If it is not safe, it is not food. This is a well-known and often used phrase which neatly sums up the ethos of food law throughout the world.
Each year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) work together to highlight that food safety is a collective right and responsibility because everyone has a role to play in ensuring that food is safe.
For 2025, the focus is on the important role that science plays in making informed decisions about food. Key areas are microbiology and toxicology.
Other important messages for this year’s event remind us that education is key because everyone is a risk manager making decisions based on an understanding of food safety risks.
Education is not a static concept. It necessitates an ongoing reminder of the fundamentals of food law.
Food businesses must properly train, monitor and supervise their staff on all aspects of food law to ensure high standards of hygiene, safety and consumer information. This must be reinforced regularly so that the culture becomes one of food safety first.
Consumers must constantly remind themselves to avoid practices which create food safety risks.
Complacency permits standards to drop creating hazardous situations which increase the risk of food being unsafe.
World Food Safety Day serves as an important reminder of the importance of doing the right thing, but it also reminds us of the consequences of failure:
- 600 million – the number people falling ill each year from foodborne disease
- 15 billion USD – the estimated annual cost of treating foodborne illness
- 110 billion USD – the economic burden of foodborne disease in low- and middle-income countries annually due to lost productivity and healthcare expenses
Further details about World Food Safety Day 2025 can be found at –
https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-food-safety-day/2025
This article is provided for information only and does not constitute legal advice. Formal legal advice should always be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action.
Ian Thomas also practises from Gough Square Chambers, London – ian.thomas@goughsq.co.uk