World Food Safety Day 2023
Every year on June 7, the world celebrates World Food Safety Day to emphasise the significance of upholding food standards. The day was aimed at inspiring the UN member nations to prioritise food safety standards and work collaboratively to protect consumers from foodborne diseases.
World Food Safety Day 2023 Theme
This year's World Food Safety Day theme is "Food standards save lives." The majority of individuals rely on the information on the package of consumable items to determine whether their food is safe. These food safety standards guide farmers and those who process food.
Significance Of World Food Safety Day 2023
Modern farming practices have led to a rise in accumulation of pesticides, chemicals and additives in food which, if not regulated, will harm consumers. Water contamination is also a major problem. World Food Safety Day ensures that food standards are adhered to ensure optimum health for all consumers.
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The significance of World Food Safety Day lies in several key aspects:
• Public Health: Food safety is critical to the public's health. Foodborne infections caused by contaminated or unhealthy food can cause serious health problems and even death. According to WHO, around 600 million people fall ill and 420,000 die each year due to foodborne diseases. The importance of safe food practises in protecting public health and preventing the spread of foodborne illnesses is highlighted on World Food Safety Day.
• Global Cooperation: World Food Safety Day is a venue for international collaboration and cooperation in tackling food safety challenges, bringing together governments, organisations, enterprises, and consumers to share knowledge, best practises, and experiences in food safety management. Collaboration is crucial to developing and implementing effective food safety measures at local, national, and international levels.
• Food Security: Ensuring food safety is closely linked to food security. Unsafe food can undermine food security by causing illnesses, reducing productivity, and affecting economic growth. By promoting food safety, World Food Safety Day contributes to the overall goal of achieving food security for all, which is one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Consumer Awareness: World Food Safety Day plays a crucial role in raising consumer awareness about food safety issues. It encourages individuals to become more informed and vigilant about the safety and quality of the food they eat. Through education and information campaigns, consumers can make better choices, handle food safely, and demand accountability from food producers and suppliers.
• Sustainable Development: Food safety is an essential component of long-term development. It covers a wide range of topics, including food production, processing, storage, distribution, and consumption. Food safety helps to reduce food waste, improve food quality, and promote sustainable farming practises. World Food Safety Day highlights the need for sustainable and responsible approaches to food production and consumption.
World Food Safety Day Poster 2023
World Food Safety Day History
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which implements the FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, supported a proposal to celebrate World food Safety day, in 2016. A year later, in July, the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in its 40th session supported the idea by adopting a resolution which was supported by WHO.
Finally, the United Nations General Assembly established World Food Safety Day in its resolution 73/250 on December 20, 2018. On June 7, 2019, the first World Food Safety Day was marked, commemorating a watershed moment in worldwide efforts to address food safety issues. Further, the World Health Assembly passed the resolution WHA73.5, on August 3, 2020, to recognise and highlight the importance of World Food Safety Day as an important pedestal to create all-round awareness about food safety, prevention of foodborne illness worldwide and strengthening global efforts to maintain food safety.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
• Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Headquarters: Rome, Italy;
• Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Founded: 16 October 1945.
