Food safety: prepare for the unexpected

World Food Safety Day on 7 June 2024 will draw attention to food safety incidents. This year’s theme underlines the importance of being prepared for food safety incidents, no matter how mild or severe they can be.

Food safety incidents are situations where there is a potential or confirmed health risk associated with food consumption. A food incident can happen, for example, due to accidents, inadequate controls, food fraud or natural events. While being ready to manage food safety incidents requires dedicated efforts from policymakers, food safety authorities, farmers and food business operators, consumers also can play an active role.

Every year on June 7, we celebrate World Food Safety Day to make sure our food is safe to eat. The United Nations created this day to remind us about the importance of being careful with our food from the beginning until it reaches our plates. Many people work together to grow, process, store, distribute, and prepare our food. This celebration is crucial because there are many steps in the process where our food could become unsafe.

The chosen theme for World Food Safety Day in 2024 is “Food safety: prepare for the unexpected“. This theme underscores the critical importance of being proactive in safeguarding our food supply from potential hazards.

History of World Food Safety Day

Did you know that about 600 million people get sick from eating unsafe food every year? That’s a lot! So, making sure our food is safe is really important for our health. From the time food is grown until we eat it, we need to be careful. Foodborne illnesses, like getting sick from eating contaminated food, happen quite often. Symptoms can include vomiting, aches, and diarrhea.

The good news is that we can prevent food poisoning by using safety measures. These measures include things like putting labels on food, being clean when handling it, and using additives and preservatives. However, because many people are involved in getting food to us, keeping it safe is not always easy.

To help with this, organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (F.A.O.), and the Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) make rules to keep our food safe. Even though these organizations do their best, it’s still a big job that needs everyone’s attention.

Why World Food Safety Day is Important

1. It’s a Cause for Us All

Food safety is something we all need to care about. World Food Safety Day reminds us that we share a common goal in keeping our food safe.

2. It Helps Protect Our Food

When more people know about food safety, we can take better actions to keep our food safe. This day raises awareness, encouraging us to put processes in place to protect our food.

3. It Keeps Us Healthy

Eating healthy food leads to a healthy life. World Food Safety Day makes us pay extra attention to the safety measures used in getting our food to us, which means better and healthier food for everyone.

In summary, World Food Safety Day is a reminder that we all play a part in making sure our food is safe. By understanding the history, challenges, and importance of this day, we can work together to create a safer and healthier global food system.