The “Global Burden of Foodborne Diseases” report, prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO), determined that food contaminated with various agents sickens 600 million people each year, resulting in 420,000 deaths. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Artık, Director of the Ankara University Food Safety Institute, evaluated the WHO report and highlighted the dangers posed by food sold in the open.
BEWARE OF FOOD SOLD IN THE OPEN
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Artık, Director of the Ankara University Food Safety Institute, stated that we can protect ourselves from food poisoning by avoiding consuming spoiled or moldy food. He said, “Some microorganisms can affect our health without spoiling the product. Therefore, the importance of storage conditions, sales conditions, and hygiene are especially crucial when it comes to street food. For our health, we should choose packaged products approved by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, whose brands we trust. Otherwise, we could face serious health problems.”
Prof. Dr. Artık emphasized the importance of purchasing food by reading labels, saying, “In addition to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock’s inspections, it is crucial for citizens to be conscious and careful consumers and food inspectors. We should be careful to purchase packaged foods with a reliable source of origin, and we should definitely read the label information on packaged products. Information on packaging should be checked, and we should avoid purchasing products with damaged or torn packaging.”
What does the WHO Report say?
According to the “Global Burden of Foodborne Diseases” report, food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, and parasites sickens 600 million people worldwide each year and causes 420,000 deaths. It was determined that children under the age of 5, who make up 9 percent of the world’s population, are particularly affected by contaminated food. Illnesses caused by contaminated food are most prevalent in Africa and Southeast Asia. The WHO emphasizes that food supplies now extend beyond national borders, and therefore, strong collaboration is necessary to ensure food safety among governments, producers, and consumers.
What should we pay attention to when shopping for food?
As consumers, we should pay attention to the name on the food label. Consumers may be purchasing a product that is similar to the food they intended to buy, but is actually purchasing something different.
We should pay attention to warnings regarding the storage conditions of food.
The expiration date on food labels is determined by the temperature conditions at which the food should be stored. Therefore, we should pay attention to both the conditions under which the food was sold and the conditions under which it was stored.
We should always read the ingredients. The labels list the product’s ingredients, the food ingredients used, and any food additives.