WHO links food safety and nutrition

Seven keys to safer foods

Linking food safety and nutrition, the World Health Organization said food and water-borne diseases kill an estimated two million people across the world annually.

Globally, every year, millions of people die of food contamination. Foodborne illness is a serious cause of concern. Access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health. Food safety, nutrition and food security are inextricably linked, according to Asheena Khalakdia, the team leader for communicable diseases at WHO country office for India.

She said that from the production to consumption, there were several potential areas of food contamination and safe and healthy food should be the prime focus.

Food safety is a big issue so this year we have come up with a theme on food safety on the occasion of World Health Day on April 7, 2015, she said, during a technical session on the theme for the World Health Day.

The WHO experts enumerated seven key points for safer food, these include:

1.  Use certified raw materials.
2.  Clean foods carefully,
3.   Keeping the raw and cooked food separated
4.  Cooking thoroughly especially meat, poultry, eggs and seafood at 70 degrees Celsius,
5.  Keep foods refrigerated,
6.  Use safe water  
7.  Throw away garbage

Food safety is a shared responsibility. It is important to work all along the food production chain - from farmers and manufacturers to vendors and consumers.

Accomplish these five keys factors for safer food must be made accessible to every consumer. All the stakeholders should come forward on a joint platform to share this responsibility.

Source: Five keys to safer food