An Overview of the WHO Food Safety Facts

Food safety is a global public health priority, and many people around the globe fell ill and die in a year eating unsafe, improperly handled and contaminated foods. There have been serious reports about outbreaks in different areas of the world, and in every year, an increasing number of individuals who are victims of food poisoning and related cases are recorded and reported in many countries. WHO, or the World Health Organization is among the largest global organization working to minimize and possibly prevent this kind of health risk that endanger the lives of many innocent people through awareness and proper food hygiene training. With their primary mission to provide healthy and safe communities worldwide in terms of food distribution, handling and consumption, the WHO promoted relevant keys concerns with respect to food safety. This includes the following: 1. The spread of hazardous bacteria like Salmonella and E. Coli 2. Food contaminants 3. Assessment on the safety and reliability on technologically produced foods or commonly known as the genetically modified foods for consumption 4. Strict compliance of different countries and communities with regards to food safety systems by ensuring a safe distribution-to-consumption process in the global food-chain. With these key concerns on food safety, other organizations in different countries have also started their own campaigns promoting food safety and hygiene. And with WHO, being the main convenor of this very important global public safety and health, had also shared to the public 10 serious facts about food safety.

Figure 1 http://pasco.ifas.ufl.edu/fcs/Food_Safety.shtml

The WHO Food Safety Facts 1. Around 200 diseases are spread through unsafe handling of foods. 2. Global concern is increasing with regards to the growing number of food-borne diseases victimizing innocent people in different parts of the world.

3. Global community is also pointing out food production and trade with countries raising concerns about the likelihood of involving into an international food contamination coming from both local and imported foods 4. Food production also raises a major concern as the WHO revealed that new infectious diseases affecting humans over the past decade were caused by microbiological elements, viruses and pathogens that came from animal products. WHO also revealed that most of these diseases came from people who are either working or related to handling infected domestic and wild animals, as well as in food production facilities and slaughter houses 5. Minimize the risk of H5N1 (avian influenza) and other food-borne illnesses in the poultry. >>Click to view all The WHO Food Safety Facts

With the deliberate progress of our modern technology these days, humans can actually create possible vaccines that can help in fighting such food-borne diseases. But we know that prevention is always better than cure and that is what the WHO is pursuing. In another point of view, the global food safety concern does not only target food safety consumption but also the proper production, handling and distribution of goods to those countries with starving and dying people because of hunger.