The European Food Safety Authority writes that food safety is a shared responsibility, while marking World Food Safety Day on 7 June 2020. It says, together with our national, European and international partners, including the UN event sponsors Codex Alimentarius, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
We are united in working to raise awareness of this vital issue and inspire action that helps prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.
Food safety is often taken for granted. While 2 in 5 Europeans are interested in food safety, only 1 in 5 say it is their main concern when choosing food. It is often invisible unless you get food poisoning. Unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances causes more than 200 diseases – ranging from diarrhoea to cancer.
EFSA’s Executive Director, Bernhard Url, said: “For World Food Safety Day 2020 we want to focus on three important features of the EU food safety system – implementing a One Healthapproach, sustainable food systems and the shared responsibility of food safety.
“These are important features of the EU food safety system where European and national organisations together with our many stakeholders help to make Europe’s standards of food safety, animal health and welfare, and environmental protection among the highest in the world.”
