The World Food Safety Day call this year to “prepare for the unexpected” was taken up by food safety advocates the world over, in an indication that the Day continues to inspire action on food safety. For six years, the World Food Safety Day campaign has reinforced the message that “food safety is everyone’s business” and the hundreds of events organized on or around the 7 June observance this year amplified that message loud and clear. This year, though, owners, managers and staff of food businesses, food safety authority professionals and consumers globally were also reiterating that even when we all play our part in keeping food safe, the unexpected can happen to cause food to become unsafe. The unexpected can happen anywhere and it can involve anything from a simple power outage to global crises such as conflict, disease or climate change.

The year’s theme was chosen to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN), which was born out of work on the Codex text, Principles and Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Safety Emergency Situations (CXG 19-1995). WHO organized a webinar to highlight the work of INFOSAN, which has been instrumental in facilitating the crucial international exchange of information in situations of foodborne disease outbreaks. Codex published a case study describing how Honduras used Codex texts and the INFOSAN network to quickly identify the source of an outbreak of Salmonella Braenderup in melons. Meanwhile, the Directorate of Nutrition from the Ministry of Public Health, Population and Social Affairs of Niger organized, with the support of WHO, FAO and the INFOSAN Secretariat, a workshop aimed at revitalizing the INFOSAN network in the country.

Governments and international organizations convened in webinars, symposia and conferences to reinforce their commitment to working collectively to prevent, detect and manage foodborne disease outbreaks. Events were also organized by the governments of Australia, Croatia, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Kenya, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Türkiye and Yemen to name but a few. In Ukraine, WHO and FAO worked with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Public Health Centre of Ukraine and the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection to hold a webinar for students on food safety. In Peru and El Salvador, food safety authorities promoted World Food Safety Day through a walk and a fun run respectively. In Timor Leste, authorities organized an advocacy workshop for World Food Safety Day on the topic of Codex under their ongoing Codex Trust Fund project.

Podcasts were a popular medium this year for promoting World Food Safety Day and the 2024 theme, with examples in the United States of America from the Food Safety Matters podcast and the government’s USAID programme. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) also released a new podcast episode entitled “Prepared for the Unexpected”.

Our food would not be kept safe, however, without the commitment of the food industry, and countless food businesses across the globe took up the challenge to raise awareness and inspire action among staff and customers. Food industry associations and bodies also organized events to discuss the topics around this year’s theme. Businesses held food fairs and expos, they organized staff training, ran emergency drills and reinforced staff awareness on product recall. In Zimbabwe, a food safety professional, Ellina Fanizani Chakawodza, celebrated World Food Safety Day this year by conducting “food handler education” with food business people around her. Other professionals who carried out their own campaigns were Any Coronado in Peru, who ran a media campaign which included a TV interview, and in Chad, Cabinet d’Expertise Six Sigma continued their campaign to educate about food safety.

Regarding education, the students and academic staff at many universities organized an array of events. Some of these include the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad in Iraq, Kyrgyz Economic University, in partnership with FAO, the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), where advocates handed out leaflets and information at a street food market and, in Portugal, the Lusófona de Lisboa University held a lecture and workshop on parasites in sushi. In Romania, the Faculty of Industrial Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, University Politehnica Timisoara, carried out its now annual Youth and Food Safety competition.

Schools also took up the calls to action of World Food Safety Day, with long-term food safety programmes being established in schools in Peru, where the Ministry of Production, through the National Fisheries Health Organization (SANIPES), appointed the first five school leaders of food safety with a view to expanding their programme in coming years. In Tunisia, the Food Safety Agency in Sidi Bouzid governorate launched an extensive awareness campaign under the theme "Getting ready for the unexpected." More than 4 000 students across 30 schools in the governorate celebrated World Food Safety Day to better prepare for the unexpected. Milon School in Nagaland, India, observed World Food Safety Day with a series of activities aimed at promoting proper food handling and safety.

Medical institutions, too, held awareness events, with one example coming from the Ramdevrao Hospital in Kukatpally, Hyderabad, India, where medical staff trained patients, families and auxiliary staff on healthy eating habits.

It is with thanks and congratulations to the organizers of these and the hundreds of other events around the world that we see awareness about food safety is growing among people everywhere, from consumers to governments and from young to old.

If you held an event and would like to let us know, please contact the World Food Safety Day team at [email protected]

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World Food Safety Day events this year

INFOSAN
Principles and Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Safety Emergency Situations (CXG 19-1995)
How Honduras handled the unexpected - Codex case study: Honduras

Photo © SANIPES
Caption: Authorities in Peru organized a variety of World Food Safety Day awareness raising initiatives