Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food-borne illness or food poisoning. The majority of food-borne illnesses are caused by harmful bacteria and viruses. Some parasites and chemicals can also cause food-borne illnesses.
Food is the most common medium for the growth of bacteria and parasites. Thus, the consumption of “tainted food” can transmit the disease from one person to another.
More than 250 different food-borne diseases have been identified. Food can be contaminated at any time, either during growth, harvesting or slaughter, processing, storage and shipping.
Raw foods, such as raw meats, unpasteurised milk and raw vegetables, are most associated with food-borne diseases. This is because they are contaminated with pesticides and chemical fertilisers are used to preserve the “freshness” in them.
In fact, some farmers and retailers would inject the food with antibiotics to prevent and control common diseases or to enhance animal growth.
The antibiotics are also used to improve the quality of the product, with a lower percentage of fat and higher protein content
in the meat. However, excessive use of antibiotics has led to the emerging public health crisis of antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance occurs when an antibiotic has lost its ability to effectively control or kill bacterial growth. In other words, the bacteria become more “resistant” to the antibiotic designed to cure or prevent infection. The resistant-bacteria have a greater chance of survival as they will find ways to survive in the human body and continue to multiply, causing more harm.
Antibiotic resistance poses a health risk to human health directly or indirectly. Direct effects are through the consumption of food infected with the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Indirect effects are those that result from contact with resistant organisms that have been spread to various components of the ecosystem such as water and soil.
Bacteria can travel in any medium so people can transmit the antibiotic-resistant bacteria to others by coughing or contact with unwashed hands.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can spread to family members, schoolmates and co-workers. It may even threaten the community. Antibiotic resistance has become one of the world’s most pressing public health problems as it may cause illnesses that were once easily treatable with antibiotics to become dangerous infections, prolonging suffering for children and adults.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are often more difficult to kill and need expensive treatment. In some cases, antibiotic-resistant infections can lead to serious disability or even death.
How do we protect ourselves from being antibiotic resistant?
IDENTIFY restaurants that serve poultry injected with antibiotics;
AVOID consuming fast food regularly as most food restaurants serve poultry, fish and vegetables injected with antibiotics; and,
INFORM the authorities if there are retailers who inject drugs or antibiotics into vegetables, fruits and meat to make them last longer.
Antibiotic resistance is present in all parts of the world, making it a serious threat to global public health that requires action across all government sectors and society. Food-borne diseases and antibiotic resistance are mostly transmitted via food. Hence, keeping food clean and safe should be a priority for all food manufacturers, state governments and consumers.
NUR IMANI ABDULLAH,
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca)