What is the first thing that crosses your mind when you hear of food poisoning? Something that causes a brief inconvenience, a short bout of upset, maybe a day or two of discomfort? The reality is far more unsettling. Every year, 1.5 million people die due to unsafe food, and 866 million people fall sick, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO). This is not a doomsday scenario. It is the stark reality of foodborne disease in our modern world.
Young children at high risk
While millions of people across the globe think foodborne illnesses are a less serious health concern, the WHO’s latest report suggests otherwise. The idea that something you eat to energise your body could instead make you seriously ill is unsettling. But for many, it is a daily reality. In fact, young children aged less than five years are at a higher risk of illness from unsafe food than older children and adults. Though they are only 9% of the global population, young children suffer from nearly one-third of all cases of foodborne diseases, particularly diarrhoeal diseases, which can be deadly for this vulnerable age group. Exposure to chemicals such as methylmercury and lead in food can also significantly affect their brain development, leading to lifelong neurological and developmental problems.
Foodborne illnesses and deaths can be prevented
According to the WHO, many of these illnesses and deaths caused by unsafe food can be prevented. How? By implementing basic measures such as clean water, better sanitation, hygiene, and food safety practices such as pasteurisation, and improved access to healthcare for vulnerable groups.Most foodborne illnesses are caused by biological hazards such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which accounted for about 860 million cases in 2021. On the other hand, chemical contaminants led to a larger proportion of deaths. According to the report, foods contaminated with chemicals accounted for 73% of deaths. Arsenic exposure led to 42% of deaths, while lead caused 31% of deaths, as they increase the risk of heart disease and cancers. The economic burden is also huge. In 2021, foodborne disease led to about US$ 310 billion in lost productivity due to time taken off work because of illness.“Food safety is not an abstract issue – it touches every meal, every family, every day. Unsafe food has always been a major public health concern, but until now we lacked the bigger picture of its staggering human and economic toll. These new estimates change that. For the first time, countries have their own data to see where the burden is highest. With that knowledge, governments can prioritise the actions needed to protect people’s health,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said in a statement.“This report is a wake-up call – but also a roadmap. The data show that foodborne diseases are not only persistent but are being made worse by climate change, which increases contamination risks, and by antimicrobial resistance, which makes infections harder to treat. We cannot tackle these threats alone,” Yuki Minato, WHO technical officer for food safety and senior author of The Lancet Global Health paper, said.
Food poisoning symptoms
The symptoms vary depending on what you may have ingested via unsafe food. They can range from mild to serious and can last for a few hours or several days. Some of the common symptoms, according to the CDC, include:
- Diarrhoea
- Stomach pain or cramps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
Beyond acute illness, chronic exposure to chemical contaminants may lead to serious illnesses.
Riskier foods to look out for
Not every food is safe to eat. Some foods are more likely to harbour harmful microorganisms that can make you sick. These higher-risk foods can spread germs to you, surfaces in your home, and other foods, and cause food poisoning. These include:
- Raw or undercooked poultry, meat, seafood, or eggs
- Raw or undercooked sprouts
- Unwashed fruits and vegetables
- Cut melon
- Unpasteurised milk, juice, cider, or soft cheese
- Raw dough or raw batter made with uncooked flour
How to prevent food poisoningFood safety should start right at home. From buying your groceries to storing and cooking them, utmost care must be taken. There are four main steps to food safety: clean, separate, cook, and chill.
Start with washing
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.
- Wash your hands before, during, and after preparing food and before eating.
- Wash utensils, cutting boards, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item.
- Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water.
Separate your food items correctly
After the grocery run, ensure you set aside some time to separate everything you bought. Mixing raw meat with cooked foods, as well as storing ready-to-eat food together, may lead to food poisoning. Here are some tips you can follow:
- While shopping, keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and their juices separate from other foods.
- When storing, keep raw or marinating meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separately from other foods.
- Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood in sealed containers. Always store them in a way that the juices do not leak onto other foods.
- While cooking, use separate cutting boards or plates: one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood, and another for produce, bread, and ready-to-eat foods.
- You do not need to wash raw chicken. It is ready to cook. If at all you choose to wash, do it as safely as possible.
The cooking temperature matters
Piping hot is not automatically safe to eat. The right temperature depends on what you are cooking. The internal temperature should be high enough to kill the germs that can make you sick. So, how do you tell if it is the right temperature? The CDC suggests using a food thermometer. You cannot tell otherwise, whether from the colour or texture, except for seafood.
- You should cook whole cuts of beef, veal, lamb, and pork, including fresh ham, at 145°F, and then allow the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving.
- If your fish has fins, cook to 145°F or cook until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork.
- All ground meats, including beef and pork, should be cooked to 160°F.
- Poultry, including ground chicken and turkey, should be cooked to 165°F.
Refrigerate at the right temperature
Similarly, you must refrigerate food at the right temperature. At room temperature, bacteria can multiply rapidly. The danger zone is between 40°F and 140°F. You should never leave leftover food out for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if exposed to temperatures above 90°F). Always keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below. Your freezer should be at 0°F or below.While governments must invest in surveillance systems, enforce stricter food safety standards, and improve agricultural practices to prevent contamination at the source, these are some simple steps you can take to prevent foodborne illnesses.
