On average, nearly 1.6 million people get sick every day because they have consumed food that is not safe to eat. The alert was issued by the UN World Health Agency, noting that an average of 340 children under the age of 5 die daily from preventable food-borne illnesses.
More than 200 illnesses caused by unhealthy foods, ranging from diarrhea to cancer, are caused by eating foods contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemicals. “Every day, an estimated 1.6 million people around the world get sick from eating dangerous food,” said a UN press briefing in Geneva. Dr Francesco Branca, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety of the World Health Organization (WHO), on the eve of the 5th World Food Safety Day. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also points out that food safety is an essential component of food security. It plays a crucial role in reducing foodborne illness.
According to the agency, 600 million people are affected each year by about 200 types of food-borne illness. And it is the poor and young people who suffer the most. Food-borne illnesses are also responsible for 420,000 preventable deaths each year. Access to safe, nutritious and healthy food is a fundamental human right. Food safety is a determinant of human health. To ensure this right, governments must ensure that available food meets safety standards. These standards ensure safety, nutrition and food quality and protect lives. WHO, in collaboration with FAO, leads global expert groups and provides scientific advice to develop food standards and protect the health of consumers around the world.
Strong correlation between food insecurity and exposure to food-related disease risks
World Food Security Day comes at a time of global crisis. According to FAO, 828 million people are chronically food insecure. A few weeks ago, the UN World Report on Food Crises highlighted that over the past seven years, the number of people in food crises has increased from 108 million to 258 million, some of them at risk of starvation. It is clear that the more hungry you are, the more chronic food insecurity affects you, the more you will try to find food, the more you will be exposed to the risks of having access to food that is not safe, Dominique Burgeon, Director of the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva, said at a press conference in Geneva that “it is in the most vulnerable countries where there are more risks”.
In fact, FAO intends to recall “the strong correlation between food insecurity and exposure to food-related disease risks.” That is why, in all the countries where they operate, UN agencies try to support these countries, whatever their situation.
