FAO, WHO and Codex to host online World Food Safety Day event, discussing ‘Safe food now for a healthy tomorrow’

On World Food Safety Day, 7 June 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Codex Secretariat will host an online discussion with Chief Scientists Ismahane Elouafi and Soumya Swaminathan to highlight the important role science plays in keeping food safe, now and in the future. The scientists will talk about the significance of this year’s World Food Safety Day theme: “Safe food now for a healthy tomorrow.”

The event will open with video messages from FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The two Chief scientists will focus on the scientific underpinning of the food safety initiatives of FAO and WHO. Dr Elouafi (FAO) and Dr Swaminathan (WHO) will underline some of the science-based policy support, technical guidance and capacity development activities that are making a difference in Member countries. They will also take audience questions.

Dr Elouafi was named FAO’s first ever Chief Scientist following the creation of the role by the organization’s Director-General QU Dongyu, in September 2020. She had previously held numerous high-ranking positions in international research organizations and has also been a member of various strategy expert panels and scientific advisory groups. She is also well-known internationally for her advocacy of neglected and underutilized crops and her a vocal support for the empowerment of women in science.

Dr Swaminathantrained as a paediatrician and has three decades of research and clinical care experience, with an emphasis on tuberculosis and HIV. She has held high-level positions within the Government of India, as well as serving in global advisory bodies including the WHO Expert Panel to Review Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health. She took on this role following a spell as WHO's Deputy Director-General for Programmes.

The successes of food safety advocates from across the world will be showcased to demonstrate the various ways people from different sectors tackle local food safety concerns.

The event will last for 45 minutes and will be interpreted in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.

Register here:

https://fao.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJArfuGhqDMsHdI6mW_IdY3lgN6Jt73AXFK8

Follow the webcast live on the FAO website.

Food safety is everyone’s business: we all have a role to play. Please spread the word about this event, using #WorldFoodSafetyDay on social media.

For more information, contact us at: [email protected]