World Food Safety Day 2023: Theme, Poster, Significance and History

World Food Safety Day 2023

World Food Safety day is celebrated on June 7 annually across the globe to highlight the importance of maintaining 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

The theme of this year’s World Food Safety Day 2023 is “Food standards save lives.” Most people depend on the information in the packaging of consumable items to know whether their food is safe. These food safety standards guide farmers and those who process food.

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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.

The significance of World Food Safety Day 2023 lies in several key aspects:

• Public Health: Food safety is essential for public health. Contaminated or unsafe food can lead to foodborne illnesses, causing significant health problems and even death. According to WHO, around 600 million people fall ill and 420,000 die each year due to foodborne diseases. World Food Safety Day highlights the importance of safe food practices to protect public health and prevent the spread of foodborne illnesses.
• Global Cooperation: World Food Safety Day serves as a platform to foster international collaboration and cooperation in addressing food safety issues. It brings together governments, organizations, businesses, and consumers to share knowledge, best practices, 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 integral part of sustainable development. It encompasses various aspects such as food production, processing, storage, distribution, and consumption. Ensuring food safety contributes to reducing food waste, improving food quality, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. World Food Safety Day highlights the need for sustainable and responsible approaches to food production and consumption.

World Food Safety Day 2023 Poster

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, on December 20, 2018, World Food Safety day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 73/250. The inaugural World Food Safety Day was observed on June 7, 2019, marking a milestone in global efforts to address food safety challenges. 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.

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