The MoPH Implements an Awareness Campaign on World Food Safety Day

The Ministry of Public Health celebrates World Food Safety Day, which falls on June 7 of each year, and is held this year under the slogan Safer Food for Better Health. The Ministry is organizing an awareness campaign on this occasion, highlighting the role that safe food plays in ensuring human health and introducing specific measures to make food safer.

Mrs. Wassan Abdullah Al-Baker, Director of the Food Safety and Environmental Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health, said: The Ministry is keen to enhance public awareness about food safety, define health risks resulting from consuming unsafe food, as well as promote a culture of food safety among all parties involved in the food supply chain.

She pointed out that the awareness campaign comes in line with the Ministry of Public Health's keenness to apply international best practices for food safety management in all stages of the food supply chain from farm to consumer, in a manner that serves the national health strategy and the objectives of the Qatar Public Health Strategy related to food safety.

She explained that the Ministry of Health applies the best international practices in the field of food safety, including inspection services, laboratory services, risk analysis, and setting standards for control, supervision, and regulation.

As part of the awareness campaign, the Ministry of Public Health broadcasts guiding messages related to food safety, through the media and social media, and the Ministry’s website, in addition to distributing food safety publications to food establishments, and awareness materials, in addition to participating in a workshop for productive families, In cooperation with the Ministry of Social Development and the Family on ensuring the safety of food products, the Ministry building is lit in orange, which symbolizes World Food Safety Day

World Food Safety Day is an important way to promote awareness of food safety issues, explain how to prevent foodborne diseases, and provide an opportunity to advance food safety across sectors.

According to the World Health Organization, foodborne diseases affect 1 in 10 people in the world every year, and more than 200 of these diseases range from mild to potentially fatal.

It is noteworthy that the United Nations General Assembly established the World Food Safety Day in 2018 to raise awareness of this important issue, and the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations are co-facilitating the observance of the World Food Safety Day, in cooperation with the Member States and other stakeholders

According to the official website of the World Health Organization, food safety is a shared responsibility between governments, producers, and consumers, and each one of them has a role to play, from farm to dining table, to ensure that the food we consume is safe and healthy. Through World Food Safety Day, WHO is working to mainstream food safety in the General Program of Work and reduce the global burden of foodborne diseases. Food safety is a matter of concern to all.