This year marks the fifth celebration of World Food Safety Day (WFSD), which takes place every year on June 7. The journey to dedicate a day to raising awareness about the importance of food safety started in 2016, when the Codex Alimentarius Commission at its 39th meeting unanimously agreed to promote a proposal to declare a permanent day for World Food Safety Day within the United Nations (UN) framework. After the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed their support for such a day in 2017, and through the efforts of the government of Costa Rica, the UN General Assembly formally designated June 7 as World Food Safety Day by adopting resolution 73/2501 in December 2018.
WFSD is an important recognition for the fundamental role of food safety in achieving food security, as well as its centrality in the agri-food system. Even though WFSD comes along once a year, food safety must be protected year-round to continue promoting good health and sufficient food for all. It also plays a key role supporting economic growth and facilitating international trade.