World Food Safety Day
A/RES/73/250
A/RES/73/250
This authority record treats the observance as a fixed annual date. The same month and day can be reused unless a stronger source changes the rule. Public-holiday or government status is never inferred from the observance name alone.
Overview
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 it 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
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 is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
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
Verified institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Fields that the reviewed sources do not establish remain fail-closed and are available below without competing with the confirmed record.
3 fields not established in reviewed sources
Ways to observe
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.
Useful 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.
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
Repeated links from the authority record, institutional provenance and editorial guide research are consolidated here. Badges show how each source is used; a contextual source is never treated as proof of establishment on its own.
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 use reviewed distinctions and related authority records to understand where this observance fits.
Frequently asked questions
When is World Food Safety Day?
7 June The stored recurrence guidance is: 7 June.
Does World Food Safety Day fall on the same date every year?
The authority record classifies it as fixed annual, so its month and day are reusable unless stronger evidence changes the rule.
Is World Food Safety Day an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies 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 the supporting authority record explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes World Food Safety Day?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies 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 record has international or global institutional scope: 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 layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record 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 are separately reviewed and source-backed. They clarify scope; they do not change either authority record.
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 records also resolve to June 7, 2027 under the current authority data.
International Supply Chain Professionals Day
E2open states that it introduced International Supply Chain Professionals Day and designated June 7 as an annual day recognizing supply-chain professionals.
June Public Holiday (Ireland)
Workplace Relations Commission / Irish Statute Book
National Chocolate Ice Cream Day
ANFP Wisconsin chapter calendar material lists National Chocolate Ice Cream Day on June 7.
Sette Giugno
Government of Malta
Western Australia Day
Government of Western Australia; Western Australia Day (Renaming) Act 2012
World Caring Day
CaringBridge; initiative launched in 2022