Food safety is a concept that we put into practice every day in our homes, when we talk about hygiene and cleanliness, we seek to consume the cleanest and most cared for food possible for ourselves and our families. In the food industry, it simply means that the food does not contain any “hazards”; that is to say that it does not contain microorganisms, chemical substances or unwanted materials that can cause damage to our health.
Foodborne Diseases (ETA) are one of the main public health problems in our country and in the world with important economic consequences. They mainly affect infants, children, the sick, pregnant women and older adults, causing serious consequences that can even lead to death. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2020, it is estimated that annually 600 million people fall ill in the world due to the consumption of contaminated food; Of these, 420 thousand people die from the same cause; 40% of deaths are of children under 5 years of age.
The COVID-19 pandemic raised the importance of food safety in all its links, from the countryside, markets, industry, to kitchens. It became clear that they are places of rapid transmission not only of ETAs, but also of COVID 19, the pandemic highlighted the challenges of food safety.
World Food Safety Day has been celebrated every June 7 since 2018 and aims to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food safety, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.
Actors of the entire food system play an important role to protect food and prevent it from being vectors of health risks, throughout the supply chain, from producers to final consumers, including Food Banks, we must be tenacious in maintaining a safety standard and rigorous practices to ensure that food consumption is safe: “Safe food, better health”, is the slogan of World Food Safety Day in 2022, food should always nourish us; They are essential for the health and well-being of people, animals and the environment. Without the safety condition, we cannot take advantage of its nutritional value and benefits.
Therefore, in the Network of Food Banks of Mexico we promote the correct storage and distribution of food, implementing safe practices in the handling of food products that we receive as donations from our Allies, who also focus their efforts on ensuring quality and commitment to bring food to those who need it most.
In this way we can guarantee that every month more than 2 million people in food vulnerability receive safe food for their consumption through the 54 food banks that make up the BAMX Network; All our efforts and daily work are directed to being the Banks that feed Mexico.
*María Fernanda De la Mora is coordinator of Quality and Edna Herrera is Manager of Strengthening and Attention to Banks, of the Network of Food Banks of Mexico (Red BAMX).
