食以安為先: 6月7日「世界食品安全日」Food Safety Comes First: June 7th "World Food Safety Day"

食以安為先: 6月7日「世界食品安全日」

你知道最近好事多進口的野莓被A肝病毒汙染的新聞嗎? 我們常說，民以食為天，吃飯皇帝大。食品圍繞著我們的每天，但吃了沒把關好的食物，可就要倒大楣了! 所以今天，就讓我們來了解一下6月7日的世界食品安全日以及食安相關議題吧!

根據聯合國調查，每一年當中，有大約6億件因為食物而導致的疾病個案發生，其中約42萬人因此死亡，且五歲以下幼童又占其中很大一部分，種種情形都指出食安是一個需要重視的議題。台灣也曾出現過許多食安問題，從十多年前的美國受狂牛病影響的進口牛肉，到前些年的餿水油被製作成我們的食用調理油等，新聞爆出來時，總是令人人心惶惶。

食安問題和經濟發展常常有所連結，當食品業中的不肖商人希望能最大化產出，有時就會以化學的方式製成我們的食品(如用太白粉和色素製成假鴨血)，或以其他方式(如在肉雞上施打生長激素)來促進生產，這些商業活動下的食品都可能對大眾的健康造成不量影響。

所以，為了持續提高各國人民對於食品安全的重視，聯合國與世界衛生組織在2019年將6月7日訂定為「世界食品安全日」，希望在食品產出的各個環節的每一位，都能幫忙以嚴謹的態度預防及管理食物問題。具體來說，世界衛生組織提出了「五要原則」: 「保持清潔、生熟食器具要分開、食品要澈底加熱、注意保存溫度以及精明選擇」，鼓勵藉著教育大眾對於食物衛生的觀念，能打造更安全的未來。

圖為聯合國為宣傳食安的口號，鼓勵政府設立嚴謹的食品控管標準

各國對於食安問題的採取的措施大同小異，都以增加風險管理和加重罰則為主。以台灣為例，我們有「食安五環」政策，以「源頭控管」、「重建生產管理」、「加強查驗」、「加重惡意黑心廠商責任」及「全民監督食安」等5大面向，從生產到餐桌樣樣把關。歐盟也在過去幾年成立了「食品安全局」、「食品安全實驗室」等機構，這些機構的優點是不和任一內部成員國掛勾，直接聽命於歐盟組織，所以擁有更客觀且獨立的優勢。美國也加入了民間組織和企業的聲音，廣設公聽會，和各食品相關企業溝通政策，讓未來企業和人民可以自發的更遵守食安相關法規。

除了政策以外，近年來更熱門的「有機農產品」也值得談談。有機農產品指的是在種植生產各過程不使用「含有基因改造產品、化學農藥、化學肥料、動物用藥品或其他合成化學品」。由於這樣的農產品被大眾認為比較安全、沒有農藥等，吸引了許多顧客去購買。不過，這邊有幾個迷思想要特別澄清: 賣相不好看的蔬果不代表他們就一定是有機的，而且還是有可能有低含量農藥殘留，所以還是需要好好清洗。台灣農業近幾年也開始鼓勵顧客直接藉由網路電商和農夫購買農產品，有些農夫以有機的方式栽種蔬果，卻由於還沒取得有機標章，導致無法進行下去，這時如果能將農夫和消費者牽起聯繫，消費者不只能了解到蔬果是有機的，也可以知道作物的背後種植方式等。

圖為有機農產品標章

總之，隨著今年度的食品安全日的到來，希望每一個人都能對於食安議題更加關注，只有從政府端下達的食品標準被遵守，各級企業加強衛生把關，以及餐桌前的每一個人對於自己吃進去的食品有所注意，我們才能更進一步提升世界的食品安全!

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Food Safety Comes First: June 7th "World Food Safety Day"

Do you know about the recent news of Costco berries tainted with Hepatitis A? Food revolves around our daily lives, but if we consume food that hasn't been properly checked, we may face serious consequences. So today, let's learn about World Food Safety Day on June 7th and other food safety topics.

According to a United Nations survey, there are approximately 6 million cases of illnesses caused by food annually, resulting in about 420,000 deaths, with a significant portion being children under the age of five. Taiwan has also experienced many food safety problems, ranging from imported beef affected by mad cow disease to the “gutter oil scandal” a few years ago. Whenever such news breaks out, it always causes widespread concern. These situations highlight the need to prioritize food safety as a critical issue.

Food safety issues are often linked to commercial activities. Unscrupulous businessmen in the food industry sometimes seek to maximize profits by artificially synthesizing food (such as using starch and food coloring to make fake duck blood in hot pots) or by injecting growth hormones into cattles to boost production. Food produced under such commercial intent can potentially have adverse effects on public health.

As a response to food safety issues, the United Nations and the World Health Organization designated June 7th as “World Food Safety Day.” They encourage everyone involved in the food production process to contribute by taking a rigorous approach to preventing and managing food-related issues. For example, the World Health Organization has put forward the "Five Keys to Safer Food:" "Keep clean, separate raw and cooked, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures, and use safe water and raw materials."

Countries have also taken measures to ensure food safety over each process from the farm to the dining table. Taking Taiwan as an example, we have implemented the “Five-point Food Safety Policy,” which includes “Strengthening source control management,” “Re-establishing the food production-management system,” “Strengthening inspection capabilities,” “Increasing liability for producers and vendors,” “Encouraging and enabling citizen oversight.” The European Union has established institutions such as the "European Food Safety Authority" and "Food Safety Laboratories," which operate independently from any member states and directly report to the EU organization. The United States has also involved private organizations and companies in food policy discussions, which would encourage voluntary compliance with food safety regulations.

Additionally, the topic of "organic agriculture products" is also popular in the discussion of food. Organic agricultural products refer to those produced without the use of chemical pesticides, chemical fertilizers, veterinary drugs, or other synthetic chemicals throughout the entire cultivation process. Some misconceptions are to be clarified, though. First, organic products do not necessarily look ugly, and ugly fruits or vegetables you see in markets do not necessarily mean that they are organic. Also, there might still be some pesticide residue on the products, so thorough washing is still important. In recent years, Taiwan's agriculture sector has also encouraged customers to directly purchase agricultural products from farmer groups via online platforms. By establishing this connection between farmers and consumers, consumers can also learn about the cultivation methods of the crops.

In conclusion, with the arrival of this year's World Food Safety Day, we encourage everyone to pay more attention to food safety issues. Only when the food standards set by the government are followed, all levels of food-related enterprises strengthen food safety control, and each individual at the dining table pays attention to the food they consume can we further enhance food safety globally.

Thank you for your support for AEET STORY. See you next month!

以上文章為AEET教育公平促進會所有，歡迎轉載但請標示文章來源AEET教育公平促進會

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