Guatemala joined the global celebrations of World Food Safety Day 2023 with the motto "Food standards save lives".

The event, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA), was aimed at raising awareness among the population about the importance of risk prevention, detection and management through food safety. The Vice-Minister of Agricultural Health and Regulations (VISAR), Víctor Hugo Guzmán, said that the work carried out to date allows for highly effective official controls on food, thus contributing to the health of consumers and fair practices in international trade. Also in attendance were the Vice-President of the Codex Alimentarius, Diego Varela, Romel Betancourt from the Codex Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean, Nelson Ruano, Director of Food Safety at VISAR, food industry, delegates from the Regional International Organization for Agricultural Health (Organismo Internacional Regional de Sanidad Agropecuaria  - OIRSA) and academia.

Photo © Guatemala Codex
Caption: Vice-Minister Víctor Hugo Guzmán speaks at the Guatemalan World Food Safety Day event