GENEVA — World Food Safety Day (WFSD) aims to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.
The United Nations General Assembly established World Food Safety Day in 2018 to raise awareness of this important issue. WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) jointly facilitate the observance of World Food Safety Day, in collaboration with Member States and other stakeholders.
This year’s theme, “Safer food, better health,” highlights the role that safe, nutritional food plays in ensuring human health and well-being and calls for a set of specific actions to make food safer.
In addition to campaign materials such as virtual backgrounds, posters and infographics found here, this year's World Food Safety Day includes calls of action to specific groups.
Policy Makers
- Design all public procurement of food, such as food aid, school feeding and other publicly owned food outlets, so that consumers can access safe and healthy foods.
- Support policy measures and legal frameworks to strengthen the national food safety system and ensure it complies with food safety standards.
- Encourage and engage in multisectoral collaboration at the local, national, regional and global levels.
Food Businesses
- Engage employees, suppliers and other stakeholders to grow and develop a food safety culture.
- Comply with international food standards.
Educational Institutions and Workplaces
- Promote safe food handling.
- Engage with families and involve families in food safety activities.
- Support food safety education.
Consumers
- Practice safe food handling at home and follow WHO's Five Keys to Safer Food: keep clean, separate raw and cooked, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures and use safe water and raw materials.
- Keep informed and promote food safety. Learn about food safety and join the #WorldFoodSafetyDay campaign.
There's also a webinar at 8 a.m. EDT.
The panel discussion under the theme “Safer food, better health” is hosted by the WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Codex Secretariat.
The first half of the event will focus on the need to transform food systems to deliver better health, through an online moderated panel with WHO Assistant Director-General Naoko Yamamoto and Director of the FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations in Geneva Dominique Burgeon. The speakers will also take audience questions.
The second half of the event will explore, in a moderated panel, how different players ensure the sustainable production and consumption of safe foods in different settings in order to improve health outcomes.
Interpretation will be available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Register here.
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