For the fourth consecutive year, the Regional Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO RLC), the Pan American Center for Foot and Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health of the Pan American Health Organization (PANAFTOSA/SPV-PAHO/WHO), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the International Regional Organization for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA) and Ecuador as Coordinator of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (CCLAC), jointly coordinated the CCLAC regional event to celebrate World Food Safety Day with a virtual seminar aimed at bringing together the different actors involved in the food chain, with the goal of sharing their knowledge and experiences.

The event was attended by experts addressing two specific food safety topics: i) Strengthening national food control systems; ii) Estimating the global burden of foodborne diseases. There was also a segment in which the voices of academia, civil society, industry and government were heard. Speakers from Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago, answered questions on food safety and how to prepare for food safety unexpcted events, from the point of view of the sector they respectively represent.

The event was held on June 5, 2024 and was attended by over 700 spectators from the region.

The CCLAC region will continue to work together to build awareness and educate all actors in the chain because food safety is everybody's business!