KATHMANDU: The 17th National Food Safety Day is being observed today under the theme “Food Safety: The Indispensability of Science.”
The 73rd General Assembly of the United Nations declared in 2018 that World Food Safety Day would be celebrated globally every year on June 7, starting from 2019.
In Nepal, various events have been organized to mark the occasion, according to Mohan Krishna Maharjan, spokesperson for the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), unsafe and contaminated food causes over 200 diseases worldwide, ranging from diarrhea to cancer.
One in ten people globally falls ill due to foodborne illnesses each year, with an estimated 420,000 deaths. Of these, about 550 million people suffer from diarrheal diseases, resulting in 230,000 deaths.
Nepal had already begun observing related awareness activities even before the UN formally declared World Food Hygiene Day. The Department has been celebrating the day nationally since 2065 BS, said the Department’s Director General, Sanjeev Kumar Karna.
WHO studies have found several food safety concerns in Nepal, including pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables, antibiotic traces in animal and poultry products, and mold toxins in food.
The Constitution of Nepal guarantees every citizen the right to safe food. In line with this, the Federal Parliament has enacted the Food Hygiene and Quality Act, 2081 BS, to revise and unify existing food safety laws.
The Act establishes scientifically grounded standards to regulate food quality and hygiene across the entire food chain, with the goal of protecting public health and consumer rights.
The day is being observed with the joint involvement of government and non-government agencies, international development partners, the food industry, food and nutrition organizations, and consumer rights groups.
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