Live broadcast

Background

Foodborne diseases have great impacts on the health of the population. It is estimated that, worldwide, 600 million people (1 in 10 people) fall ill from consuming contaminated food, and that 420.000 people die each year from this same cause. These diseases are generally caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemicals present in contaminated food or water.

In addition to their impacts on the health of population, foodborne diseases hamper socioeconomic development, affecting healthcare systems and damaging national economies, tourism and trade.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in December 2017 proclaiming World Food Safety Day (WFSD). Starting in 2019, every June 7 will be a time to celebrate the benefits and highlight the importance of safe food.

World Food Safety Day is an important way to:

• Raise people's awareness about food safety issues
• Show how to prevent illness through food safety
• Explore collaborative approaches to improve food safety across sectors
• Promote solutions and ways to improve food safety.

Food safety is everyone's business!

The WFSD is a space to remember that food safety is a collective responsibility, where everyone, from producers to consumers, has a fundamental role. Although all actors have fulfilled their responsibility, we are always exposed to exceptional situations that can compromise food safety. That said, this year the theme for the WFSD is “Food safety: prepare for the unexpected.”

For the fourth consecutive year, this 2024, the international and regional organizations of FAO, PAHO, IICA, OIRSA and CCLAC join forces to celebrate the WFSD with a 1 day online seminar with the aim of bringing together the different actors involved in the food chain to share their knowledge and experiences.

Goals

Socialize and promote the importance of food safety and the responsibility of actors throughout the food chain.

Topics

The proposed topics to be discussed are emerging risks and how to address them, an estimate of the global burden of foodborne diseases, a round table to discuss the responsibility of each of the actors in the food chain and how to be prepared for the unexpected.