World Food Safety Day

Street market. pixabay.com / 2013 / CC0 1.0

The 7th of June is World Food Safety Day.

The objective of the day is “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.” ^[1]”The World Health Organization (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 relevant organizations.” — Why improving food safety is important. United Nations web site. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.un.org/en/observances/food-safety-day

It does this through targeted goals such as:

• making people aware of food safety issues;
• demonstrating how to prevent illness through food safety;
• discussing collaborative approaches to improved food safety across sectors;
• promoting solutions and ways of being more food safe. ^[2]World Food Safety Day 2021. Codex alimentarius. Accessed May 2021 at http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/world-food-safety-day/en/

Promotion of the day is a joint project between The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). ^[3]”The World Health Organization (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 relevant organizations.” — Why improving food safety is important. United Nations web site. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.un.org/en/observances/food-safety-day

Preventing, detecting and managing foodborne risks contributes to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development. ^[4]Safe food now for a healthy tomorrow. World Health Organization. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.who.int/news-room/campaigns/world-food-safety-day/2021 Having people trust that food is safe to eat is a vital part of food security: “There can be no food security without food safety.” ^[5]International Livestock Research Institute. World Food Safety Day 2020 social media tool kit. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.ilri.org/social-media-toolkit-wfsd2020

Many governments in the world treat food safety as an after-thought, only acting when lack of safety practices — and the consequences — threaten economic or political consequences:

“Food safety receives relatively little policy attention and is under-resourced. Action is normally reactive—to major foodborne disease outbreaks or trade interruptions—rather than preventative,” says Juergen Voegele, Senior Director of the Food and Agriculture Global Practice at the World Bank. “By focusing on domestic food safety more deliberately, countries can strengthen the competitiveness of their farmers and food industry and develop their human capital. After all, safe food is essential to fuel a healthy, educated, and resilient workforce.” ^[6]Food-borne Illnesses Cost US$ 110 Billion Per Year in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. World Bank. Press release. 23 October 2018. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/10/23/food-borne-illnesses-cost-us-110-billion-per-year-in-low-and-middle-income-countries

Each year, the day has a different specific theme.

#WorldFoodSafetyDay #FoodSafety #SafeFood #SécuritéSanitaireDesAliments

On twitter: #WFSDchat.

Websites

• https://foodsafetyday.org/
• http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/world-food-safety-day/en/

See also: World Food Day, World Water Day, International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

What is the current situation?

Lack of food safety leads to foodborne disease, which has both a health and economic cost.

“Foodborne diseases caused an estimated 600 million illnesses and 420,000 premature deaths in 2010 according to the World Health Organization.” [Ed: this is the most recent estimate currently available.] ^[7]Food-borne Illnesses Cost US$ 110 Billion Per Year in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. World Bank. Press release. 23 October 2018. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/10/23/food-borne-illnesses-cost-us-110-billion-per-year-in-low-and-middle-income-countries

While in the West we tend to hear most about specific incidents (say, listeria from cheese made from unpasteurized milk, or salmonella from cross-contaminated alfalfa sprouts) that affect us directly, in fact it is low- and middle-income countries which are the most impacted: “They account for 41 percent of the global population yet 53 percent of all foodborne illness and 75 percent of related deaths.” ^[8]Food-borne Illnesses Cost US$ 110 Billion Per Year in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. World Bank. Press release. 23 October 2018. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/10/23/food-borne-illnesses-cost-us-110-billion-per-year-in-low-and-middle-income-countries

And sadly, the impact falls mostly on children:

“Although children under 5 make up only 9 percent of the world’s population, they account for almost 40 percent of foodborne disease and 30 percent of related deaths.” ^[9]Food-borne Illnesses Cost US$ 110 Billion Per Year in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. World Bank. Press release. 23 October 2018. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/10/23/food-borne-illnesses-cost-us-110-billion-per-year-in-low-and-middle-income-countries

Beyond the health and well-being impact, a 2018 World Bank study looking at the financial cost found “that the impact of unsafe food costs low- and middle-income economies about US$ 110 billion in lost productivity and medical expenses each year… The total productivity loss associated with foodborne disease in low- and middle-income countries is estimated to cost US$ 95.2 billion per year, and the annual cost of treating foodborne illnesses is estimated at US$ 15 billion.” ^[10]Food-borne Illnesses Cost US$ 110 Billion Per Year in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. World Bank. Press release. 23 October 2018. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/10/23/food-borne-illnesses-cost-us-110-billion-per-year-in-low-and-middle-income-countries

Where are the dangers?

Ironically, the most nutritious foods often carry the greatest food safety risk:

“The most nutritious foods can also be the most dangerous. Many of the world’s poor rely on milk, meat and fish for essential protein and micronutrients, and demand will increase eight-fold over the next 30 years. But pathogens in these foods are responsible for ⅔ of food-borne diseases.” ^[11]International Livestock Research Institute. World Food Safety Day 2020 social media tool kit. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.ilri.org/social-media-toolkit-wfsd2020

These foods are also the main income for over 1 billion poor farmers, who sell these products at wet markets. In fact, up to 85 to 95% of the food eaten in sub-Saharan Africa is sold at traditional ‘informal’ markets or street stalls, which are within walking distances of many poorer consumers and offer nutritious food cheaply. ^[12]International Livestock Research Institute. World Food Safety Day 2020 social media tool kit. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.ilri.org/social-media-toolkit-wfsd2020

The traditional approach to food safety is testing in labs, inspections of formal food facilities by licenced professionals, and fines. But to address food safety at this level of informal retail in poor countries, greater initial results can be achieved by first understanding these types of informal markets, and then building capacity by providing appropriate education, harm-reduction methods, and motivation.

History

The decision to have a global food safety day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018, resolution 73/250. The first year was 2019.

Yearly themes have been:

• 2021: “Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow”
• 2020: “Food safety, everyone’s business”
• 2019: ‘Healthy Diets For A #ZeroHunger World”

Action calls for 2020 were: ^[13]Safe food now for a healthy tomorrow. World Health Organization. Accessed May 2021 at https://www.who.int/news-room/campaigns/world-food-safety-day/2021

1. Ensure it’s safe – Government must ensure safe and nutritious food for all
2. Grow it safe – Agriculture and food producers need to adopt good practices
3. Keep it safe – Business operators must make sure food is safe
4. Know what’s safe – Consumers need to learn about safe and healthy food
5. Team up for food safety – Work together for safe food and good health

Futher reading

Jaffee, Steven; Henson, Spencer; Unnevehr, Laurian; Grace, Delia; Cassou, Emilie. 2019. The Safe Food Imperative : Accelerating Progress in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Agriculture and Food Series;. Washington, DC: World Bank. © World Bank.   License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.

Sources

Global Food Safety Initiative. “Ensure it’s safe”. 1 June 2020. Accessed May 2021 at https://mygfsi.com/news_updates/ensure-its-safe-worldfoodsafetyday-2020