‘Food Standards Save Lives,’ Food Safety Day observed

The Thurston County Board of Health (BOH) retroactively proclaimed June 7 as Food Safety Day during its meeting on Tuesday, June 13.

“Food safety has a direct impact on health, saves lives, and plays a vital role in reducing foodborne diseases,” the BOH proclamation read.

Thurston Environmental Health Senior Specialist Sammy Berg said the marching order from the public health perspective is to urge the public to keep washing their hands, as food safety is everyone’s responsibility.

“Food safety is a day-to-day issue for everyone,” said Berg. “It is not just something that happens at restaurants. Everyone takes food safety into literally their own hands when they go home and make food for themselves and for their families.”

This year’s theme from the United Nations, “Food Standards Save Lives,” aims to “draw global attention to the health consequences of contaminated food and water.”

According to the BOH data, over 1000 food establishments in the county are permitted to provide meals and groceries to the public daily. These establishments work hand-in-hand with local, state, and federal food safety inspectors to provide quality food in a safe manner.

2021 data showed 29 foodborne illness outbreaks made 339 people ill in Washington State. Meanwhile, the Center for Disease Control estimates that almost 48 million people become ill and 3,000 people die from foodborne illnesses in the United States each year.