The United Nations (UN) World Food Safety Day (WFSD) is annually observed across the globe on 7 June to highlight the significance of addressing food safety incidents.
- WFSD also aims to inspire actions to prevent, detect, and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, etc.
7 June 2024 marks the observance of the 6th WFSD.
- WFSD is jointly facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The 2024 theme of WFSD is, “Food safety: prepare for the unexpected” and the slogan of WFSD 2024 is “Food safety is everyone’s business.”
Note: The 2024 theme emphasises the preparedness for food safety incidents, whether mild or severe.
Background:
i.In July 2017, the 40th Session of the FAO Conference adopted a resolution supporting World Food Safety Day, and the WHO expressed its support for this initiative in December 2017.
ii.On 20 December 2018, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/73/250, proclaiming every 7 June as World Food Safety Day.
iii.The first-ever WFSD was observed on 7 June 2019 to highlight the numerous benefits of safe food.
iv.On 3 August 2020, the World Health Assembly (WHA) passed a resolution WHA73.5, recognising WFSD.
Importance of Safe Food:
i.Access to safe food is crucial for sustaining life and promoting good health.
ii.Foodborne illnesses, often invisible, are caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemicals in contaminated food or water.
Impacts of Unsafe Food:
i.Unsafe food leads to 420,000 deaths yearly, with children under 5 bearing 40% of the disease burden, and being at a higher risk of malnutrition and mortality due to unsafe food, with 125,000 deaths annually.
- It results in the loss of 33 million healthy life years (Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs).
ii.About 1.6 million people get sick daily from unsafe food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemicals. This is a global issue.
iii.Almost 1 in 10 people worldwide fall ill from contaminated food each year, affecting all countries.
iv.Over 200 diseases result from food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemicals like heavy metals.
v.The impact of unsafe food costs low- and middle-income economies around USD 95 billion in lost productivity annually.
vi.An estimated 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses occur annually, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations.
The Role of INFOSAN:
Created by FAO and WHO in 2004, the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) is a global network that helps exchange information quickly across borders to manage food safety incidents effectively.
Note: Currently, INFOSAN is a global network of 189 countries with members from national food safety authorities managed jointly by FAO and WHO.
About World Health Organization (WHO):
Director General– Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Founded – 1948
