Infact, it is one of the UN’s key Sustainable Development Goals of zero hunger. People shouldn’t downplay the importance of food safety as a central issue for human welfare and well-being in modern society.
The importance of this has led global leaders to invest their efforts and capital heavily in improving food quality and governance.
People can attest to the fact that eating foods that are safe and nutritious is a key component in promoting good health.
Globalization has triggered growing consumer demand for a wider variety of foods, resulting in an increasingly complex and longer global food chain. According to reports, climate change is also predicted to impact food safety.
Safe food supplies support not only national economies, but also contribute to food and nutrition security, thus promoting sustainable development.
With the fast evolving and change of lifestyle coupled with urbanization, people are embracing eating habit that leaves much to be desired. This eating habits and buying food prepared in public places have pose serious threats to our health.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the World Health Organisation country office on Thursday joined activities marking World Food Safey Day. The day seeks to draw attention to and inspire action for the prevention, detection, and management of foodborne risks.
As rightly stated by the country rep, addressing food safety incidents requires collective action at various levels. According to her, more than 600 million people fall ill globally, and 420,000 die every year from eating contaminated food. These illnesses and deaths are largely preventable if food safety is prioritised along the food chain.
We all have a role to play in making food value chain fit and safe for consumption.
We commend the government for all the initiative it has taken to ensure food safety in the country. The Food Safety and Quality Act of 2011, which led to creation of the Food Safety and Quality Authority is a clear manifestation of this fact. We only hope that businesses that are into food chain would heed to this call to always ensure that they serve quality food to their customers at all times.