World Food Safety Day. From burden to solutions: safe food for all

Foodborne diseases (FBDs) continue to represent one of the major challenges to public health and food systems worldwide. These illnesses result from the consumption of food or beverages contaminated with pathogens, chemicals, or toxins, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable populations, who face a greater risk of illness.

In addition to their significant impacts on population health, FBDs generate substantial economic and social consequences, affecting healthcare systems, productivity, trade, and the sustainability of food supply chains.

Understanding the magnitude, distribution, and impact of these hazards is essential for guiding effective surveillance, prevention, and control measures, thereby contributing to the provision of safe food and strengthening countries’ capacity to protect public health.

Following the 2018 Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, World Food Safety Day (WFSD) is commemorated every year on June 7. In 2026, the theme is: “From burden to solutions: safe food everywhere”, highlighting the importance of transforming data and scientific evidence into concrete actions that strengthen prevention, improve food safety governance, and advance towards safer, more resilient, and sustainable food systems.

As part of their regional commitment to food safety, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Codex Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (CCLAC), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and the International Regional Organization for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA) are commemorating this international observance for the sixth consecutive year. They invite representatives from national authorities, international organizations, academia, the private sector, and other relevant stakeholders involved in sanitary management and food safety to participate in the regional webinar, “From burden to solutions: safe food for all”.

On this occasion, regional and international experts will present global estimates of the burden of foodborne diseases. In addition, experiences related to the inspection and control of foods of animal origin, technological tools applied to microbiological risk assessment, and strategies to strengthen epidemiological surveillance and response to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) will be shared.

World Food Safety Day seeks to:

• Raise awareness of the importance of preventing foodborne diseases.
• Promote collaborative approaches to strengthen food safety throughout the entire food chain.
• Encourage evidence-based decision-making and public policies grounded in scientific evidence and risk analysis.
• Strengthen technical cooperation, the exchange of experiences, and regional dialogue to advance the development of national food safety systems.

The use of evidence to guide the adoption of targeted, risk-based measures is a key element in strengthening food safety and public health, while advancing towards safer and more sustainable food systems.