This year, World Health Day was celebrated on April 7th. This special day highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with food safety on a global scale. The World Health Organization (WHO) dedicated the annual day of awareness to the issue of food safety under the slogan “From farm to plate, make food safe.” WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan says, “Food production has been industrialized and its trade and distribution have been globalized. These changes introduce multiple new opportunities for food to become contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemicals.” Dr Chan adds: “A local food safety problem can rapidly become an international emergency.”
With our current global eating habits, food safety is an issue we take seriously at Food $ense (F$). It plays a central role in the nutrition education we provide, as well as the training we require for educators and staff. We all know how unpleasant foodborne illness can be, but the consequences become even higher for those with limited resources. For families with young children, older adults, or those with compromised immune systems living in the home, following food safe practices may even be a matter of life and death. Please join F$ in empowering our communities to be food safe by taking a look at some of the helpful resources below. Get in touch with us if you are interested in food safety learning activities or printed materials for your students, participants, or clients.
WHO World Health Day: From Farm to Plate, Keep Food Safe
Fight Bac! Partnership for Food Safety Education
Federal Food Safety Information Hub
Please contact Anna Kitchin, Extension Coordinator, for more information.