Colombo, Sri Lanka – The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened awareness about the need for personal hygiene measures, such as frequent handwashing; however, World Food Safety Day (WFSD) is a good reminder that proper hygiene practices are always important when preparing and handling food.

This year, World Food Safety Day is dedicated to everyone who helped ensure the crisis did not interrupt supply chains. To all those that guaranteed safe food remained available, contributing to the consumption of healthy diets; from the workers in the fields to those in the supermarkets to all those preparing food for others and themselves, we thank you, and we celebrate you. World Food Safety Day adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018, is marked on 7 June and kick-starts a series of global initiatives to promote awareness and urge actions by highlighting what everyone can do to ensure food safety.

Current scientific evidence shows that COVID-19 is not transmitted through properly cooked food. Yet it is important to apply sound principles of environmental sanitation, personal hygiene, and established food safety practices from farm to fork. This prevents bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances from entering the body through contaminated food or water. Proper cleaning and prevention of cross-contamination are critical in the control of foodborne illnesses.

Dr Razia Pendse, WHO Representative to Sri Lanka, stated that “World Food Safety Day this year comes amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and is a reminder that public health, including food safety, is “everyone’s business.” This WFSD, we focus on marketplaces and highlight the key actions that both foodservice vendors and customers can take to ensure food safety while also taking measures for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19. Healthy marketplaces provide communities with affordable, safe, and healthy food choices and contribute significantly to promoting healthy diets and healthy communities.”

In Sri Lanka, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations have been working with the Government to improve food safety and quality. With markets gradually re-opening in a COVID-19 backdrop, WHO, FAO, and WFP collaborated with the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services to formulate and disseminate guidelines for food premises. These guidelines not only create a safe environment for traders and customers within the premises but also ensures that any food item sold at markets, particularly ready-to-eat items, is safe for human consumption. The guidelines are also helpful for Public Health Inspectors to monitor safety standards in food premises and ensure that practices are in line with COVID-19 preventive measures.

“Enforcing food safety regulations, standards and practices through wider awareness and adoption have never been more important than today,” says Dr Xuebing Sun, the FAO Representative in Sri Lanka. “With economic activity resuming post-lockdown, the adoption of sustainable agriculture and hygienic practices will be vital to increase trade in agricultural commodities and consumer confidence. FAO is working with partners such as the European Union and UNIDO to strengthen food safety and quality compliance in Sri Lanka.”

“Access to safe and nutritious food is crucial for the development of healthy communities,” says Brenda Barton, WFP Country Director in Sri Lanka. “Food security and food safety must go hand in hand, and we need to develop overarching food systems that ensure food safety and quality, with affordable, nutritious food for all. The health and wellbeing of the nation depends on it.”

Foodborne diseases impede socioeconomic development by straining health care systems and harming national economies, tourism, and trade. Today, food is processed in greater volumes and distributed over greater distances than ever before. Widespread collaboration and contributions of all actors in the food supply chain, as well as good governance and regulations, are essential to food safety.

Eight guidelines by the Ministry of Health for food premises during COVID-19

• Make hand washing facilities with soap and water available at each entrance of the premises.
• Display the maximum number of customers allowed inside the premises at a time at each entrance of the premises.
• Mark standing points on the floor to maintain 1meter distance while waiting to enter the premise and at the cashier.
• Display notices asking people to “Avoid touching goods unnecessarily.”
• Unpacked ready-to-eat food items should be kept covered.
• Ready-to-eat food handlers should wear a mask, cap, apron, and gloves.
• Ready-to-eat food should be handled / served with suitable utensils (e.g. spoons, tongs, forks etc.).
• Once a food item has been served, it should NOT be re-served or sold to another person.