Food Safety Week: History, Facts & Insights

This is an in-depth look at all the must-know facts about Food Safety Week (2024) 🗓️ that no one tells you about. Food Safety Week is celebrated on June 5th.

Among the information you’ll find below: the history of Food Safety Week, activities to do on and how to observe this holiday, as well as amusing facts you might want to know about Food Safety Week.

📅 What day is Food Safety Week 2024?

In 2024, Food Safety Week is on Monday, June 5th. It is the 1st Monday in June; in 2024, it is Wednesday. There are until the next observance. You also can explore all the exciting details and facts about June 5, 2023, that you might not be aware of.

Food Safety Week is an annual event that takes place for a whole week, starting from June 5 to 11, coinciding with World Food Safety Day. It was initially introduced in 2019 as a means to raise awareness about food-borne illnesses and promote adherence to food safety regulations in order to prevent these infections. Food safety involves handling, preparing, and storing food with utmost care to prevent the occurrence of food-borne diseases. This includes frequent hand and surface washing, proper separation of raw and cooked food, cooking meals at the correct temperature, and storing food at temperatures below 40 oF.

📜 Food Safety Week History

Throughout history, various civilizations such as the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese, and Romans recognized the importance of food safety and took measures to preserve food and indicate its quality. As manufacturing became more commercialized, governments started implementing regulations regarding food safety, sanitation, and hygiene. These efforts began in the 13th century, with laws like the Assize of Bread and Ale Law in 1202, which aimed to prevent the adulteration of bread with harmful substances. In 1266, the British parliament also prohibited the sale of unwholesome food. Similar measures were taken by American colonists in 1646 and the Massachusetts Acts Against Selling Unwholesome Provisions in 1785, in response to the prevalence of contaminated foods in Canada and the United States.

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the number of food safety and sanitation laws around the world increased significantly. This was driven by the rise in food-borne infections and mortality rates globally in the early 1900s. After World War II, there was a growing public concern for food safety, leading citizens to push for stricter food standards and regulations. In the United States, a series of laws were enacted between the mid-twentieth and early-twentieth centuries, including the Poultry Products Inspection Acts, the Fair Labeling Act, the mandatory use of HACCP for low-acid canned foods, the Toxic Substances Control Act, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Modernization Act. On December 20, 2018, the United Nations General Assembly established June 7th as World Food Safety Day.

✅ Food Safety Week Facts

🔖 Honey can last thousands of years
Honey that is completely natural has the ability to stay fresh and edible for more than 5,000 years.

🔖 Chocolate was a currency
The Aztec and Mayan civilizations used chocolate as a form of trade in exchange for food and clothing.

🔖 Your best Vitamin C plug
Depending on their color, peppers contain two to three times more vitamin C than oranges.

👍 Why Is Food Safety Week Important

According to the United Nations, over 420,000 people die each year as a result of consuming tainted food, with children under the age of five accounting for 40% of those killed. Food Safety Week’s awareness can help lower these figures.

Governments play an important role in food safety since they function as regulatory authorities for all social and economic spheres. Forums during Food Safety Week push governments to implement standards and strengthen food safety infrastructure.

Food Safety Week provides a forum for stakeholders to gather and discuss food safety issues. The future of food safety is reviewed in such forums, and efforts to detect and manage food-borne dangers can be implemented.

🙂 How To Observe Food Safety Week

⚡ Take part in Food Safety Week events
Food Safety Week is a global celebration that consists of both physical and virtual activities taking place across the world. To discover local events happening during this week, you can visit the World Food Safety Day FAO section on the WHO website.

⚡ Share food safety guidelines
As a teacher, you have the opportunity this week to teach your students about food-borne illnesses and how to prevent them. You can also connect with others online to share tips and advice on preventing food contamination and poisoning.

⚡ Prepare a meal
If you plan on educating others about food safety, it is essential to apply those practices in your own home as well. As Food Safety Week approaches, make a commitment to prepare your meals in accordance with the guidelines established by the World Health Organization.

📅 When is Food Safety Week?

View all 🔗 June holidays, including 🔗 Cause and other 🔗 Healthy Food holidays.

We will continue to update this page with new information and interesting facts about Food Safety Week. So be sure to check back soon.