World Food Safety Day 2023: 5 facts you should be aware ??
A 2019 World Bank report shows that foodborne illness causes an estimated $95.2 billion in lost productivity each year in low- and middle-income countries.
World Food Safety Day aims to raise awareness of the need for food safety and the prevention of foodborne illnesses, which affect one in ten people worldwide each year. It is estimated that unsafe food causes about 16 million diseases every day and leads to nearly 420,000 deaths every year.
World Food Safety Day is observed every year on June 7th to raise awareness of the need for food safety and the problems caused by eating unsafe food. The World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations jointly celebrate World Food Safety Day to prevent foodborne diseases and contribute to food safety and human health.
World Food Safety Day was first observed on June 7, 2019, after being introduced by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly a year earlier. It was proposed by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and supported by a total of 44 countries.
Here are 5 facts you need to know about World Food Safety Day:
- According to the WHO, one in ten people in the world gets sick from foodborne illnesses every year, while about 16,000,000 people get sick every day due to food.
- United Nations data shows that foodborne diseases kill nearly 4,20,000 people each year, nearly 40% of whom are children, with 1,25,000 deaths.
- A 2019 World Bank report shows that foodborne illnesses cost about $95.Every year, $2 billion in productivity is lost in low- and middle-income countries. The report also shows that the cost of treating foodborne illnesses is $15 billion annually.
- According to the WHO, unsafe foods containing bacteria, viruses and parasites are the cause of over 200 foodborne illnesses. The way to prevent these diseases is through proper hygiene, handling, storage, and treatment.
- Food safety plays an important role in ensuring that food remains safe at every stage, from harvest, processing, storage and distribution to preparation and consumption.
