UN introduces World Food Safety Day

Today marks the UN’s first World Food Safety Day. Every year, some 10% of people around the world get sick with a foodborne illness, leading to more than 400,000 deaths. Low- and middle-income countries also lose roughly $95 billion due to lost productivity from sickness. Children are especially vulnerable: Those aged 5 and under account for 40% of the cases worldwide and more than 25% of all deaths from consuming contaminated food. As part of today’s event — which will recur on June 7 yearly — the UN tasked the Food and Agriculture Organization and the WHO with leading efforts to promote food safety. The organizations created a guide to help ensure food safety, including calling on suppliers to safely transport food.