World Health Day on 7 April recognizes gains and “long, steep” road ahead
From farm to plate, food safety is everyone’s responsibility – that is the theme of this year’s World Health Organization (WHO) World Health Day. In China, the Government continues to lead with the 12th Five-Year Plan listing food safety as a critical, national task. Yet farmers, retailers, cooks and consumers all have a role to ensure food is safely stored and prepared.
“Safe food is a fundamental: people want, and need, to know that every bite of food they take is safe to eat. When Premier Li Keqiang told the State Council that food was essential and safety should be a top priority, it was recognition that China needs to focus on the problems posed by unsafe food,” said Dr Bernhard Schwartländer, WHO Representative in China.
“In the last five years much progress has been made. Yet there is still has a long, steep road ahead to ensure the safety of our food in China,” Dr Schwartländer said.
World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April each year, to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organization. In 2015, the focus of World Health Day is on food safety.
In China, WHO is using World Health Day to promote awareness of food safety amongst all sectors of the food production chain. The ‘From Farm to Plate’ campaign showcases the steps each can take to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness. #SafeFood [#食品安全#] is the hashtag for Weibo updates, and a webcast seminar is being hosted on 7 April. Follow us on Weibo (http://www.weibo.com/whoinchina ) to learn more.
“Access to sufficient amounts of safe, nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health,” said Dr Schwartländer. “Yet, according to a 2011 study, more than 94 million people become ill from bacterial foodborne diseases in China every year – with approximately 3.4 million hospitalizations and more than 8,500 deaths. This is a serious public health concern.”
Five Keys to Safer Food
WHO’s “Five Keys to Safer Foods” is a simple guide for all food handlers to follow to decrease the risks of unsafe food. The five keys are:
- #1 – Keep clean;
- #2 – Separate raw and cooked food;
- #3 – Cook thoroughly;
- #4 – Keep food at safe temperatures; and
- #5 – Use safe water and raw materials.
In addition for China, WHO recommends thorough peeling of root vegetables and fruit, and soaking of leafy vegetables and fruit in safe water.
“Everyone should feel confident that the food on their plate is safe to eat. Safe preparation and thorough washing with safe water reduces the risks,” said Dr Schwartländer.
“In the bigger picture, food safety begins at the farm. One of the major threats to safe food in China is chemical contamination by pollutants, pesticides and residue from veterinary drugs used in farming. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics in agriculture can also lead to antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in animals which may be transmitted to humans via food,” Dr Schwartländer explained.
“The Government of China is taking steps to address these problems, but there are no simple or short-term fixes to some of these challenges,” said Dr Schwartländer.
“WHO welcomes strengthening of current food safety regulations in China – including revisions to the national Food Safety Law to clarify roles and responsibilities of different government agencies in regulating food safety. We urge the Government to ensure that there are also the necessary resources in place to implement the regulations,” said Dr Schwartländer.
“Addressing challenges throughout the entire food chain is a complex task which will take time, but China has shown incredible focus on this important issue. At the same time, there are a number of simple measures that all of us can take to help make sure the food on our plates is safe to eat,” concluded Dr Schwartländer.