World Food Safety Day

Posted 3 years ago

The 7th June marks World Food Safety Day, and aims to raise awareness of the risks of foodborne diseases across the globe. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018, this day is now further supported by the World Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (from 2020).

This year’s theme of ‘safe food today for a healthy tomorrow’ highlights how the production and consumption of safe food is beneficial for the people, planet and economy, both now and in the future.

An estimated 600 million – almost 1 in 10 people in the world – fall ill after eating contaminated food and 420,000 die every year.

World Health Organisation

Food plays a major role in everyone’s lives and it is vital that food is kept safe at all times and handled with the greatest care from farm to fork.

Food Businesses

Here in the UK, there are 2.4 million cases of food poisoning reported each year according to the Food Standards Agency. Therefore it is essential that food businesses aim for the highest standards of food hygiene and safety. World Food Safety Day can be used as an opportunity to engage hospitality staff in the importance of food safety and ensure it remains a continuing focus.

Whilst food businesses must comply with food safety legislation to ensure that food never causes harm to consumers, there is also an ethical and moral argument to ensure food is safe to eat. Not only that, good food safety measures and hygiene practices will build business reputation and help lead to future success.

COVID and the future

Food businesses have spent a lot of time and energy ensuring their premises are COVID-safe. With the return of indoor dining on 17th May, restaurant spend across the UK increased by 58%, according to Barclaycard figures. Therefore there is hope for the resurgence of the hospitality industry this summer, to help start their recovery.

Significantly, food deliveries and takeaways from restaurants and pubs has remained high, and its popularity is set to continue. Therefore food businesses need to remain agile and provide customers with a choice when it comes to eating in or out.

Invest in training

The hospitality industry has faced an incredibly difficult and challenging time as a result of the pandemic, and there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the future. Food businesses can take practical steps to prepare for the months ahead and ensure high standards of food hygiene are adhered to and woven into daily practices.

Managers and supervisors can complete our Level 3 Food Safety & Hygiene training course in 3 hours. This is at least 3 hours less than any other training provider can offer, yet it includes all the information and guidance that’s required for management to successfully work towards food safety compliance. Whether you are new to online training or require a complete refresher, this course is engaging, concise, memorable, and delivered with simplicity at its heart – making the guidance easy to put into practise.

You can get instant access to trial this course and our other courses suitable for food businesses including Food Hygiene Level 1, Food Hygiene Level 2 online courses, Level 3, Food Allergy Awareness, and HACCP (Level 2).

Plus read our range of Food Safety blogs or access our range of free resources for more information.