World Food Safety Day

7 June 2023

1 600 000
People get sick due to unsafe food in one day, on average

340
Children under 5 years of age die due to preventable foodborne diseases, on average, every day

200
Diseases caused by unsafe food, ranging from diarrhoea to cancers

Food standards save lives

World Food Safety Day on 7 June 2023 will draw attention to food standards. Foodborne diseases affect 1 in 10 people worldwide each year, and food standards help us to ensure what we eat is safe. 

More than 600 million people fall ill and 420 000 die every year from eating contaminated food. Nobody should die from eating food. These are preventable deaths. 

The United Nations General Assembly established World Food Safety Day in 2018 to raise awareness on the importance of food safety. WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) jointly facilitate the observance of World Food Safety Day, in collaboration with Member States and other stakeholders.

This year’s theme, “Food standards save lives”, highlights the role of established food safety practices and standards, which ensure food safety and quality

When you eat, how do you know your food is safe? Behind the scenes, countless people are involved in making sure that food production follows established food safety practices. WHO, together with FAO, leads global expert groups and provides scientific advice to develop international food safety standards to protect consumer health everywhere. Food standards are at the heart of food safety.

Everyone can take an active role in preventing foodborne illness, and World Food Safety Day offers an opportunity to get informed and involved.

For loads more information from the World Health Organization, click here.