World Food Safety Day 2024

World Food Safety Day will be celebrated on June 7, 2024, and this year's theme is “Let's prepare for the unexpected”. This initiative seeks to highlight the importance of preparedness throughout the food industry supply chain in the face of unexpected crises that can compromise food safety. These crises include water shortages, power outages, natural disasters, foodborne disease outbreaks caused by imported products and ingredient shortages.

In order to meet these challenges, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations provides advice on how to take action.

Development of management and response plans: Companies should have food safety management plans and emergency response protocols in place. These plans should be periodically reviewed and updated to adapt to new risks and challenges.

**Encouraging multi-sectoral collaboration: Effective response to food safety crises requires a coordinated approach between government agencies, national authorities and the food industry. Multisectoral collaboration can minimize the impact on public health.

**Rapid information exchange: The rapid and accurate exchange of information among all stakeholders is crucial. This helps to quickly identify the nature and source of food safety events, enabling a timely and appropriate response.

Effective communication: Maintaining open, accurate and timely communication with stakeholders, including health professionals, the media and the general public, is essential to preserve confidence in the food supply.

Updating safety management plans: Food producers, importers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers should maintain and regularly update their food safety management plans to ensure the protection of public health.

Determined action by food operators: Food industry operators must be prepared to implement emergency response plans and approaches, including product recall and recovery procedures. Traceability systems are critical to trace food throughout the food chain.

Promoting risk management: Food safety risk management is a shared responsibility. Everyone, from individuals to communities to governments, plays a role in assessing and making decisions that affect food safety.**