7th June marks the yearly celebration of World Food Safety Day, which was observed to steer attention towards preventing and detecting food-borne diseases, contributing to human health, food security, economic prosperity, tourism, market access, and sustainable development.
Food is vital for survival, nourishment of living beings & to hold life together. But these days, adulteration is quite common in food products available in the market, disturbing both individuals and the economy. That’s why we need to look into why food safety is essential.
People sometimes take food safety and hygiene for granted and ignore to follow the measures resulting in illness. When food contaminated by bacteria, viruses, or other germs is consumed, it can make the person sick.
Recent data and studies have shown that 1 out of 10 individuals is at risk of catching food-borne due to lack of safety and cleanliness. According to WHO, 76 million cases are registered due to food contamination, and 5000 deaths are reported worldwide.
Fit India Movement’s Twitter page posted four easy steps to keep the food clean and safe to break the dangerous cycle of malnutrition & other risks associated with it:
- Clean
Always wash hands, food, cooking appliances, counters, etc., with clear water to remove the germs.
- Separate
Keep the dry and wet raw & cooked food separated as the germs can spread from each other.
- Cook
Heat can kill germs. Hence, meals need to be hot to avoid germs.
- Chill
Always keep the remaining food in the fridge after it is at room temperature to not spoil food.
Along with the above steps, the Government of India had issued various safety standards to control adulteration under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries and multiple laws and bills, like:
- AGMARK (Agricultural Marketing)
- BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards)
- FPO (Food Products Order)
- Boards for Tea, Coffee, Honey, Dairy, and Tropical products.
The day has started to be acknowledged since 2018 and is spreading its wings globally. Last year, in 2020, the World Health Organization, in collaboration with the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United States, decided to facilitate the celebration with other relevant members and organizations.
Clean, healthy, and fresh food is necessary for good growth, and we all understand its importance. But we forget that ensuring food safety is everyone’s business, and all of us have a role to play in it. That’s why this year, World Health Organization wants to share the responsibility of providing safe food with producers and consumers to assure a healthy future.
For better health, livelihood, economic development, we need to ensure that food security. Hence, this year let’s come together and promise to pay attention & work towards food safety.
