietary choices and practice safe food handling at home. . Follow WHO’s Five Keys to Safer Food: keep clean, separate raw and cooked, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures and use safe water and raw materials.