Food safety - WHO | World Health Organization

Access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health. Unsafe food containing harmful ... Home/ Newsroom/ Factsheets/ Detail/ Foodsafety Foodsafety 19May2022 Keyfacts Foodsafety,nutritionandfoodsecurityareinextricablylinked. Anestimated600million–almost1in10peopleintheworld–fallillaftereatingcontaminatedfoodand420000dieeveryyear,resultinginthelossof33millionhealthylifeyears(DALYs). US$110billionislosteachyearinproductivityandmedicalexpensesresultingfromunsafefoodinlow-andmiddle-incomecountries. Childrenunder5yearsofagecarry40%ofthefoodbornediseaseburden,with125000deathseveryyear. Foodbornediseasesimpedesocioeconomicdevelopmentbystraininghealthcaresystemsandharmingnationaleconomies,tourismandtrade. OverviewAccesstosufficientamountsofsafeandnutritiousfoodiskeytosustaininglifeandpromotinggoodhealth.Unsafefoodcontainingharmfulbacteria,viruses,parasitesorchemicalsubstancescausesmorethan200diseases,rangingfromdiarrhoeatocancers. Italsocreatesaviciouscycleofdiseaseandmalnutrition,particularlyaffectinginfants,youngchildren,elderlyandthesick.Goodcollaborationbetweengovernments,producersandconsumersisneededtohelpensurefoodsafetyandstrongerfood systems.Majorfoodborneillnessesandcauses Foodborneillnessesareusuallyinfectiousortoxicinnatureandcausedbybacteria,viruses,parasitesorchemicalsubstancesenteringthebodythroughcontaminatedfood.Chemicalcontaminationcanleadtoacutepoisoningorlong-termdiseases,such ascancer.Manyfoodbornediseasesmayleadtolong-lastingdisabilityanddeath.Someexamplesoffoodhazardsarelistedbelow. BacteriaSalmonella,CampylobacterandenterohaemorrhagicEscherichiacoliaresomeofthemostcommonfoodbornepathogensthataffectmillionsofpeopleannually,sometimeswithsevereandfataloutcomes.Symptomscanbefever,headache, nausea,vomiting,abdominalpainanddiarrhoea.Foodsinvolvedinoutbreaksofsalmonellosisincludeeggs,poultryandotherproductsofanimalorigin.FoodbornecaseswithCampylobacteraremainlycausedbyrawmilk,raworundercooked poultryanddrinkingwater.EnterohaemorrhagicEscherichiacoliisassociatedwithunpasteurizedmilk,undercookedmeatandcontaminatedfreshfruitsandvegetables.Listeriainfectionscanleadtomiscarriageinpregnantwomenordeathofnewbornbabies.Althoughdiseaseoccurrenceisrelativelylow,Listeria’ssevereandsometimesfatalhealthconsequences,particularlyamonginfants, childrenandtheelderly,countthemamongthemostseriousfoodborneinfections.Listeriaisfoundinunpasteuriseddairyproductsandvariousready-to-eatfoodsandcangrowatrefrigerationtemperatures.Vibriocholeraecaninfectpeoplethroughcontaminatedwaterorfood.Symptomsmayincludeabdominalpain,vomitingandprofusewaterydiarrhoea,whichquicklyleadtoseveredehydrationandpossiblydeath.Rice,vegetables,milletgruel andvarioustypesofseafoodhavebeenimplicatedincholeraoutbreaks.Antimicrobials,suchasantibiotics,areessentialtotreatinfectionscausedbybacteria,includingfoodbornepathogens.However,theiroveruseandmisuseinveterinaryandhumanmedicinehasbeenlinkedtotheemergenceandspreadofresistantbacteria, renderingthetreatmentofinfectiousdiseasesineffectiveinanimalsandhumans. VirusesSomevirusescanbetransmittedbyfoodconsumption.Norovirusisacommoncauseoffoodborneinfectionsthatischaracterizedbynausea,explosivevomiting,waterydiarrhoeaandabdominalpain.HepatitisAviruscanalsobetransmittedbyfoodandcan causelong-lastingliverdiseaseandspreadstypicallythroughraworundercookedseafoodorcontaminatedrawproduce. ParasitesSomeparasites,suchasfish-bornetrematodes,areonlytransmittedthroughfood.Others,forexampletapewormslikeEchinococcusspp,orTaeniaspp,mayinfectpeoplethroughfoodordirectcontactwithanimals.Otherparasites,such asAscaris,Cryptosporidium,EntamoebahistolyticaorGiardia,enterthefoodchainviawaterorsoilandcancontaminatefreshproduce. PrionsPrions,infectiousagentscomposedofprotein,areuniqueinthattheyareassociatedwithspecificformsofneurodegenerativedisease.Bovinespongiformencephalopathy(BSE,orso-calledmadcowdisease)isapriondiseaseincattle,associatedwith thevariantCreutzfeldt-Jakobdisease(vCJD)inhumans.Consumingmeatproductscontainingspecifiedriskmaterial,suchasbraintissue,isthemostlikelyrouteoftransmissionoftheprionagenttohumans. ChemicalsOfmostconcernforhealtharenaturallyoccurringtoxinsandenvironmentalpollutants.Naturallyoccurringtoxinsincludemycotoxins,marinebiotoxins,cyanogenicglycosidesandtoxinsoccurringinpoisonousmushrooms.Staplefoodslikecornorcerealscancontainhighlevelsofmycotoxins,suchasaflatoxinandochratoxin, producedbymouldongrain.Along-termexposurecanaffecttheimmunesystemandnormaldevelopment,orcausecancer.Persistentorganicpollutants(POPs)arecompoundsthataccumulateintheenvironmentandhumanbody.Knownexamplesaredioxinsandpolychlorinatedbiphenyls(PCBs),whichareunwantedby-productsofindustrialprocessesandwaste incineration.Theyarefoundworldwideintheenvironmentandaccumulateinanimalfoodchains.Dioxinsarehighlytoxicandcancausereproductiveanddevelopmentalproblems,damagetheimmunesystem,interferewithhormonesandcausecancer.Heavymetals suchaslead,cadmiumandmercurycauseneurologicalandkidneydamage.Contaminationbyheavymetalinfoodoccursmainlythroughpollutionofwaterandsoil.Otherchemicalhazardsinfoodcanincluderadioactivenucleotidesthatcanbedischargedintotheenvironmentfromindustriesandfromcivilormilitarynuclearoperations,foodallergens,residues ofdrugsandothercontaminantsincorporatedinthefoodduringtheprocess.Theburdenoffoodbornediseases Theburdenoffoodbornediseasestopublichealthandtoeconomieshasoftenbeenunderestimatedduetounderreportinganddifficultytoestablishcausalrelationshipsbetweenfoodcontaminationandresultingillnessordeath.The2015WHOreportontheestimatesoftheglobalburdenoffoodbornediseasespresentedthefirst-everestimatesofdiseaseburdencausedby31foodborneagents(bacteria,viruses,parasites,toxinsandchemicals)atglobalandsub-regionallevel,highlighting thatmorethan600millioncasesoffoodborneillnessesand420000deathscouldoccurinayear.Theburdenoffoodbornediseasesfallsdisproportionatelyongroupsinvulnerablesituationsandespeciallyonchildrenunder5,withthehighestburden inlow-andmiddle-incomecountries.The2019WorldBankreportontheeconomicburdenofthefoodbornediseasesindicatedthatthetotalproductivitylossassociatedwithfoodbornediseaseinlow-andmiddle-incomecountrieswasestimatedatUS$95.2billionperyear,andtheannualcost oftreatingfoodborneillnessesisestimatedatUS$15billion.Theevolvingworldandfoodsafety Safefoodsuppliessupportnationaleconomies,tradeandtourism,contributetofoodandnutritionsecurity,andunderpinsustainabledevelopment.Urbanizationandchangesinconsumerhabitshaveincreasedthenumberofpeoplebuyingandeatingfoodpreparedinpublicplaces.Globalizationhastriggeredgrowingconsumerdemandforawidervarietyoffoods,resultinginanincreasinglycomplexand longerglobalfoodchain.Climatechangeisalsopredictedtoimpactfoodsafety.Thesechallengesputgreaterresponsibilityonfoodproducersandhandlerstoensurefoodsafety.Localincidentscanquicklyevolveintointernationalemergenciesduetothespeedandrangeofproductdistribution.Apublichealthpriority Governmentsshouldmakefoodsafetyapublichealthpriority,astheyplayapivotalroleindevelopingpoliciesandregulatoryframeworksandestablishingandimplementingeffectivefoodsafetysystems.Foodhandlersandconsumersneedtounderstand howtosafelyhandlefoodandpracticingtheWHOFivekeystosaferfoodathome,orwhensellingatrestaurantsoratlocalmarkets.FoodproducerscansafelygrowfruitsandvegetablesusingtheWHOFivekeystogrowingsaferfruitsandvegetables. WHOresponse WHOaimstostrengthennationalfoodcontrolsystemstofacilitateglobalprevention,detectionandresponsetopublichealththreatsassociatedwithunsafefood.Todothis,WHOsupportsMemberStatesby:providingindependentscientificassessmentsonmicrobiologicalandchemicalhazardsthatformthebasisforinternationalfoodstandards,guidelines,andrecommendations,knownastheCodexAlimentarius;assessingtheperformanceofnationalfoodcontrolsystemsthroughouttheentirefoodchain,identifyingpriorityareasforfurtherdevelopment,andmeasuringandevaluatingprogressovertimethroughtheFAO/WHOfoodcontrolsystemassessmenttool; assessingthesafetyofnewtechnologiesusedinfoodproduction,suchasgeneticmodification,cultivatedfoodproductsandnanotechnology;helpingimplementadequateinfrastructuretomanagefoodsafetyrisksandrespondtofoodsafetyemergenciesthroughtheInternationalFoodSafetyAuthoritiesNetwork(INFOSAN);promotingsafefoodhandlingthroughsystematicdiseasepreventionandawarenessprogrammes,throughtheWHOFivekeystosaferfoodmessageandtrainingmaterials;advocatingforfoodsafetyasanimportantcomponentofhealthsecurityandforintegratingfoodsafetyintonationalpoliciesandprogrammesinlinewiththeInternationalHealthRegulations(IHR2005);monitoringregularlytheglobalburdenoffoodborneandzoonoticdiseasesatnational,regionalandinternationallevels,andsupportingcountriestoestimatethenationalburdenoffoodbornediseases;andupdatingtheWHOGlobalStrategyforFoodSafety(2022–2030)tosupportMemberStatestostrengthentheirnationalfoodcontrolsystemsandreducetheburdenoffoodbornediseases.WHOworkscloselywithFoodandAgricultureOrganization(FAO),theWorldOrganizationforAnimalHealth(OIE),TheUNEnvironmentProgramme(UNEP)andotherinternationalorganizationstoensurefoodsafetyalongtheentirefoodchainfromproduction toconsumption.  Related Safe,healthyandsustainabledietsFoodhandlersmanualNuclearaccidentsandradioactivecontaminationoffoodsWHOestimatesoftheglobalburdenoffoodbornediseasesAdvancingfoodsafetyinitiatives:strategicplanforfoodsafetyincludingfoodbornezoonoses2013-2022WHO'sworkonfoodsafetyCodexAlimentarius–InternationalFoodStandards News WorldFoodSafetyDay2022themehighlightstherolethatsafe,nutritionalfoodplaysinensuringhumanhealth 7March2022 Factsheets Mycotoxins 9May2018 Featurestories 73rdWorldHealthAssemblyDecisions 7August2020