World Food Safety Day2026 · Date · History · Messages · Quotes
A/RES/73/250
About World Food Safety Day
World Food Safety Day is observed on 7 June to raise awareness and encourage action to prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks. WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations jointly facilitate the observance.
The day connects consumer health with agriculture, food production, standards, trade and public systems because food safety depends on many actors from production through preparation and consumption.
Why World Food Safety Day matters
Food safety is a shared systems issue rather than only a household hygiene issue. Governments, food businesses, producers, workers and consumers all have roles in reducing foodborne risk.
Health and recall advice can change by incident and location. An authority guide should therefore explain principles while directing urgent questions about illness, recalls or contamination to current competent sources.
History of World Food Safety Day
The institutional path to World Food Safety Day began before the UN proclamation. In 2016, the Codex Alimentarius Commission unanimously agreed to promote a permanent World Food Safety Day; the FAO Conference supported it in 2017 and WHO also expressed support that year.
Costa Rica then announced its intention in 2018 to bring a resolution to the UN General Assembly. On 20 December 2018, the General Assembly adopted resolution 73/250, and the first World Food Safety Day was observed on 7 June 2019. WHO and FAO facilitate the observance with Member States and partners.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Codex Alimentarius Commission, followed by FAO/WHO support and a Costa Rica-led UN initiative
In 2016, the Codex Alimentarius Commission unanimously agreed to promote a permanent World Food Safety Day; the FAO Conference supported it in 2017 and WHO also endorsed the initiative before UN General Assembly proclamation.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution 73/250
First documented observance
On 20 December 2018, the General Assembly adopted resolution 73/250, and the first World Food Safety Day was observed on 7 June 2019.
World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
WHO and FAO facilitate World Food Safety Day and related food-safety communication within their institutional mandates.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
3 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe World Food Safety Day
Review food-handling procedures against current guidance from the competent food-safety authority.
Teach how to check official recall notices and what information a recall notice usually contains.
Map the food chain for a common product and identify where prevention, monitoring and traceability matter.
Discuss the role of standards and inspection without implying that a generic checklist replaces legal compliance.
For suspected foodborne illness or a current recall, use current local health and food-safety advice rather than evergreen campaign copy.
World Food Safety Day Facts
World Food Safety Day is observed on 7 June.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission agreed in 2016 to promote a permanent World Food Safety Day.
FAO supported the proposal in 2017, WHO also expressed support, and Costa Rica advanced the proposal at the UN in 2018.
The UN General Assembly proclaimed the day in December 2018 through resolution 73/250.
The first observance took place in 2019, with WHO and FAO facilitating the campaign.
World Food Safety Day Messages
On World Food Safety Day, may awareness lead to safer choices, stronger prevention and practical support for people and communities at risk.
May World Food Safety Day encourage people to learn the risks, follow trusted guidance and look out for one another.
Today, may World Food Safety Day strengthen attention to prevention, preparedness and the people working every day to keep communities safer.
World Food Safety Day Quotes
“No one should get sick from food. It is preventable today and always.”
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Health Information Not Medical Advice.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius — The road to World Food Safety Day (opens in a new tab)
World Health Organization — first World Food Safety Day, 2019 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — List of International Days and Weeks (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — Observances: who chooses them and how (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is World Food Safety Day?
7 June The documented recurrence rule is: 7 June.
Does World Food Safety Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is World Food Safety Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: FAO / WHO / United Nations / international observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes World Food Safety Day?
The reviewed sources identify United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Codex Alimentarius Commission, followed by FAO/WHO support and a Costa Rica-led UN initiative. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Is World Food Safety Day international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: FAO / WHO / United Nations / international observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-05.
Who created World Food Safety Day?
The institutional chain matters: Codex promoted the proposal in 2016, FAO and WHO supported it, Costa Rica advanced it at the UN, and the UN General Assembly formally proclaimed the day in 2018.
When was the first World Food Safety Day?
The first World Food Safety Day was observed on 7 June 2019.
Who facilitates the observance now?
WHO and FAO facilitate World Food Safety Day with Member States and other partners.
Is it the same as World Food Day?
No. World Food Safety Day focuses on foodborne risks and safe food, while World Food Day has a broader food, agriculture, hunger and food-security mandate.
How this differs from closely related observances
These distinctions use the cited evidence to clarify scope without treating related observances as identical.
Is World Food Safety Day the same as World Food Day?
World Food Safety Day on 7 June focuses on preventing, detecting and managing foodborne risks and is jointly facilitated by WHO and FAO. World Food Day on 16 October has a broader mandate around food, hunger, agriculture and food security.
Open World Food Day →Distinction sources
Other observances on June 7
These observances are also listed on June 7, 2027.
International Supply Chain Professionals Day
E2open states that it partnered with National Today to establish June 7 as an annual International Supply Chain Professionals Day and announced the inaugural observance on 7 June 2022.
June Public Holiday (Ireland)
Workplace Relations Commission / Irish Statute Book
Sette Giugno
Government of Malta
Western Australia Day
Western Australian legislation and current government calendars establish Western Australia Day as the state public holiday observed on the first Monday in June; the 2012 Act renamed the lo…
World Caring Day
CaringBridge first-party communications verify June 7 current stewardship and identify 2023 as the second annual World Caring Day, supporting a 2022 first edition; the campaign is voluntary…