WHO Marks World Food Safety Day
"Every country around the world, from small to big, from rich to poor, has suffered from foodborne illnesses, and Europe is no exception. The scale of the challenge posed by foodborne disease is striking, indicating the importance of preventing and mitigating risks to food safety," said Dr. Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO's regional director for Europe.
The World Health Organization is marking the first World Food Safety Day on June 7, with the WHO European Region joining partners around the world in celebrating the day to raise awareness and promote action to improve food safety. More than 23 million people per year in the region get sick from eating contaminated food, and an estimated 4,700 per year lose their lives, according to a review of the most recent available data, but the agency reported that this is likely an underestimate of the true number of cases.
"Every country around the world, from small to big, from rich to poor, has suffered from foodborne illnesses, and Europe is no exception. The scale of the challenge posed by foodborne disease is striking, indicating the importance of preventing and mitigating risks to food safety," said Dr. Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO's regional director for Europe. "Food is a global affair with a food chain that wraps around the planet. A simple meal can easily contain ingredients from multiple continents, and its safety depends on international collaboration. World Food Safety Day is an unprecedented opportunity to call on governments to strengthen the systems that guarantee safe food, across sectors and across Europe and the world."
"Food is something people don't think about until it goes wrong, yet unacceptable numbers of people are being subjected to the misery of foodborne illness, sometimes with serious consequences – especially for the very young and very old," said Dr. Dorit Nitzan, acting regional emergency director at WHO/Europe. "From handwashing, cooking, and storing food properly to surveillance and international regulation – every piece of the food safety puzzle affects lives, economies, and whole communities. World Food Safety Day is our opportunity to say out loud that it's teamwork that will make the difference."
World Food Safety Day was created by a resolution adopted at the United Nations General Assembly.