Background

World Food Safety Day: EU agri-food chain's commitment to safe food now for a healthy tomorrow

Published: 07/06/2021

World Food Safety Day aims at drawing attention and inspiring action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks. To mark the third World Food Safety Day today, CELCAA, Copa-Cogeca, EuroCommerce, FEFAC and FoodDrinkEurope want to reiterate their strong commitment to delivering safe food to consumers in Europe as well as globally. Food is vital to all our lives, and safe food is the best guarantee of a healthy tomorrow for everyone.

There is no food security without food safety. Food safety is a responsibility carried by all partners in the food supply chain, from farm to fork, for the benefit of, particularly, consumers. Equally, safe feed is a prerequisite of safe food of animal origin, and an integral component of global food safety systems.

We are all working towards more sustainable food production and consumption, by for example reducing food waste and rolling out more sustainable packaging to support a more circular economy. But in pursuing these important objectives, all involved, whether public or private sector, must work to balance these various requirements to ensure that food safety is not compromised. For their part, agri-food chain partners remain fully committed, in an ever-changing society making new demands on business, to consistent, day-in-day-out efforts to keep food safe. This remains their number one priority.

Today’s food in the EU is safer, of higher-quality, and has a longer shelf-life than ever before. Investing in food safety has immediate and long-term benefits for people, the planet and the economy.

The Food Safety Platform members (BEUC, CELCAA, Copa-Cogeca, EuroCommerce, FEFAC and FoodDrinkEurope) have also developed an infographic brochure showcasing their joint responsibility in delivering safe food from farm to fork, which can be downloaded here.