FSSAI Celebrates the First Ever ‘World Food Safety Day’ in New Delhi Today

The motto behind is 'If it is not safe, it is not food.’ 

 The first-ever “World Food Safety Day” adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations was celebrated on 7th of June 2019 under the theme "Food Safety, Everyone's Business". On this occasion, FSSAI hosted a programme to commemorate the first World Food Safety Day at FDA Bhawan. The event involved participation from various stakeholders, namely, representatives from Central and State Government, Food Businesses, Higher Education Institutes, Associations/NGOs, Consumers, among others, to join hands in propagating the message of safe food habits further. 

There is no food without food safety. While we often take for granted that the food we consume is safe, an estimated 600 million cases of food-borne diseases occur annually worldwide. Unsafe food is a threat to human health and economies, disproportionately affecting vulnerable and marginalized people, especially women and children, populations affected by conflict and migrants. It also damages global trade leading to further food waste, which can no longer be tolerated in a world where many still suffer from hunger. Food safety has become an impending concern which can be resolved only when international bodies, governments, producers, and consumers consider it a shared responsibility

The statue of Mahatma Gandhi on a bicycle, who was the inspiration behind “Swasth Bharat Yatra” - an All India Relay Cyclothon held between 16th October, 2018 to 29th January, 2019 was unveiled in the programme. A commemorative Coffee Table Book on the Cyclothon, along with a documentary travelogue film series, was also released. 

To celebrate their spirit and tireless efforts with regards to ensuring food safety and disseminating the message of eating right, a felicitation ceremony had been organised for States, who have been shortlisted through the ‘State Food Safety Index’, Food Businesses through the ‘Eat Right Awards’, and various other institutions through ‘Eat Right Campuses’. 

A video library, which includes topics ranging from safe food practices, adulteration to e-learning modules was also released. The videos have been created by and on behalf of FSSAI. Additionally, the event marks the release of the manifesto of Network of Professional in Food and Nutrition (NetProFaN), which embodies the principles, objectives and activities developed to promote health for all and help India achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Taking into account the fact that children are change agents of the future, FSSAI has developed a ‘Do-it-yourself’ (DIY) toolkit for school children - a “Food Safety Magic Box” to detect food adulterants through simple tests at school. Another device based on the famous “Raman Spectroscopy” technique, which helps screen various types of adulterants in edible oil, will be launched at the event.