*Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)
Greetings and happy World Food Safety Day.
This year’s theme is “Safer food, better health” as the consumption and production of safe food have immediate and long-term benefits for people’s health. Together, there are several actions that we can take now, for the future.
Traditional food markets are key parts of our food systems. They play an important economic, cultural and social role in the Asia-Pacific region, and are a source of livelihood for millions of people in both urban and rural areas.
Healthy and safe traditional food markets can be achieved by implementing measures based on risks identified in the market.
When managed properly, they provide access to safe, healthy, nutritious and culturally appropriate food, and they play a role in promoting health and preventing diseases, especially among vulnerable groups.
When managed improperly, food markets can be unsafe environments, and even pose health risks related to food safety and zoonoses threats. They can also serve as an amplification setting for the human-to-human transmission of respiratory diseases, including COVID-19, if appropriate measures are not in place.
Whether you’re a consumer or you work in a food market, there are simple measures you can take to mitigate the risks in traditional food markets: maintain good personal hygiene habits; avoid mixing raw and ready-to-eat foods; check if foods are safe and suitable for consumption before eating them; minimize contact with live animals in markets; and follow local public health and social measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
We must also recognize connections between the health of people, animals, plants, the environment, and the economy, in order to better prepare for the future. Adopting a holistic One Health approach to food safety can help deliver better food safety systems.
Still, many food safety issues extend beyond the health sector and require a multisectoral approach. Local actions based on equitable, sometimes novel solutions, will help us to achieve this.
Concerted efforts on food safety will help countries mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic and boost their resilience in the long term by facilitating and accelerating food and agricultural trade, helping to prevent the next zoonotic pandemic, and transforming food systems.
Food safety is everyone’s business. Guaranteeing food safety for all is a shared responsibility, which involves the participation of many actors from different sectors, including consumers. WHO is committed to supporting countries in these efforts.
Happy World Food Safety Day!