June 7 is World Food Safety Day

In addition to reducing food borne illnesses, food safety can result to economic profits and social benefits through improved productivity and safer food supply leading to a robust food and agriculture sector. (photo layout by ISD ATI-CO)

The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) joins the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) in celebrating June 7, 2020 as World Food Safety Day.

As specialized agencies, FAO and WHO intends to recognize the people who help keep our food safe and to promote awareness and urging action by highlighting what everyone can do to ensure food safety. Whether one grow, process, transport, store, distribute, sell, prepare, serve or consume food, we all have a role to play in keeping it safe.

This global event and concern 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.

Among the urgent call to action are the following:

1. Ensure it is 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. Eat it safe - All consumers have a right to safe, healthy and nutritious food

5. Team up for safety – Food Safety is a shared responsibility

This year’s campaign theme “Food safety, everyone’s business”, will promote global food safety awareness and call upon countries and decision makers, the private sector, civil society, UN organizations and the general public to take action.

Food safety is a shared responsibility among governments, producers and consumers. Everybody has a role to play from farm to table to ensure the food we consume is safe and will not jeopardize our health. In addition to reducing food borne illnesses, food safety can result to economic profits and social benefits through improved productivity and safer food supply leading to a robust food and agriculture sector.

Through the World Food Safety Day, WHO pursues its efforts to mainstream food safety in the public agenda and reduce the burden of food borne diseases globally.

For more info about this global event, visit www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/world-food-safety-day/about/en/ and follow the hashtag #WORLDFOODSAFETYDAY.