Let’s face it — few of us even give a thought to biting into a sandwich or drinking juice from a bottle. We believe that the food we eat is safe. But do you ever stop and think about how that food got on your plate? Who touched it? How was it stored? Was it clean?
That is actually the point of World Food Safety Day (June 7)—to remind people that safe food doesn’t automatically happen; it is the result of vigilance.
Millions of people are afflicted each year with nothing worse than a “bad” piece of fruit, dairy gone rancid or meat cooked “al dente.” “These are not simply unfortunate accidents; they are reminders that food safety is something we all need to pay attention to and address throughout the food system,” she added. Whether we’re a farmer, a food vendor, a parent making lunch, or a person placing an order for takeout, we all have a role to play.
This year’s theme, “Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected,” couldn’t feel more pointed. Crises like floods, blackouts, and public health emergencies can easily break food systems. In such times, knowing how to keep food safe — storing it correctly, following expiration dates, cooking it through — is more important than ever.
But food safety is not just about disasters. It’s in the everyday moments:
Wash your hands before you handle food
The right way to wash your veggies
At its essence, food safety is a caring — for ourselves, our families, our communities. Food is medicine Food as medicine For Kiwi kids food And food between For kids and adults Food: Safe food is Food And food for keeping us in our schools Safe food is Food And food to keep us at our work And out of the Hospitals And for not being crammed Safe food is Food.
Because feeding starts with safe food, after all.
And that’s something to chew on.
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