Rosanna Pike | Food safety: A public health priority

Access to safe, nutritious food is a basic human right; food plays a critical role in disease prevention and control. Food safety refers to handling, preparation and storage of food in ways to prevent food-borne illnesses caused by eating contaminated foods or beverages.

The need for health and safety practices for infection control has been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While there is no existing evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted through food, it’s still important to maintain food safety to ensure optimal health, especially for vulnerable persons.

Food-borne illnesses are a preventable but under-reported public health problem in the Caribbean, with increasing rates burdening the health system and individual households. Unsafe food causes more than 200 diseases, including diarrhoeal and viral disease, reproductive and developmental problems and cancers. During the holidays, the risk of these illnesses can be increased by poor handling and inadequate refrigeration of foods prepared ahead of time and in large quantities. Most food-borne illness are caused by pathogens, which are organisms that cause diseases upon entering the human body. Among the list of pathogens are bacteria, viruses fungi and parasites or harmful toxins/chemicals.

The most commonly recognised food-borne infections are those caused by the bacteria Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. Coli, all of which induce severe abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and fever in infected hosts. A variety of foods have been linked to each of the above-mentioned bacteria to include unpasteurised (raw) milk, chicken, shellfish, pork, vegetables and contaminated water. Vulnerable groups such as infants, young children, the immunocompromised, pregnant women, persons with underlying conditions and the elderly may fare worse if they contract a food-borne disease.

GOOD NUTRITION REQUIRES SAFE FOOD

While adequate quantities of food are important, food quality is essential to fulfilling basic nutritional needs. Healthful eating involves not only monitoring food categories or nutrients daily but also proper food handling. For food to benefit your health, it must be safe to eat.

Food safety plays a critical role in food security where all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to food that meets their dietary needs for an active and healthy life. Unsafe food prevents the uptake of important nutrients. Micronutrient deficiencies (e.g., deficiencies of vitamin A, iodine, zinc and iron) contribute to “hidden hunger” with consequences that may not be immediately or easily visible but may adversely affect metabolism, cognitive development and the immune system, especially in children. Poor nutrition increases susceptibility to diseases, which can result in further undernutrition.

FOOD SAFETY AND GMOs

The safety of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) has been debated almost since the phrase was attributed to the development of antibiotic-resistant tobacco in 1983. Consumers continue to be concerned about both the food safety and the nutritional equivalence of GMO foods.

A 2016 report from the National Academies of Science, Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects, discusses effects on human health. Claims regarding human health and safety of GMO foods included increased risks from cancers, kidney disease, obesity, celiac disease, diabetes and allergies. Nevertheless, it must be emphasised that science is ever changing, the science of genetic engineering is relatively young, and there is still uncertainty around long-term effects. Absolute safety cannot be guaranteed for any specific food.

FOOD SAFETY DETERMINANTS

Factors that determine our food choices also affect food safety. Human activities and behaviours play an important role in food safety. Persons must understand this link and how to decrease the risk of food-borne illness. Food hazards, including germs, contaminants like glass, and chemicals like unsafe levels of pesticides, can enter the food supply at any stage from farm to table, some of which cannot be detected when food is purchased or consumed. In addition, food itself, such as peanuts, eggs and shellfish, can cause adverse allergic reactions in some people.

There are many challenges in keeping our food safe faced by the food industry and regulators (including tracing food items to their sources, cultural differences in food preparation, non-uniform worker training systems and increasing imports) and consumers (such as reading food labels, cooking and storing food at appropriate temperatures, separating risky foods, or properly cleaning hands and surfaces).

SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

Safe food supplies support economies, agriculture, trade and tourism, contribute to food and nutrition security, and underpin sustainable development, as food-borne diseases impede socio-economic development by straining healthcare systems, and harming national economies, tourism and trade. Food safety must be a shared responsibility among stakeholders, and attention must be given to inspire action in preventing, detecting and managing food-borne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity. Effective actions with specific roles are as follows:

- Government – developing modern food legislation, ensuring adequate food testing labs to respond to food safety risks, implementing food and label literacy campaigns and fostering multisectoral collaboration (among public health, agriculture sectors, etc.) for joint action.

- Producers and processors – implementing food safety systems to ensure safe food for consumers.

- Food handlers/consumers – reading food labels, making informed choices and becoming familiar with common food hazards.

- Professional associations – forming technical groups to address food safety, undertaking research, preparing/promoting safe food guidelines for the public, educating people on use of food labels and promoting the consumption of locally grown fruits and vegetables.

SAFE FOOD HANDLING

Safe food handling can prevent food-borne illnesses and reduce hospitalisations from these illness amid the COVID-19 pandemic. When shopping, select fresh foods and check food labels for expiry dates and allergens. In every step of food preparation, follow the WHO’s five steps to food safety:

• Clean

- Wash hands for 20 seconds with soap and water after shopping, handling food packages and before preparing, handling and eating food.

- Wash cutting boards, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water.

- Consider using paper towels to clean kitchen surfaces or launder cloth towels/sponges often in hot water.

- Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water. Scrub firm produce with a produce brush.

- Protect kitchen areas from insects, pests and animals.

• Separate

- Don’t cross-contaminate. Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods in your shopping cart, grocery bags, and refrigerator.

- Use separate cutting boards for fresh produce and raw meat, poultry and seafood.

- Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs unless the plate has been washed in hot, soapy water.

• Cook

- Cook to the right temperature.

- Colour and texture are unreliable indicators of safety. Use a food thermometer to ensure that meat, poultry, seafood, and egg products are cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria.

- For even cooking in a microwave oven, cover food, stir, and rotate or rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking if there is no turntable. Always allow standing time, to complete cooking, before checking the internal temperature.

- Reheat cooked food thoroughly; bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil.

• Chill

- Refrigerate foods promptly.

- Refrigerate meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and other perishables within two hours of cooking or purchasing (within one hour if the temperature outside is above 90° F).

- Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the countertop. Thaw food safely in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave, and cook immediately.

- Marinate food in the refrigerator.

• Use safe water and raw materials.

- Raw materials, including water and ice, may be contaminated with dangerous microorganisms and chemicals.

- Use safe water or treat it to make it safe.

- Do not use food beyond its expiry date.

- Select fresh and wholesome foods.

- Choose foods processed for safety, such as pasteurised milk.

Safer food promises healthier and longer lives, less costly healthcare, and a more resilient food industry.

Rosanna Pike is health education officer, Global Health Advocacy Project, The Heart Foundation of Jamaica. Send feedback to ghapjm@gmail.com.