World Food Safety Day is annually celebrated on 7th June to draw global attention to the health consequences of contaminated food and water to improve human health. The World Health Organization declared this year’s World Safety Day theme as Safer Food, Better Health.
Safe food means food that does not contain any poisonous, disease-causing substances or microorganisms that cause diseases such as diarrhea and that which does not contribute to poor health conditions such as micronutrient deficiencies and impaired growth and development. Worldwide, millions of people get sick from food illnesses that cause serious health problems, even death.
We can all participate in preventing food-borne illnesses by playing an essential role in making it our business and promoting safe food consumption by incorporating good food safety practices in our day-to-day lives. We can ensure our food is thoroughly washed with clean water and prepared in a safe and hygienic environment. We can wash our hands repeatedly. Separate raw and cooked food to prevent contamination of cooked food by bacteria from raw food. We can cook food thoroughly and keep it at a safe temperature to inhibit bacterial growth and kill harmful microorganisms.
However, we cannot have safe and healthy food if the government does not play its role in implementing an effective and transparent food control system that examines all aspects of the food chain including primary production, food processing, storage, and retail sale. The government must set policy and provide legislation that lays down minimum food safety or marketing standards that must be met by food businesses. The government must train, inspect, and enforce laws to ensure food businesses comply. It has the mandate to ensure consumers are provided with timely, factual, and balanced information on food safety issues to protect their health and interests.