Discussion Forum

World Food Safety Day on 7 June aims to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.                       There are several concerns related to food safety in India, but one of the major concerns is the prevalence of foodborne illnesses caused by contaminated food. This can be due to a variety of factors, including poor hygiene and sanitation practices during food production, processing, and handling. Additionally, the use of pesticides and other chemicals in food production can also pose a risk to human health if not used properly. Another concern is the lack of awareness and education about food safety among the general public, which can lead to unsafe food practices. These issues need to be addressed through better regulation, education, and awareness campaigns to ensure that the food we eat is safe and healthy. 1. World Food Safety Day: This is an annual event celebrated on June 7th to raise awareness about the importance of food safety. The theme for 2023 is “Food standards save lives.” 2. Food Safety Education Month: This is an annual event held in September to promote food safety education and awareness. It is an opportunity to educate people about the risks associated with unsafe food practices and to promote healthy and sustainable food choices. 3. Fight BAC! Campaign: This is a national public education campaign aimed at educating consumers about safe food handling practices to prevent foodborne illness. The campaign provides resources and information on safe food handling practices, such as washing hands, cooking food to the appropriate temperature, and storing food at the correct temperature. 4. Be Food Safe Campaign: This is a campaign launched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to educate consumers about safe food handling practices. The campaign provides resources and information on safe food handling practices, such as washing hands, cooking food to the appropriate temperature, and storing food at the correct temperature. 5. FoodKeeper App: This is a mobile app developed by the USDA that provides information on safe food storage and handling practices. The app provides information on how to store food properly, how long food can be stored, and how to tell if food is still safe to eat. These are just a few examples of the many awareness campaigns related to food safety. I hope this helps! Futher It is also recommended for your oganization to have a food safety plan. Below is a general guideline for the same. Food safety training is essential, to ensure that the food served is safe and free from harmful contaminants. Here are some key points to consider: 1. Identify the key personnel who need food safety training: This includes anyone who handles food, including cooks, servers, and cafeteria staff. 2. Develop a food safety plan: This should include procedures for food handling, storage, preparation, and serving. The plan should also include guidelines for cleaning and sanitizing kitchen equipment and facilities. 3. Provide training on food safety principles: This should cover topics such as handwashing, cross-contamination, temperature control, and food storage. 4. Conduct regular inspections: Regular inspections of the kitchen and food service areas can help identify potential hazards and ensure that food safety procedures are being followed. 5. Keep records: Keeping records of food safety training, inspections, and any incidents can help identify areas for improvement and ensure that food safety procedures are being followed. 6. Periodic medical exams of food handlers for any communicable diseases and vaccincations shall be ensured. Overall, food safety training is essential to ensure that the food served is safe and free from harmful contaminants. By following proper food safety procedures, we can help protect the health and well-being of ourselves and others. http://www.csun.edu/~cjh78264/foodsafety/pages/quiz.html

Psychological safety is the belief that you won’t be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. At work, it’s a shared expectation held by members of a team that teammates will not embarrass, reject, or punish them for sharing ideas, taking risks, or soliciting feedback. Let us say that you are having a meeting with your boss, Without Psychological Safety: You look around and see your boss giving ideas or taking a review of the quarters performance. He points out a bottle neck where we have consistantly under performed for all three months. You see people nodding in approval as if to accept his findings, but no one dares to comment on it. When the boss pressures you to give a response you start to hear people giving commitments to achieve the goal in the next quareter and a few complaining about the next person. With Psychological Safety: Considering the same scenario, once the presentation reaches the bottle neck the leader gives an opportunity for the team to putforth their scenario. The person with the least performance comes forth and explains his constraint and support required. The boss calls for a brain storming session to analyse if the proposed system is feasible. Some tweaks are done to the proposed plan. The conclude to test the plan and get back if further discussion is required. So in conclusion psychological safety enhances the willingness to take risks, be open in meetings to put forth your ideas, Accepting your bottle necks and taking failures as learning opportunities.

Under construction Aguwani-Sultanganj bridge in Bihar’s Bhagalpur collapses for the second time the bridge has collapsed. First collapse was on 29th April 2022. Further details awaited. 1700 crores were being spent on building this bridge. Work on the 3.1-km bridge to link Aguani in Khagaria district with Sultanganj in Bhagalpur. Here are three videos which describe the incident.