World Health Organization WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday highlighted the critical role of food regulators in tackling unsafe food, saying it leads to 600 million cases of foodborne illness and 420,000 deaths every year. “Our food systems are facing many challenges due to climate change, population growth, new technologies, globalisation and industrialisation,” Ghebreyesus said in a video message at the second Global Food Regulatory Summit in Delhi.
70 percent of those who lost their lives were children under the age of five
He said that 70 percent of those who die due to unsafe food are children under the age of five. The WHO chief said, “The food regulatory community has an important role to play in tackling these global challenges.” He stressed the need for coordinated efforts as more than 30 million people cannot afford nutritious food.
Support is needed for safe food
Ghebreyesus also stressed that collaboration is essential to ensure safe food for all, as food systems transcend borders and continents. Union Health Minister J P Nadda, Food Minister Prahlad Joshi, Health Secretary and FSSAI Chairperson Apurva Chandra, Codex President Steve Wearne and FSSAI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) G Kamala Vardhan Rao attended the event.
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