By Jay Prakash Singh
“Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise” – Thomas Gray
Every year on June 7th, the world observes World Food Safety Day, a global initiative established in 2018 by the United Nations to highlight the critical importance of “Safe Food” for all. Food is the most fundamental necessity, not just for humans but for all living beings. From time immemorial, food has sustained life, and while there are no records indicating who first consumed it, its importance remains unchallenged.
The theme for World Food Safety Day 2025 is “Food Safety: Science in Action”, with a strong focus on how the food reaches to customer/consumer from farm to plate. This theme underscores the urgent need to make food safety a priority by paying attention to key signs—during production, processing, storage, transportation, and consumption—to prevent foodborne illnesses and safeguard public health.
Food is not merely sustenance—it is the foundation of life, energy, and innovation. When food safety is neglected, the consequences are far-reaching: declining health, reduced productivity, mental trauma and physical development, and increased vulnerability to diseases. Clean, safe, and nutritious food contributes to a population’s well-being, creativity, and capacity to build a better future.
Yet, despite its importance, over 600 million people globally suffer from foodborne illnesses, and millions go to bed hungry every day & approximately 14% population in India itself as major contributor. In countries like India, and especially in regions like Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Odisha, a significant portion of the population remains deprived of adequate nutrition. Many cannot afford even a loaf of bread, and access to safe, unadulterated food is a distant dream for them.
It is imperative that local governments, agricultural bodies, consumer groups, and scientific communities work in unison to address this challenge. Here are several actionable steps we must take:
- Promote Sustainable & Xeriscaping Farming: We must also look at how our food is grown. Most farmers today use high amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which not only harm the environment but also enter the food we eat. These chemicals destroy our soil and reduce the natural taste and nutrition of food. To solve this, we must encourage “xeriscaping agriculture“—a method that uses less water and more natural techniques to grow crops. In drought-prone areas like Jharkhand, this is very important. It helps protect our land and save water, and the food grown is often cleaner and safer.. We must also talk about “embodied energy” in our food system. This term means the total energy used in growing, processing, transporting, and storing food. For example, if a biscuit is made in Delhi but eaten in Jharkhand, a lot of fuel, packaging, and electricity is used before it reaches the shop. This hidden energy has an impact on the environment and our health. If we buy local food instead of imported or packaged food, we reduce this embodied energy. This saves money, protects nature, and supports local farmers.
- Transparent Food Labeling: In many developed nations, food items are clearly labeled with their ingredients, preservatives, and expiry dates—often in both local national languages & other languages. This level of transparency is largely missing in states like Bihar and Jharkhand, where consumers often receive substandard products with misleading or absent information. Strict enforcement of labeling laws, with content written in indelible ink and approved by recognized regulatory bodies, must be made mandatory.
- Ensure Fair Packaging: Today, a bottle labeled “1 litre” of Mustard Oil often contains only 910 or 950 ml and it is having saving for the business tycoons Lower middle class /Upper middle class pays for 1litre and get the material in low volume. Costing is for 1 Litre and material available is 950/900 ml.
Further, Poor families who seek smaller, affordable pouches (100g, 200g, or 250g) find none available and are forced to buy from ration shops, where the quality is frequently rancid or substandard liquid . Affordable, smaller-sized, and accurately measured packaging options must be introduced for the economically weaker sections.
- Regular Inspection of Street Vendors and Hoteliers: Street food is a major part of the Indian culinary landscape. However, due to the lack of hygiene checks, harmful chemicals and unhygienic practices often go unnoticed like Ajinamoto (mono sodium glutamate) for enhancing flavour Government agencies must deploy flying squads to regularly inspect food stalls, roadside vendors and small eateries to ensure strict compliance with food safety standards.
- Consumer Awareness Campaigns: People must be educated about what they consume—what ingredients are used, where the food is sourced from, and what potential health risks are involved. Awareness drives, educational programs, and community outreach should be intensified, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, to encourage conscious and informed consumption.
As we mark this World Food Safety Day, let us remember: Food Safety is not a privilege; it is a right. Every citizen—Rich or Pauper—deserves access to food that is safe, nutritious, and fairly distributed. From farm to plate, let every step be guided by transparency, accountability, compliance coupled with compassion.
Let this day not just be a ceremonial observance, but a wake-up call—a call for collective action, for local empowerment, and for policies rooted in justice. Let us pledge to work together for a future where no one sleeps hungry, and no one suffers from unsafe food.
(Views expressed are personal and the writer is the member of U.S.Green Building Council)
