To raise awareness on proper food safety and management, a workshop was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, on World Food Safety Day to help consumers, producers and officials focus on an issue often taken for granted. The workshop was organized by FAO, in partnership with Kyrgyz Economic University.

“The date, 7 June is more than just a date on the calendar,” said Kuvatbek Bapaev, Acting FAO Deputy Representative in Kyrgyzstan and an FAO technical adviser, during his welcoming speech. “World Food Safety Day encourages consumers and vendors to remain informed and promote food safety. Today’s workshop is a good platform for all actors along the food supply chain to ask themselves if they are prepared to address unexpected threats to food safety in an increasingly interconnected food supply.”

The event, held at the Kyrgyz Economic University, featured leaders in food safety, including panellists from the food industry, trade and academia. Attendees focused on current food safety challenges and solutions and on following food safety guidelines.

“The good news is that we can prevent food poisoning by using safety measures,” said Almaz Kadyraliev, Rector of the Kyrgyz Economic University. “These measures include things like putting labels on food, being clean when handling it, and using additives and preservatives. However, because many people are involved in getting food to us, keeping it safe is not always easy.”

The workshop, which aimed to support the development of the food processing sector in line with international recommendations and market requirements, was organized as part of the FAO project “Enhancing capacities for food safety management in the fruit and vegetable industry of the Kyrgyz Republic”, funded by the Standard Trade Development Facility. The facility is a global partnership that facilitates safe trade and contributes to sustainable economic growth, poverty reduction and food security.

“Every meal, every snack, every time dishes are prepared, whenever foods are grown, produced and transported – all of these are moments when food safety must be prioritized,” said Bermet Jurupova, an FAO food safety expert. “When more people know about food safety, we can take better actions to keep our food safe.”

Read more

FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia news
World Food Safety Day events this year

Photo ©FAO/Evgeniy Pechurin