Foodborne diseases, causes and their prevention

Foodborne diseases (also referred as foodborne illness or food poisoning) are any illness that results from the consumption of contaminated food with pathogenic bacteria, viruses and parasites. It is caused due to poor personal hygiene, improper cooking and holding temperatures, food from unsafe sources and cross-contamination. Some foods are associated with the foodborne illness are from raw foods of animal origin (i.e., raw meat and poultry), raw eggs, unpasteurized milk and raw shellfish. There are some common foodborne illness are caused by pathogenic microorganisms are Noroviruses, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter, Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Listeria, Vibrio cholerae and Staphylococcus aureus. Economic cost associated with foodborne diseases can be severe on people, food production companies and country reputation. Globally, foodborne diseases are still under control and outbreaks can cause health and economic losses. So, to prevent that illness and losses caused due to pathogenic organisms following are the ways, before touching the food hands should be washed, segregate the raw foods from the fruits and vegetables, ensure that all the foods are cooked adequately before consumption with respect to time and temperature, cooked foods need to be stored at low temperatures to prevent them from spoilage

Author(s): Varsha, P. V

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