Theme: Safe food now for a healthy tomorrow

World Food Safety Day (WFSD) is celebrated on 7 June 2021. The theme “Safe food now for a healthier tomorrow” certainly resonates with each of us as we battle through COVID-19.

In the recent past, most of us have lined up in supermarkets and vegetable markets buying more than regular rations in attempts to make our families food secure during lockdowns and curfews. This led to increased food demand and drew attention and action for more stringent food safety controls.

Food Safety is encompassed in each element of the food chain from the farm to the table aimed at minimising and managing all foodborne risk, whether biological, chemical, physical or quality in nature.

Focusing attention on food safety and taking concerted towards making food safer will invariably contribute to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that almost 1 in 10 people in the world fall ill after eating contaminated food, and 420 000 die every year, resulting in the loss of 33 million healthy life years (DALYs), further emphasizing that production and consumption of safe food have immediate and long-term benefits for people, the planet and the economy.

Food Safety is a shared responsibility between governments, producers and consumers; therefore, WHO emphasis the need for action on the following;

• Ensure it’s safe – Government must ensure safe and nutritious food for all.
• Grow it safe – Agriculture and food producers need to adopt good practices.
• Keep it safe – Business operators must make sure food is safe.
• Know what’s safe – Consumers need to learn about safe and healthy food.
• Team up for food safety – Work together for safe food and good health.

Fiji National University (FNU) has well-trained and competent staff of lecturers and lab technicians that assist and train students in order to ensure their safety in the workplace.

Quality assurance and quality control, research and development, scientific laboratory technician, product/process development scientist, and a variety of other jobs are available to food technologists.

This is my third year taking the Bachelor of Science (Food Technology) course. It peaked my interest learning about the different methods and techniques used in the food industry/labs to keep the food up to the quality Fiji requires.

FNU wishes all students from the College of Engineering, Science and Technology (CEST), School of Applied Sciences, Department of Food Science and Home Economics a very happy World Food Safety Day.

Prathna Vikash
BSC Food Technology student
CEST