Food safety incidents. This is the theme of 2024 celebrated today on World Day.
Food-related accidents are situations that cause a health risk following food consumption: events linked to environmental problems, inadequate food controls, fraud can favor incidents of mild or severe severity.
Every year, globally, one in ten individuals develops one of the 200 diseases associated with the consumption of contaminated food: approximately 40% of cases occur in children under 5 years of age.
Many infectious diseases primarily affect the gastrointestinal tract: vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain are the main symptoms. Attention is required from all stakeholders to prevent and control new incidents that could compromise public health: agricultural workers, food chain operators, food safety inspectors and politicians can implement key actions.
Consumers, aware of the risks associated with food consumption, can also play a crucial role in protecting their health. As underlined in an editorial in the journal Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology: «Food safety is everyone's business».
