Webinar: Hacking the Food Safety Challenge

Webinar: Hacking the Food Safety Challenge

25/05/2021
in News

Ahead of World Food Safety Day on 7 June, let's talk about food safety! Bringo Fresh and Rikolto are jointly organising a webinar on 2 June to dive into one of the main challenges when it comes to tackling food safety in our food systems: The awareness gap.

Join us on 2 June at 15:00 EAT! Sign up here

Why join the discussion? Explore more about food safety and it's challenges and impact below.

Did you know...

... Uganda has a high child mortality rate with 45.8 children per 1000 passing away before the age of 5. One of the most common causes: Diarrhea.

... Typhoid fever is endemic in Uganda with 56,000 cases per year. It is caused by contaminated water and food.

... An estimated 11,000 cholera cases occur in Uganda every year by consuming contaminated food or water.

Why is food safety important?

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is beneficial for your health and can prevent diseases. Uganda's food markets however are filled with fruits & vegetables that are poorly handled and in filthy conditions. In Uganda, 60% of fresh fruits and vegetables is biologically contaminated and most fresh produce have chemical residuals, which could lead to sickness and health issues. Unsafe use of chemicals for instance can be harmful for both farmer and consumer.

Although food safety should be everyone's business, awareness about food safety is still lagging behind. That's why Rikolto and Bringo Fresh are jointly organising a campaign and webinar to raise awareness about food safety with stakeholders in the food system and to look for opportunities to work all together to enhance awareness in the future.

What is the problem with food safety exactly?

How does Bringo Fresh come into play?

To enhance food safety in Kampala, Rikolto has been working with Bringo Fresh, a youth-led company that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables and other products ensuring that all produce is handled safely and hygienically from fark to fork. This is only one example of how a company can play an important role in improving food safety.

How does Bringo Fresh ensure food safety?

  • Source all the fresh produce directly from farms
  • Visit smallholder farmers regularly to ensure good handling methods are used.
  • No excessive use of pesticides
  • Support farmers to obtain the Good Agricultural Practices certification
  • Know when and how the farmers harvest and transport the produce to ensure its quality and freshness.
  • Wake up every morning to transform shopping into a hassle free experience by delivering carefully selected boxes of fresh produce to your doorstep.

Bridging the food safety awareness gap

Raising awareness will be crucial to ensure that everyone is eating healthy and safe food in our food systems. What are the specific challenges when it comes to awareness? What are possible solutions? Who will be crucial actors who need to step up their game when it comes to awareness?

Join our discussion on 2 June at 15:00 EAT. Registered participants will receive a Zoom link to join via email. We're looking forward to having you there!