Food Safety: Key Facts and Prevention Strategies for a Healthier Life

Introduction

Food safety is not merely a matter of avoiding discomfort; it’s a fundamental pillar of public health, intricately linked to nutrition and food security. Globally, the impact of unsafe food is staggering. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that a staggering 600 million people – nearly 1 in 10 worldwide – become ill each year from consuming contaminated food. This results in 420,000 preventable deaths annually. Beyond the human cost, foodborne illnesses place a significant strain on economies, with low- and middle-income countries losing an estimated US$ 110 billion each year in productivity and medical expenses. Children under the age of five are particularly vulnerable, bearing 40% of the foodborne disease burden, which tragically includes 125,000 deaths each year. Understanding food safety and implementing preventive measures is crucial for individual well-being and global prosperity.

Understanding Foodborne Illnesses: Major Causes and Hazards

Foodborne illnesses, often referred to as food poisoning, are typically infections or intoxications caused by consuming food contaminated with harmful microorganisms – bacteria, viruses, and parasites – or chemical substances. These contaminants can lead to a wide spectrum of health issues, ranging from short-term discomfort like diarrhea to severe, long-term conditions such as cancer. In some cases, foodborne diseases can result in lasting disabilities and even death. Identifying the major categories of food hazards is the first step in effective prevention.

Bacterial Contaminants

Bacteria are a leading cause of foodborne illnesses worldwide. Several types pose significant risks:

Salmonella, Campylobacter, and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (E. coli) are among the most prevalent pathogens. These bacteria cause millions of illnesses annually, some with severe and even fatal outcomes. Symptoms typically include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Foods commonly associated with salmonellosis outbreaks include eggs, poultry, and various animal-derived products. Campylobacter infections are frequently linked to raw milk, raw or undercooked poultry, and contaminated drinking water. Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli is often found in unpasteurized milk, undercooked meat, and contaminated fresh produce.
Listeria monocytogenes infections, while less frequent, are particularly dangerous. Listeria can cause miscarriage in pregnant women and severe illness or death in newborns. This bacterium is found in unpasteurized dairy products and ready-to-eat foods and uniquely can grow at refrigeration temperatures, making it a persistent threat. Infants, young children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems are most susceptible to severe Listeria infections.
Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium responsible for cholera, is transmitted through contaminated water and food. Cholera is characterized by severe symptoms including abdominal pain, vomiting, and profuse watery diarrhea, leading to rapid dehydration and potentially death if untreated. Raw vegetables and raw or undercooked seafood are frequently implicated in cholera outbreaks.

The growing issue of antimicrobial resistance further complicates bacterial foodborne illnesses. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics in both human and animal medicine contribute to the development of resistant bacteria, making infections harder to treat. This is a critical concern in managing foodborne bacterial infections.

Viral Contaminants

Viruses are another significant category of foodborne pathogens.

Norovirus is a leading cause of viral foodborne illness. It typically causes nausea, explosive vomiting, watery diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Norovirus is highly contagious and can spread rapidly through contaminated food and surfaces.
Hepatitis A virus is also foodborne and can cause long-lasting liver disease. Transmission often occurs through the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood or contaminated raw produce. Hepatitis A can have serious long-term health consequences.

Parasitic Contaminants

Parasites are less common than bacteria or viruses in causing foodborne illness in developed countries, but they remain a significant concern globally.

Fish-borne trematodes are parasites exclusively transmitted through the consumption of raw or undercooked fish.
Tapeworms such as Echinococcus spp and Taenia spp can infect humans through contaminated food or direct contact with infected animals.
Other parasites like Ascaris, Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba histolytica, and Giardia can enter the food chain via contaminated water or soil, leading to the contamination of fresh produce.

Prions

Prions are infectious proteins associated with specific neurodegenerative diseases.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as “mad cow disease,” is a prion disease in cattle. The human equivalent, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), is linked to consuming beef products contaminated with BSE prions, particularly specified risk materials like brain tissue.

Chemical Hazards

Chemical hazards in food can be categorized into naturally occurring toxins and environmental pollutants.

Naturally Occurring Toxins: These include mycotoxins, marine biotoxins, cyanogenic glycosides, and toxins found in poisonous mushrooms. Mycotoxins, such as aflatoxins and ochratoxins, are produced by molds that can grow on staple foods like corn and cereals. Long-term exposure to mycotoxins can have severe health consequences, including immune system damage, impaired development, and cancer.
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): POPs are environmental contaminants that accumulate in the environment and in human tissues. Dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are examples of POPs, often byproducts of industrial processes and waste incineration. They are globally distributed and accumulate in animal food chains. Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, immune system damage, hormonal disruption, and cancer.
Heavy Metals: Heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury are toxic and can cause neurological and kidney damage. Food contamination from heavy metals typically occurs through polluted water and soil.

Other chemical hazards include radioactive nucleotides, food allergens, and residues from drugs and other contaminants introduced during food processing.

The Significant Burden of Foodborne Diseases

The impact of foodborne diseases on public health and global economies is often underestimated due to underreporting and the challenges in directly linking food contamination to illness. However, the WHO’s 2015 report on the global burden of foodborne diseases provided groundbreaking estimates, revealing the immense scale of the problem. This report, covering 31 foodborne agents, highlighted over 600 million cases of foodborne illness and 420,000 deaths annually worldwide. Vulnerable populations, particularly children under five and those in low- and middle-income countries, bear a disproportionate burden.

The World Bank’s 2019 report further underscored the economic consequences, estimating productivity losses of US$ 95.2 billion per year in low- and middle-income countries due to foodborne diseases, alongside US$ 15 billion in annual treatment costs. These figures demonstrate that investing in food safety is not only a public health imperative but also an economically sound strategy.

Food Safety in a Changing World

Ensuring safe food supplies is essential for public health, contributing directly to food and nutrition security, and supporting national economies through trade and tourism. However, several global trends are creating new challenges for food safety.

Urbanization and Changing Consumer Habits: The increasing urbanization and shift towards consuming food prepared outside the home mean more people are reliant on public food venues. This necessitates robust food safety practices in restaurants, street food vending, and other food service establishments.
Globalization of the Food Chain: Consumer demand for diverse foods has resulted in complex and extended global food supply chains. This increased complexity makes tracing food sources and ensuring safety across borders more challenging.
Climate Change Impacts: Climate change is projected to significantly impact food safety. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and changes in precipitation patterns can increase the risks of foodborne illnesses by affecting pathogen survival, food production, and contamination pathways. Research from WHO highlights the anticipated increase in food safety risks due to climate change.

These evolving challenges place greater responsibility on food producers, handlers, and governments to strengthen food safety systems and adapt to new threats. Food safety incidents can rapidly escalate into international emergencies due to the speed and reach of modern food distribution networks.

Food Safety: A Public Health Priority from Farm to Fork

Governments play a critical role in ensuring food safety by making it a public health priority. This includes developing evidence-based policies, risk-based regulatory frameworks, and effective food safety systems. Consumers and food handlers also have vital roles to play. Understanding and practicing safe food handling techniques is essential at every stage, from food production to consumption.

The WHO promotes key strategies for safer food handling for both consumers and producers:

WHO Five Keys to Safer Food: These guidelines provide practical steps for consumers to handle food safely at home and for food vendors in markets and restaurants. Link to WHO Five Keys to Safer Food
WHO Five Keys to Growing Safer Fruits and Vegetables: These guidelines offer best practices for food producers to minimize contamination risks during fruit and vegetable production. Link to WHO Five Keys to Growing Safer Fruits and Vegetables

Food safety is a shared responsibility that requires a multisectoral, “One Health” approach, involving collaboration across various national authorities and sectors throughout the entire food chain – from farm to fork.

WHO’s Role in Strengthening Global Food Safety

The WHO is committed to strengthening national food control systems globally to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats related to unsafe food. WHO supports member states through various initiatives:

Providing scientific advice and risk assessments on food safety hazards.
Developing international food safety standards and guidelines in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Supporting countries in building and strengthening their national food safety systems.
Enhancing global surveillance of foodborne diseases and food contamination events.
Promoting consumer education and safe food handling practices.

WHO collaborates closely with the FAO, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and other international organizations to ensure food safety across the entire food chain, from production to consumption. This collaborative approach aligns with the One Health Joint Plan of Action (2022–2026), emphasizing the interconnected health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment.

By prioritizing food safety, we can significantly reduce the burden of foodborne illnesses, improve public health, and contribute to a more sustainable and prosperous future for all.