Dr. Brian Schaneberg, the executive director of the Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) at Illinois Tech, is participating in a World Food Safety Day seminar this week, focusing on dedicated food safety processes. The seminar is organized by IFSH member Reckitt, a multinational firm operating in 68 countries across six continents. Other esteemed partners include Merieux NutriSciences-Global, Commercial Food Sanitation LLC, and Cornell University. IFSH is proud to partner with Reckitt on World Food Safety Day, a company that produces infant formulas like Enfamil and Nutramigen, with the belief that “every child is the most important person in the world.”

The gathering aims to raise awareness for World Food Safety Day on June 7, emphasizing that global brands should prepare for unforeseen food safety incidents and that food safety is everybody’s business. Food safety incidents can range from minor events to major international crises. Food safety hazards do not recognize borders, so in an increasingly interconnected global food supply, risks posed by unsafe food can rapidly evolve from a local problem to an international emergency.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 600 million people fall ill and 420,000 die every year after eating contaminated food. Forty percent of the foodborne disease burden is carried by children under five. Join us in spreading the importance of food safety during World Food Safety Day and beyond.