Role of proper food standards in ensuring the safety

(MainsGS2:Issues relating to poverty and hunger.)

Context:

• World Food Safety Day is celebrated annually on 7 June, with the purpose to promote awareness and action on food safety. 
• World Food Safety Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018 to highlight the importance of safe food for public health and well-being.

Importance of safe food:

• World Food Safety Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018 to highlight the importance of safe food for public health and well-being. 
• The day aims to draw attention to the global need for safe, nutritious, and sustainable food, as well as to promote efforts to prevent, detect, and manage foodborne risks. 
• Food safety is a critical global concern as unsafe food can lead to food-borne illnesses, which can have severe health consequences. 
• An estimated 600 million people die each year from food-borne illnesses, while 420,000 people lose their lives each year, resulting in a loss of 33 million years of healthy life.

Need awareness:

• WHO’s Global Strategy for food safety 2022–2030 calls on member states to adopt, adapt, and reinforce their national food safety frameworks with an integrated approach by harmonising food safety and quality; environment; agriculture; and health. 
• As Codex standards and Codex texts are non-binding, they must be codified  as  national laws or regulations to be enforceable. 
• In India, food standards and regulations are governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). 
• The FSSAI plays a key role in ensuring food safety and promoting public health through monitoring and supervision of food-related activities. 
• It is important for food businesses and consumers in India to be aware of these standards and regulations and ensure compliance to maintain food safety.

Safeguarding public health:

• Food standards set guidelines and regulations for food production, processing, handling, and storage; maintaining the quality and nutritional value of food; labelling allergenic ingredients and managing potential allergen cross-contamination.
• Further it regulates food fraud prevention for economic gain and facilitates international trade by promoting a level playing field for producers and ensuring that food products meet safety and quality requirements across different countries. 
• By adhering to common standards, countries can establish mutual trust in each other’s food safety systems, facilitating the import and export of food products while safeguarding public health.

Ensuring SDG’s:

• The Codex offers a set of science-based standards to the international community that can assist countries in achieving a number of Sustainable Development Goals.—SDG 1 (No Poverty) by translating global food safety standards into national law. 
• This allows local traders to enter new markets and expand their business, thus, indirectly achieving SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).
• It achieves SDG 3 (Good Health & Well Being) by protecting consumer health and strengthening food safety systems to reduce the prevalence of food-borne illnesses; SDG 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth) by encouraging fair trade practices in the food sector by removing trade barriers and obstructions.
• Further SDG 12 (Food Waste & Management of Chemicals) will be ensured through accurate and reliable food labelling; and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the SDGs) by working together to ensure that no one gets left behind when it comes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

Conclusion:

• Thus, by prioritizing food safety, we can mitigate health risks, minimise food waste, build consumer confidence, support agricultural productivity, and facilitate trade.