World Food Safety Day 2024 is held annually on June 7 to ensure the safety of food that humans consume every day. The United Nations observed this day to make people aware of how they must exercise caution from the time food is produced until it is consumed.
For most Americans, food comes from grocery stores, restaurants, and other food service providers, but a lot of other people are involved in the production and preparation of what we eat.
This celebration is important because, at some point along the way, our food could be at risk of becoming unsafe.
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The Theme World Food Safety Day 2024
The chosen theme for World Food Safety Day in 2024 is “Food Safety: Common Adages Advise People to Always Prepare for the Unexpected.” This theme highlights a very important fact that people need to embrace preventative measures to protect our foods from risks.
History of World Food Safety Day
At its 39th session conducted in July 2016, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which is an intergovernmental body that deals with food standards, adopted that the member countries should push for the establishment of World Food Safety Day. The proposal was approved by the conference of the FAO in July 2017 and the WHO in December 2017, respectively.
UN General Assembly passed a resolution on 20th December 2018 to observe World Food Safety Day every 7th June starting from the year 2019. The resolution acknowledged the concern of the world as it provided guidance on its foodborne illness that impacts the lives of many people, especially children under 5 years of age and those living in low-income countries.
An important event to note the World Food Safety Day which endorsed on 3 August 2020 at the World Health Assembly through WHA73. 5 resolution endorsing the day to celebrated and used as a platform to enhance awareness at all levels on the significance of food safety, encouraging, and coordinating actions to control foodborne diseases and enhancing global endeavors for food safety.
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Why World Food Safety Day is Important
1. It’s a Cause for Us All:
Looking at these issues, it becomes clear that food safety is an issue that concerns everyone. World Food Safety Day therefore serves as a reminder we all have the same desire to provide safe food in the market.
2. It Helps Protect Our Food:
When people are aware of food safety, there should be positive formations toward ensuring safe foods for consumption. This day serves as a reminder for people to make changes that would help safeguard our food.
3. It Keeps Us Healthy:
Increased consumption of healthy foods associated with a healthy lifestyle. This should make us appreciate the measures that need to put in place for our food to get to us safe for consumption hence improving the quality of food in the market and making it healthier for consumption.
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Why do we Mark Food Safety?
Safe food is important for survival and the maintenance of good health in society. Food infections that caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi are mostly infectious while poisoning that arises from food is toxic. It estimated that about 600 million people, worldwide, affected by food-borne diseases annually.
Unfortunately, foodborne illness kills approximately 420000 people globally every year as a result of consumption of unsafe or contaminated food. Among them, children below five years contribute to 40 percent of the overall foodborne diseases and death toll of 125,000 per year.
Thus, consuming unsafe food is dangerous, not only to everyone’s well-being but also to the growth of the economy, as it is the case with vulnerable and marginalized groups such as women and children, people affected by conflict, and migrants.
Food safety is important and must implemented at all levels. Starting from the production of food and even to the time of harvesting, processing, and storing of food. Right from the time of preparation and serving of food.
This implies that it is the responsibility of the government, producers. Traders as well as consumers to ensure that the food products consumed meet the required standards of quality.
It is also a reminder and call to action to increase our priorities and actions towards. The implementation of safe food safety practices that reduce the burden of food-borne diseases.
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Way Forward
Every year on June 7, the world observes World Food Safety Day. Which is a crucial reminder of how important it is to guarantee food safety from production to consumption. The 2024 theme, “Food Safety: Common Adages Advise People to Always Prepare for the Unexpected,”. Highlights the importance of taking preventative action to lessen the risks associated with food.
On this day, people from all walks of life come together to pledge to keep our food safe. Maintain public health, and advance international efforts in food safety. By putting food safety first, we can lower the prevalence of foodborne illnesses. And improve the general health and financial stability of communities across the globe.