World Food Safety Day 2021: Celebrated the theme of ‘Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow’

On 7th June 2021 the World Health Organisation celebrated World Food Safety for the human health and for more sustainable development.

Every year World Food Safety Day aims to spread awareness, detect and prevent foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.

Back in 2018, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed that every June 7th would be celebrated as World Food Safety Day. The observance is jointly facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the World Health Organisation.

Foodborne illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites, are infectious and toxic. They can enter the body through contaminated food and water. It is, therefore, important to ensure the food stays safe at every step of the food chain, from production to consumption.

“With an estimated 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses annually, unsafe food is a threat to human health and economies, disproportionally affecting vulnerable and marginalised people, especially women and children, populations affected by conflict, and migrants,” United Nations mentioned on its website.

This year’s concept for World Food Safety Day was ‘Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow’ which stresses that production and consumption of safe food has “immediate and long-term benefits for people, the planet and the economy”.

WHO emphasized, “Recognising the systemic connections between the health of people, animals, plants, the environment and the economy will help us meet the needs of the future.”

It also helps in the sustainable development, market access and agriculture among many other things.

No food is worth consuming unless it is not safe. While we typically take food safety for granted, an estimated 600 million incidents of foodborne illness occur each year throughout the world. Foodborne illness is a concern to human health and the economy, disproportionately harming vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals, particularly women and children, as well as conflict-affected groups and migrants.