FOOD SAFETY

World Health Day, 7th April, 2015

Everyone needs food and needs it everyday

Not only people but food also can travel fast and far

Food safety is concerned with food technologies, multi sectoral dialogue and coordination between health, agriculture, trade, and environment.

Access to sufficient amounts of safe and

nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health.

Unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances causes more than 200 diseases – ranging from diarrhoea to cancers.

Foodborne and waterborne diarrhoeal diseases kill an estimated 2 million people annually, including many children.

Food safety, nutrition and food security are inextricably linked. Unsafe food creates a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition, particularly affecting infants, young children, elderly and the sick.

The populations are affected by many food-related challenges like vitamin and mineral deficiencies, obesity and non-communicable diseases.

We are also challenged by the cheap, convenient and highly processed foods that are also appealing to the taste buds.

Foodborne diseases impede socioeconomic development by straining health care systems and harming national economies, tourism and trade.

Food supply chains now cross multiple national borders. Good collaboration between governments, producers and consumers helps ensure food safety.

Case Scenario 1

Case Scenario 2

Table 1.showing the demographic and household features of the adolescent girls living in the various urban areas in Lahore (n=67)._________________________________________Variables_________________________________________Age: Mean age 21.08 years SD 3.025 yearsMedian family size: 6 persons/householdEducation: n PercentagePrimary 15 22.7Middle 19 28.4Matriculation 5 7.50Secondary school 6 9.1Higher education 21 31.3Water supply for drinking water:Municipal 31 46.3Wells/pumps 27 40.3Others 9 13.4Sewage Disposal:Public Sewage 40 59.7Others 27 40.3Garbage disposal:Public collection 34 50.7Open 33 49.3________________________________________________________________________

Daily Intake of Nutrients of Adolescent women

Calorie

s

Protei

nsFats

Carbo

Vit A

Folic a

cid Iron

Zinc0

100200300400500600700800900

882.7

36.5 40.792.8

767.2

113.6

7.5 4.6

Nutrients

Median Intake

Nutrient Intake as percentage of Recommended Daily Allowance

Calories Proteins Fats Carbo Vit A Folic acid

Iron Zinc0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Chart Title

Nutrients

Perc

enta

ge

Case Scenario 3

Cohort of 1964 followed in 2000-2004

In a Logistic Regression Model, we could show that Birth weight was significantly associated with BMI and Fasting Blood Sugar but not with systolic Blood Pressure.

____________________________________________________Dependant variable: Coeff se pBody Mass Index:Birth weight 1.6 0.4 0.0007

Dependant Variable:Fasting Blood Sugar:Birth weight -5.1 1.8 0.005

Dependant variable:Systolic BP:Birth Weight -1.0 0.9 0.448

This confirmed Barker’s Hypothesis of ‘fetal origin of chronic adult illnesses’;

that all newborns with Low Birth Weight are at risk of developing Obesity, Hypertension and Diabetes hence the concept of Non Communicable Diseases

Food safety problems

Developing countries

diarrhea in children under the age of five – 1.800 000 deaths per year (decreased) – >1.5 billion episodes per year (unchanged)

cholera

foodborne parasitic infections

Food safety problems

Industrialized countries

infections with Salmonella, Campylobacter and Enterohaemorrhagic E.coli– up to 30% of population suffering annually

from foodborne microbial diseases– up to 20 per million dying from foodborne

microbial diseases

Inadequate nutrient intake

Increased levels of infection

Child health and nutritional status

Infrequent feeding

Contamination of weaning food

Termination of exclusive breast feeding

MalabsorptionReduced immunity

Low nutrient density Greater mobility

Infections and Malnutrition

¨ Responsible for a significant proportion of the more than 10 million deaths among infants and children under 5 years

¨ After respiratory illness, diarrhoeal diseases are the

commonest illnesses and have the greatest negative impact

upon the growth of infants and young children

Infections and weaning¨ Incidence of diarrhoeal diseases is especially high

after weaning is initiated¨ Infants and young children are often more

susceptible to foodborne pathogens

¨ Contaminated weaning food may increase the risk

of diarrhoeal diseases during early months of life

¨ Diarrhoeal diseases have a significant negative

effect on growth

Developmental constraints ¨ Insufficient water for washing

¨ improvements related to availability can have a higher impact in reducing diarrhoea than improvements in water quality alone

¨ Time constraints for mothers¨ care/nursing constraints¨ weaning earlier

¨ Household fuel energy¨ heating constraints¨ increased storage

¨ Food shortages

Nutrition and Food SafetyWin-Win

Improved food safety less illness, medical and social costs, poverty

Improved health

Improved Growth

Improved nutrition

Development

Direct Links: decreased physical Productivity

Cost inefficiencies ((e.g. illness and deaths

Indirect links: impaired cognitive development, schooling and productivity

Overall loss to economy2.7-4.1% of GDP annually

Major food borne Illnesses Bacteria: Salmonella, Campylobacter and E Coli: Causing fever, headache, nausea,

abdominal pain and diarrhoea Eggs, Poultry, raw milk, undercooked meat and drinking water Listeria monocytogenes causes abortions and neonatal deaths. Found in dairy products

and ready-to-eat foods. Vibrio cholerae: causes profuse watery diarrhoea leading to dehydration and death.

Found in contaminated rice, vegetables, seafoods etc. Viruses: Norovirus (causing diarrhoea), Hepatitis A Parasites: Ascaris, Entamoeba and Giardia are known parasites acquired through water

and soil. Prions: neurodegenerative diseases caused by consuming contaminated brain tissue or

other organs. Chemicals: Mycotoxins, aflatoxins, cyanogenic glycosides etc can cause cancers.

Dioxins in the environment can accumulate over time and cause cancers. Heavy metals: lead, cadmium and mercury cause neurological and kidney damage

Thank You