The 40th Session of the FAO Conference in July 2017 adopted a resolution in support of a World Food Safety Day and the World Health Organization expressed its support in December 2017. In December 2018, cognizant of the urgent need to raise awareness at all levels and to promote and facilitate actions for global food safety, the United Nations General Assembly decided to designate 7 June as World Food Safety Day. Through World Food Safety Day, WHO pursues its efforts to mainstream food safety in the public agenda and reduce the burden of foodborne diseases globally. Food safety is key to achieving several of the Sustainable Development Goals and World Food Safety Day brings it into the spotlight, to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks.

Safe food contributes to economic prosperity, boosting agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.

• Goal 2 — There is no food security without food safety. Ending hunger is about all people having access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.

• Goal 3 — Food safety has a direct impact on people’s health and nutritional intake. Foodborne diseases are preventable.

• Goal 12 — When countries strengthen their regulatory, scientific and technological capacities to ensure that food is safe and of the expected quality throughout the food chain, they move towards more sustainable patterns of food production and consumption.

• Goal 17 — A globalized world with annual food exports currently in excess of USD 1.6 trillion and complex food systems demands international cooperation across sectors to ensure food is safe. Food safety is a shared responsibility among governments, food industries, producers and consumers.

FORUM: World Food Safety Day 2020: ''Food Safety, Everyone’s Business.''

Under the theme “Food safety, everyone’s business”, the action-oriented campaign 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. The way in which food is produced, stored, handled and consumed affects the safety of our food. Complying with Global food standards, establishing effective regulatory food control systems including emergency preparedness and response, providing access to clean water, applying good agriculture practices (terrestrial, aquatic, livestock, horticulture), strengthening the use of food safety management systems by food business operators, and building capacities of consumers to make healthy food choices are some ways in which governments, international organizations, scientists, the private sector and civil society work to ensure food safety. Food safety is a shared responsibility between 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 cause damages to our health.

Food Safety and COVID-19: Currently, there is no evidence that the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can be transmitted through food. The virus is transmitted primarily by people, who are infected through coughing and sneezing droplets, which are then picked up by another person. The best way to avoid COVID-19 is through good hygiene practices, including in food production and consumption.

PUBLICATION:

• The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019: After decades of steady decline, world hunger has slowly been on the rise since 2015. An estimated 821 million people in the world suffered from hunger in 2018. If nothing changes, the immense challenge of achieving the Zero Hunger Target by 2030 will not be achieved. At the same time, overweight and obesity continue to increase in all regions of the world,

• Five Keys to Safer Food Manual

• General Principles of Food Hygiene

• Codex Alimentarius