WORLD FOOD SAFETY DAY

The first-ever World Food Safety Day, celebrated on 6th June 2019, was kicked-off by Hon’ble Union Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at FSSAI HQ by recognizing the remarkable efforts of States, Food Businesses and individuals in promoting food safety. The theme for this day was ‘Food Safety, everyone’s business’. Numerous stakeholders from the food industry gathered together to collectively take a pledge to promote food safety for all 130- crore citizens of the country.

VIDEOS ON WORLD FOOD SAFETY DAY

WORLD FOOD SAFETY DAY

‘If it is not safe, it is not food.’ – Commemorating the first ever World Food Safety Day at FSSAI headquarters, New Delhi held on 7th June,2019.

There is no food without food safety. While we often take for granted that the food we consume is safe, an estimated 600 million cases of foodborne diseases occur annually worldwide. Unsafe food is a threat to human health and economies, disproportionately affecting vulnerable and marginalized people, especially women and children, populations affected by conflict and migrants. It also damages global trade leading to further food waste, which can no longer be tolerated in a world where many still suffer from hunger.* Food safety has become an impending concern which can be resolved only when international bodies, governments, producers, and consumers consider it a shared responsibility.

The first-ever “World Food Safety Day” adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations will be celebrated on 7th of June 2019 under the theme "Food Safety, Everyone's Business". On this occasion, FSSAI would be hosting a programme to commemorate the first World Food Safety Day at FDA Bhawan. The event would involve participation from various stakeholders, namely, representatives from Central and State Government, Food Businesses, Higher Education Institutes, Associations/NGOs, Consumers, among others, to join hands in propagating the message of safe food habits further.

The statue of Mahatma Gandhi on a bicycle, who was the inspiration behind “Swasth Bharat Yatra” - an All India Relay Cyclothon held between 16th October, 2018 to 29th January, 2019, will be unveiled in the programme. A commemorative Coffee Table Book on the Cyclothon, along with a documentary travelogue film series, would also be released on the occasion.

 

To celebrate their spirit and tireless efforts with regards to ensuring food safety and disseminating the message of eating right, a felicitation ceremony is also being organised for States, who have been shortlisted through the ‘State Food Safety Index’, Food Businesses through the ‘Eat Right Awards’, and various other institutions through ‘Eat Right Campuses’.

A video library, which includes topics ranging from safe food practices, adulteration to e-learning modules, will also be released. The videos have been created by and on behalf of FSSAI. Additionally, the event marks the release of the manifesto of Network of Professional in Food and Nutrition (NetProFaN), which embodies the principles, objectives and activities developed to promote health for all and help India achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Taking into account the fact that children are change agents of the future, FSSAI has developed a ‘Do-it-yourself’ (DIY) toolkit for school children - a “Food Safety Magic Box” to detect food adulterants through simple tests at school. Another device based on the famous “Raman Spectroscopy” technique, which helps screen various types of adulterants in edible oil, will be launched at the event.

*http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/news-and-events/news-details/en/c/1175473/   external link