Kathmandu, June 7: The 17th National Food Safety Day is being celebrated today under the theme ‘Food Safety: Science in Action’. The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control has been organizing various programs to mark the day from June 1 during a week-long celebration, said Mohan Krishna Maharjan, spokesperson of the department.
The main day is being celebrated today in coordination with relevant government and non-government organizations, international development partner organizations, food industry, organizations related to food and nutrition, and organizations working on consumer rights.
According to the statistics of the World Health Organization, every year, more than 200 diseases ranging from diarrhea to cancer are caused by unhygienic and contaminated food in the world. One in every ten people falls ill due to consumption of contaminated food.
The Constitution has ensured the right to food for every Nepali citizen. Accordingly, to make the regulation of food hygiene and quality timely and effective the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2081 BS has been promulgated integrating all the laws related to food safety and quality.
Legal provisions for determining the hygiene and quality of food at all stages of the food chain have been made based on scientific facts to protect human health and consumer interests, says Director General of the department, Sanjeev Kumar Karna.
It may be noted that the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in 2018 had decided to celebrate World Food Safety Day on 7 June every year from 2019.
