World Food Safety Day is celebrated annually by the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent, detect and manage food-borne risks and improve human health.
A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) states that globally, one in ten people suffer foodborne illnesses every year. While safe food is an indicator of good health, unsafe food can cause many diseases.
Poor food quality contributes to worsening health conditions, such as impaired growth and development, micronutrient deficiencies, non-communicable or communicable diseases, and mental illness. Foodborne illnesses are generally invisible to sight and infectious or toxic, which makes food safety a critical issue.
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Additionally, It is to spread the message that food should remain safe at every stage: from production to harvest, processing, storage, distribution, preparation, and consumption.
When is World Food Safety Day?
It is celebrated globally on June 7 each year according to the WHO.
World Food Safety Day 2022 theme
WHO announced the theme of World Food Safety Day in March. This year’s theme is “Safer Food, Better Health”. WHO has also launched a campaign to inspire global participation.
History and significance of World Food Safety Day
The United Nations General Assembly established World Food Safety Day in 2018 to raise awareness of this vital food security issue. WHO and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) jointly launched World Food Safety Day in partnership with Member States and other stakeholders.
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World Food Safety Day aims to transform food systems to deliver better health sustainably and prevent foodborne diseases. This day also offers an opportunity to step up efforts to ensure the food we eat is safe and reduce the burden of foodborne illness globally.
5 things to know about World Food Safety Day
This year’s theme is “Safer Food, Better Health”, which aims to emphasize the role of safe and nutritious food in ensuring human health and well-being.
It is celebrated yearly and dedicated to spreading awareness on the risks of food origin and improving human health through an informed diet. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) established World Food Safety Day in 2018 to raise awareness of this important issue.
Here are five things to know about the day
- According to the WHO, around 600 million – nearly 1 in 10 people worldwide – get sick and another 420,000 die each year after eating contaminated food.
- There are over 200 food-borne illnesses by bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemicals that enter the body through contaminated food, he said. In worst-case scenarios, these diseases can also lead to the development of cancer cells in the body.
- Children under five carry 40% of the burden of food-borne illness, with 125,000 deaths annually, WHO points out
- Foodborne diseases also hamper socio-economic development by straining health systems and damaging national economies, tourism and trade.
- The 2019 World Bank Report on the Economic Burden of Foodborne Illnesses indicates that the total productivity loss associates with foodborne illness in low- and middle-income countries estimates at US $ 95.2 billion per year and the annual cost of treating foodborne illness is at $ 15 billion.
