Dubai starts one-month campaign on food safety in June

In light of World Food Safety Day on June 7, Dubai has launched a month-long campaign on food safety to enhance community health in the municipality. 

The campaign includes awareness programs, workshops, and meetings to foster the importance of applying best practices to ensure food safety, according to Gulf News. 

Dawoud Al Hajri, director-general of Dubai Municipality, told Gulf News that the campaign aims at solidifying Dubai’s position as the best global dynamic destination in food trade by implementing food safety procedures and measures as well as providing safe and high-quality food.      

Al Hajri emphasized the significance of modern technology in improving food safety services and abiding by hygiene and safety requirements as a part of the municipality’s responsibilities towards the society.   

By organizing a series of workshops, scientific programs and meetings, Dubai Municipality is supporting entrepreneurs in the field of food, ensuring their adherence to safety requirements in the transport, preparation and supply of food products, Gulf News reported.      

Since its launch in 2018 to promote food safety awareness, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with member states and other relevant organizations, have been seeking to ensure food safety and to reduce foodborne diseases globally, the UN said in a statement.

According to UN statistics, 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses are estimated annually, threating human health and global economies, while 420,000 people around the world die every year after eating contaminated food, and children under 5 years of age carry 40% of the foodborne disease burden, with 125,000 deaths every year.