World Food Safety Day – “Safer food, better health”

World Food Safety Day 2022’s theme “Safer food, better health” makes clear the link between good food and good health. As the world grows ever more aware that food insecurity is rising, the safety of what we consume is under threat as well, as food products recalls and food-borne diseases span the globe. Food safety is an integral part of food security.
On Tuesday, as we celebrated the fourth World Food Safety Day, Guyana is on a mission to transform the agriculture-food system. The country has significantly advanced its food security and nutrition agenda, and its efforts on the food health and safety front are also evident, with the passing of the Food Safety Act and establishment of the Guyana Food Safety Authority (GFSA) to implement the Act. In July 2021, GFSA staff and National Plant Protection Officers, who function as inspectors under the Authority, underwent training at the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS).
“Safe food is essential to human health and well-being and is one of the most critical guarantors for good health. The benefits of safe food include improved nutrition and reduced absenteeism in schools and in the workplace. Food-borne diseases affect 1 in 10 people worldwide each year. There are over 200 of these diseases, ranging from diarrhoea to cancers,” the World Health Organisation (WHO) pointed out.
That figure of 1 in 10 persons translates to more than 700 million persons, although the latest available estimate from 2015 reads 600 million and 420,000 of them die as a result, but these statistics, alarming as they are, mask a deeper truth – at some point in our lives, most of us will experience a food-borne disease and millions of us will die from them. Children under the age of five are at particularly high risk, with some 125,000 dying from foodborne diseases every year. Contaminated food also causes long-term health problems, further increasing the disease burden. US$110 billion is lost each year in productivity and medical expenses resulting from unsafe food in low- and middle-income countries.
This highlights the importance of making sure the food we eat is not contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses, toxins, and chemicals. Food can become contaminated at any point during production, distribution, and preparation. Everyone along the production chain, from producer to consumer, has a role to play to ensure the food we eat does not cause diseases.
Unsafe food is a threat to human health and economies, the United Nations has warned. It disproportionally affects vulnerable and marginalised people, especially women and children, populations affected by conflict, and migrants.
In its efforts to mainstream food safety in the public agenda, and reduce the burden of food-borne diseases globally, the WHO has called for a set of specific actions in multiple sectors to make food safer:
Policymakers need to support policy measures to strengthen national food safety systems and ensure they comply with food safety standards, as well as engage in multi-sectoral collaboration at the local, national, regional, and global levels.
Food businesses must comply with international food standards and engage employees, suppliers, and other stakeholders to grow and develop a food safety culture.
At the same time, educational institutions and workplaces need to promote safe food handling and support food safety. And consumers need to practise safe food handling at home and keep informed and promote food safety.
And with the adoption of the updated WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety 10 days ago, another milestone in the work to promote health, keep the world safe, and protect the vulnerable, the international community is sure to make even more progress on achieving safer food and better health for all.