Aly Verbaan
FOOD safety has never been as precarious as it is now. Even though the issue of food contamination has come under the spotlight in recent years, the globalisation of food production, a longer food chain, changes in technology and antimicrobial resistance all increase the risk of food becoming contaminated.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), therefore, designated the theme for this year’s World Health Day today as “Food safety: From farm to plate, make food safe” after new data and statistics came to light regarding the transmission of foodborne illnesses.
Last week, the WHO issued the first findings from a broader ongoing analysis of the global burden of foodborne diseases. The full results of this research are to be released in October. Some important results are related to enteric infections caused by viruses, bacteria and protozoa that enter the body by ingestion of contaminated food.
The initial figures, from 2010, show there were an estimated 582 million cases of 22 different foodborne enteric diseases and 351 000 associated deaths; the enteric disease agents responsible for most deaths were Salmonella typhi(52 000 deaths), Enteropathogenic E coli(37 000) and norovirus – which causes viral gastroenteritis (35 000).
Africa recorded the highest disease burden for enteric foodborne disease and over 40 percent of people suffering from enteric diseases caused by contaminated food were children under the age of five.
WHO director-general Dr Margaret Chan explained: “Food production has been industrialised, and its trade and distribution have been globalised. These changes introduce multiple new opportunities for food to become contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemicals.
“A local food safety problem can rapidly become an international emergency. Investigation of an outbreak of foodborne disease is vastly more complicated when a single plate or package of food contains ingredients from multiple countries.”
Common examples of unsafe food include undercooked foods of animal origin, fruits and vegetables contaminated with faeces, and shellfish containing marine biotoxins.
Symptoms of foodborne illnesses include stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. These may occur very quickly after eating or may take days or even weeks to appear. For most foodborne illnesses, however, symptoms occur within 24 to 72 hours.
With Africa bearing the bulk of the burden of enteric illnesses, special attention should be paid to the spread of cholera, hepatitis A and Ebola, the first cases of which were linked to infected bush meat.
WHO regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said: “Food can become contaminated at any point of production and distribution, and food producers play a critical role in preventing this. Equally, a large proportion of incidents of foodborne disease are caused by foods improperly prepared or mishandled at home, restaurants or markets.
“There is an urgent need for all food handlers and consumers to understand the importance of adopting basic hygienic practices when buying, selling and preparing food to protect their health and that of the wider community.
“In Africa women, who primarily prepare food at home, are also key participants in small and medium-sized enterprises as owners, managers and workers in food businesses such as cafés, restaurants, small manufacturers and street vendors.
“Improving the safety of food and securing the effective management of businesses operated by women is a key concern in public health for the economic, social status and overall standing of women in their communities.”