Food Safety
Key facts Food safety, nutrition and food security are inextricably linked. An estimated 600 million - almost 1 in 10 people in the world-fall ill after eating contaminated food and 420000 die every year. US$110 billion is lost each year in productivity and medical expenses resulting from unsafe food in low- and middle-income countries. Children under 5 years of carry 40% of the foodborne disease burden, with 125000 deaths every year. Foodborne disease impedes socioeconomic development by straining health care systems and harming national economies, tourism, and trade. Food safety is a shared responsibility among different national authorities and requires a multisectoral, one health approach. Overview Access to sufficient amount of safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health. Unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasite or chemical substances causes more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhoea to cancers. It also creates a vicious...