World Food Safety Day: Why It Matters and How You Can Help

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Every year on June 7, the world comes together to mark World Food Safety Day. This is a global event that reminds us how important it is to keep food safe to eat. Food touches every part of our lives, and when food is unsafe, the consequences can be serious, even deadly.

Unsafe food is a bigger problem than many people realize. Around the world, an estimated 866 million people get sick from contaminated food every year, and 1.5 million of them die. World Food Safety Day shines a light on this often invisible crisis, bringing it into public conversation so that real change can happen.

In this article, we will learn more about World Food Safety Day and why it's important. At the same time, we will also talk about the 2026 theme and how you can join the movement. Let's dive in.

World Food Safety Day is an international event held every year on June 7. It was created by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness about the risks of unsafe food and to encourage action from everyone involved in the food chain.

The goal of this day is to inspire governments, businesses, and individuals to take food safety seriously. Contaminated food can cause more than 200 different diseases, ranging from diarrhea to cancer. By drawing attention to these risks, the day helps push for stronger food safety systems around the world.

World Food Safety Day also celebrates progress. It is a chance for countries, organizations, and communities to share what is working and to learn from each other. The message is simple and clear: food safety is everyone's business, from the farm to the table.

The impact of unsafe food goes far beyond a stomachache. World Food Safety Day exists because the burden of foodborne illness affects millions of lives and costs the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars every year. Here is why this day deserves attention.

- Children Are Most at Risk: According to WHO, children under five years old make up only 9 percent of the global population, but they carry nearly one-third of all foodborne diseases. In 2021, unsafe food caused 143,000 deaths among young children. This group is especially vulnerable to severe illness from contaminated food.

- Chemical Hazards Are a Hidden Danger: While bacteria and viruses cause the most foodborne illnesses, chemicals in food are responsible for the most deaths. The same source reports that in 2021, chemical hazards like arsenic and lead accounted for 73 percent of food-related deaths. These substances often enter the food supply through polluted water and soil.

- The Economic Cost Is Massive: Foodborne diseases cost the global economy an estimated 310 billion US dollars each year in lost productivity and medical expenses. For low- and middle-income countries, this financial burden makes it even harder to build stronger health and food systems.

- Inequality Makes the Problem Worse: According to WHO, Africa and Southeast Asia account for nearly three-quarters of all foodborne illnesses globally, with 60 percent of global deaths also concentrated in these regions. People living in poverty, women, children, and migrants face the greatest risks. Unsafe food deepens existing inequalities.

- Climate Change Is Making Things Harder: Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and changes in rainfall patterns are increasing the risk of food contamination. Climate change creates new pathways for bacteria and toxins to enter the food supply, making food safety an even more urgent issue for the future.

The theme for World Food Safety Day 2026 is "From burden to solutions: safe food everywhere." As noted by FAO, this theme was chosen because of a major new WHO report releasing in June 2026, which provides the first-ever national estimates of foodborne illness and death from 2000 to 2021. For the first time, countries can see exactly how large the problem is in their own borders.

The data behind this theme is significant. According to the same source, the report draws on approximately 25,000 data points from thousands of studies worldwide. It shows that foodborne diseases cause 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths every year, a burden that has long been underestimated because many cases go unreported or undiagnosed.

This theme matters deeply in today's world because the problem is not getting smaller on its own. WHO warns that foodborne diseases are being made worse by climate change, which increases contamination risks, and by antimicrobial resistance, which makes infections harder to treat. The 2026 theme is a call to use what we now know and act before more lives are lost.

World Food Safety Day is not just for governments and large organizations. Everyone has a role to play, and many of the most important actions start right at home. Here are some practical ways to support safe food in your daily life and beyond.

- Wash Your Hands and Keep Surfaces Clean: Before and after handling food, always wash your hands with soap and water. Clean your kitchen surfaces, cutting boards, and utensils regularly. Bacteria can spread easily from hands and surfaces to food.

- Store Food at the Right Temperature: Bacteria grow quickly at room temperature. Keep cold food in the refrigerator and hot food hot. Do not leave cooked food sitting out for more than two hours.

- Separate Raw and Cooked Food: Raw meat, poultry, and seafood can carry harmful bacteria. Store them separately from ready-to-eat foods and use different cutting boards to avoid cross-contamination.

- Cook Food Thoroughly: Heat kills most harmful bacteria and viruses. Make sure meat, eggs, and seafood are cooked all the way through. When reheating leftovers, bring them to a high enough temperature before eating.

- Use Safe Water and Fresh Ingredients: Always cook and wash produce with clean, safe water. Check expiry dates before buying or using food. When in doubt about whether a food is still safe to eat, it is better to throw it out.

- Stay Informed and Spread the Word: Follow reliable sources such as WHO and FAO for updates on food recalls and safe handling practices. Use the hashtags #WorldFoodSafetyDay and #SafeFood on social media to raise awareness in your community.