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WHO estimates 1.6m people become sick from eating unsafe food

Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO


IN commemoration of the World Food Safety Day, held every June 8, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that every day, an estimated 1.6 million people around the world become sick from eating unsafe food. 



The Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said over 200 diseases, from diarrhoea to cancers, are caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemicals. 



Safe food is a primary determinant of human health. To guarantee this right, governments must ensure that food meets safety standards. 



These standards are developed by WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, through the Codex Alimentarius, the international standard-setting body for food safety and quality, which this year marks its 60th anniversary. 



Another way WHO is supporting countries to make food safe is by harnessing the power of technologies such as whole genome sequencing. 



Sequencing the genomes of microbes in food can identify with precision where a germ originated, whether from a food processing facility or a restaurant, pinpointing the source of a food-borne outbreak. 



On June 9, WHO is announcing new guidance for countries on how to use whole genome sequencing to improve food safety surveillance.


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