Hyderabad: Contamination and adulteration of food is a major worry and there is a massive need for safety in terms of handling and distribution of food, stated experts ahead of World Health Day on April 7.
As food changes hands, bacteria, viruses and pathogens are transferred, which lead to food poisoning, diarrhoea, dehydration and also Hepatitis C.
The World Health Organisation states that there are an estimated 582 million cases of 22 different food-borne diseases and 3,51,000 associated deaths.
Over 40 per cent of those suffering from contaminated food diseases are children. Cutting and chopping of vegetables for mass consumption of foods without wearing proper gloves leads to spread of viral infections like Hepatitis A and C, say experts.
Nutritionist Sujatha Stephen said, “Cross contamination is a major worry as the same cutting board is used for raw meat and also vegetables.
This type of contamination also causes food-borne illness. Hence it is very important that the cutting board is washed properly after cutting a vegetable or non-vegetarian food before being reused.”
The major problem is that the Food Safety and Standards Act is not implemented properly. Hyderabad has only four food inspectors and they are only able to undertake complaint-based monitoring.
Food must be cooked at 70°C
Cooking food at the right temperature is of great significance to prevent food contamination. The right temperature for all foods is 70°C, whether its grilling, baking, boiling or frying. This temperature is important to ensure that the heat penetrates to each part of the food and bacteria are killed. It is also important to eat hot food.
Radhika, the chief nutritionist at Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, said, “Undercooked non-vegetarian food is not recommended as there are chances of pathogens which grow rapidly, causing nausea, vomiting and even diarrhoea. At the same time, meat must not be cooked at very high temperature as it is found to increase the risk of cancer in humans.”
Salmonella is one of the most common bacterial causes of diarrhoea and it lives in the intestinal tract of humans. It is also contracted when undercooked or raw eggs are eaten. Cook chicken, minced or boned meats, hamburger, stuffed meats and sausages right through until they reach 75°C.
