Food and Agriculture Organization (Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO) every year marks October 16 – World Food Day, the day this organization was founded in 1945. In Serbia, this date has been celebrated since 2001, and this year’s World Food Day slogan is: “The right to food, for a better life and a better future: so that no one goes hungry.”
Food is a basic human need and a right defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Despite the development of agricultural production in order to ensure sufficient quantities of food of satisfactory quality, almost 800 million people around the world face hunger due to war conflicts, unfavorable weather conditions and poverty.
When we talk about the right to food, we are talking about the right to the availability of sufficient amounts of healthy food that should provide basic energy and nutritional needs in order to satisfy the basic principles of proper nutrition, regular meals and variety, i.e. representation of foods from all groups in sufficient quantities.
On the contrary, improper nutrition in the form of skipping meals during the day and intake of food with high energy and low nutritional value is the basis of numerous chronic non-communicable diseases (overweight and obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, various malignant diseases).
The Institute for Public Health of Serbia “Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut” reminds us again this year in the month in which World Food Day is celebrated of the importance of proper nutrition for preserving and improving health. The basic principles of proper nutrition are the regularity of meals during the day, the correct selection of foods that we use in our diet, the way they are prepared, but also the amount of certain foods that we use every day.
Key facts and challenges
- Almost a quarter of children under the age of five are short for their age, and 7% of children are underweight for their age.
- Almost three billion people in the world are not able to eat according to the principles of proper nutrition, and 2.6 billion women and children lack one or more vitamins and minerals.
- About 2.5 billion adults and 37 million children under the age of five are obese.
- One of the main causes of hunger in the world is armed conflicts – only in 2023, 135 million people in 20 countries in the world went hungry due to war conflicts.
- Small agricultural producers produce about a third of the total amount of food produced.
- Globally, 13% of food spoils during harvest and transport, and as much as 19% of food is thrown away at retail or by consumers.
- Climate changes have a significant impact on agricultural production, and they have a particularly unfavorable impact on small agricultural producers in rural households.
- Every year, 600 million people fall ill, and as many as 420,000 people lose their lives as a result of consuming unhealthy food.
What can each of us do?
- Choose seasonal foods and foods that are grown in your area
Preference should be given to seasonal fruits and vegetables – in season they are cheaper and of better quality.
- Adopt healthy habits
Apply the principles of proper nutrition: do not skip meals, eat a variety and take care of the way food is prepared. Encourage family members, friends and other people in your environment to eat properly.
What is ultra-processed food and is it UNHEALTHY?
- Support any variety
Increase and support organic farming, protect crops from pests, restore fisheries and ecosystems.
̶ Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water before and during food preparation.
̶ Wash your hands with soap and warm water after using the toilet.
̶ Wash and disinfect all work surfaces and utensils used for food preparation.
̶ Protect food from insects and rodents.
Numerous microorganisms are found in soil, water, air, but also in animals and humans. They are found on hands, cleaning cloths, sponges, cutlery, cutting boards. They are transmitted by direct contact during food preparation and thus can lead to the appearance of various food-borne diseases.
2. Separate the fresh from the cooked
̶ Always separate meat and fish from other foods during preparation.
̶ Use special utensils and cutting boards to prepare fresh food.
̶ Store food in tightly closed containers to avoid contact between fresh and already prepared food.
Fresh foods, especially meat, fish and seafood and their juices, can contain dangerous microorganisms that can be transferred to other foods during preparation and storage.
3. Cook long enough
̶ Cook food thoroughly, especially meat, poultry, eggs and seafood.
̶ Let the soup and broth boil for a few minutes to make sure the temperature has exceeded 70 °C. Make sure that the juices from thermally processed meat and fish are clear in color and not pink.
̶ Boil previously prepared food before use.
Sufficiently long heat treatment (cooking or baking) destroys microorganisms that can be dangerous to health. Cooking above 70 °C makes food safer to use.
4. Store food at safe temperatures
̶ Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours.
̶ All fresh and cooked perishable foods must be stored in the refrigerator (preferably at a temperature of up to 5 °C).
̶ When thawing frozen foods, first put them in the refrigerator for a few hours, and only then thaw them at room temperature.
Microorganisms can multiply very quickly if food is stored at room temperature. If the temperatures are below 5 °C or above 60 °C, the reproduction of most microorganisms is slowed down or stopped.
5. Use the right water and fresh food
̶ Use proper tap water or bottled water for drinking or cooking.
̶ Choose fresh foods.
̶ Wash vegetables and fruits well under cold running water before cleaning and use.
̶ Check the production date and expiration date of the food on the packaging.
If the water is taken from a source that has not been tested and contains microorganisms, they can harm health. Proper selection of foods, their washing and peeling reduces the risk of infection.
- Read the declarations on packaged foods
The declaration gives you useful information about the product, its energy value, content of total and saturated fats, content and type of carbohydrates, protein content, fiber, amount of salt, allergens, additives and other ingredients.
- Support local food producers
Choose locally produced food and thus support small agricultural producers. Eat seasonal produce: Strawberries and tomatoes are both tastier and more nutritious during the summer months, the season they thrive, although they can also be had during the winter.
- Don’t waste food – reduce food waste
Plan your meals in advance and prepare as much as you can eat. Donate food scraps to soup kitchens or use them to make compost.
The Institute for Public Health of Serbia “Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut” with the network of district institutes/institutes for public health and this year as part of the celebration of the World Food Day, on October 16, directs its activities to inform and educate the population, especially children and young people, with the aim of acquiring knowledge, formation of correct attitudes and behavior related to nutrition.
This year, on the occasion of World Food Day, a competition was announced for the selection of the best art and literary works for children of preschool institutions and students of basic schools on the topic “Everyone has the right to food – show how” with the aim of encouraging health education work in preschool institutions and schools on the topic of the importance of proper nutrition for health, and lectures, panels and exhibitions will also be organized.
Source: Beaten
Source: www.agromedia.rs
