The United Nations(UN)’s World Food Safety Day is annually observed across the globe on 7th June to create awareness about the methods to prevent and detect foodborne risks, and to ensure food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.
- The theme of the World Food Safety Day 2021 is “Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow”.
- The slogan of the World Food Safety Day 2021 is “Food safety is everyone’s business”.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/73/250 on 20th December 2018 and proclaimed the 7th June of every year as World Food Safety Day.
ii.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 the Member States and other relevant organizations
Efforts of towards Food Safety:
i.The FAO leads the development of global food safety initiatives.
ii.The Food Safety and Quality Programme supports an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to food safety management and holistic and feasible “food chain” solutions to the food safety problems mentioned in the FAO’s Strategy for Improving Food Safety Globally.
iii.FAO’s Food Safety and Quality Unit works with the national and international organisations to strengthen food safety and quality at the local, regional and international level.
Global affects of unsafe food:
i.Annually around 600 million people across the globe are affected due to more than 200 types of foodborne illness.
ii.Every year, foodborne diseases are responsible for around 420 000 preventable deaths.
iii.Around 40% burden of the foodborne disease falls on children under the age of 5, with around 125000 deaths every year.
About Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO):
Director-General– QU Dongyu
Headquarters– Rome, Italy
