More research needed into food-borne diseases, WHO says
20.11.2008 22:51
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
Food-borne diseases appear to be on the rise in both rich and poor countries, officials with the World Health Organization said on Thursday. More research is needed to determine how much sickness and death stems from contaminated food, such as the tainted Chinese milk that caused kidney problems in more than 50,000 children and killed four, and the U.S. salmonella outbreak that made more than 1,400 people ill, WHO director of food safety Jorgen Schlundt said. An estimated 30 per cent of new infectious diseases originate in bacteria, viruses, parasites, chemicals and toxins introduced along food production chains, he told an experts' meeting. "There are some indications that the food-borne disease burden is increasing. But there is not very good data, it is difficult to say exactly what is happening," Schlundt said. About 2.2 million children die each year from diarrheal illnesses, including cholera caused by dirty water, food, and poor sanitation, according to the United Nations agency. Food products needed to be monitored at every stage of their handling, Schlundt said. "If you want to deal with food safety you have to go from the 'farm to the fork.' The notion that you can deal with it at the end of the food chain is clearly wrong," he said. In many countries, regulatory authorities fail to work together, he said. "In China there are 16 different authorities involved in some way in dealing with the melamine crisis," he said. All countries vulnerableJulie Ingelfinger, a Harvard Medical School professor and pediatric nephrologist, said many people had overlooked the seriousness of complications caused by contaminated food. For instance, E. coli poisoning can cause hemolytic-uremic syndrome, a cause of kidney failure in children, she said. "Research into the long-term effects of food-borne disease is increasingly important because it is unquantified and goes on for decades," she said. David Heymann, WHO assistant director-general for health, security and the environment, told the meeting that rich and poor countries were both vulnerable to food-borne diseases. "Food-borne diseases occur on every continent and in every country really. We never know where these events will happen," he said. The recent salmonella outbreak in the United States — its worst in a decade — was an example of the changing picture of food-borne diseases, according to the WHO. Although salmonella is often linked to poultry, eggs and dairy products, recent outbreaks have been tied to fresh produce, it said. Tomatoes were suspected in the U.S. outbreak before the salmonella was traced to peppers from Mexico. Nancy Donley, president of the U.S. non-profit group S.T.O.P. (Safe Tables Our Priority), said food safety needed to be taken more seriously as a public health concern. "It's crucial to keep food-borne disease prevention as a top priority in the world," said Donley, whose six-year-old son Alex died in 1993 from E. coli-contaminated meat. "Behind every statistic is a face, a name, a life." With files from ReutersStory Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKFood SafetyListeriosisSPECIAL REPORT: 'I'd never seen anything like this,' expert says of listeria test resultsSPECIAL REPORT: Long-standing problems threaten Canadian food safety, experts warnListeria FAQsListeria timelineListeria symptomsFoodborne illnessesE. coli FAQsBotulism FAQsFood poisoningFood safetyMelamine FAQsInfrared heat: A new wavelength for food securityAvoiding fast food pitfallsEnvironmental considerationsBisphenol APhthalatesWarnings and advisoriesRecalls and advisoriesNews storiesLawyer in Maple Leaf suit says listeriosis death toll could be higher (Oct. 22)Health Canada approves preservative that could inhibit listeria (Oct. 18)Elderly person recovering in N.B. hospital from listeriosis (Sept. 24)CFIA warns of bacteria in Quebec cheese (Sept. 24)Chinese dairy stock price plunges amid recall (Sept. 23)China's food safety boss resigns after 53,000 children fall ill (Sept. 22)Chinese dessert mix is recalled over melamine (Sept. 21)Listeria worries prompt N.L. deli-product recall (Sept. 19)Grocery chain pulls yogurt drinks after milk contamination in China (Sept. 19)Poisoned milk scandal widens in China, top dairies implicated (Sept. 19)External linksCanadian Food Inspection Agency Health Canada: Food-Related IllnessesHealth HeadlinesFast-food ad ban could cut child obesity: U.S. studyBanning fast-food advertising on television in the United States could reduce the number of overweight children by as much as 18 per cent, researchers said. Rapid treatment best for infants infected with HIV: studyTreating babies infected with HIV rapidly with drug treatments dramatically reduces their risk of death, according to a study that has already prompted officials to recommend immediate treatment.Leaks prompt CFIA to investigate juice boxesFive months after the first complaint was ruled an isolated incident, more leaky juice boxes have prompted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to reopen its investigation.Genetic screening of small benefit in predicting diabetes: studiesFor determining risk of Type 2 diabetes, current genetic screening tests add little to traditional methods such as family history, two new studies suggest.More research needed into food-borne diseases, WHO saysFood-borne diseases appear to be on the rise in both rich and poor countries, officials with the World Health Organization said on Thursday. Health FeaturesCAMPUS CRACKDOWNDrunken studentsA problem that is well past the tippling pointYOUR STORYMedical ConditionsSportsDeadly concussions  FOOD SAFETYJuice boxes Reports of leaks prompt CFIA investigationFOODNutritionThe skinny on sugars and sweetenersWEEKLY CHECKUPBody checkingIs there a good time to introduce it to kids' hockey?People who read this also read …
| 
Add comment