Environmental Issues

Food borne illness can be described as a disease which is either infectious or toxic in nature and is caused by agents that gain entry into the body through food. Every individual is at risk of contracting food borne illness. Food borne illness is quite prevalent and it is a growing public health concern in both developed and undeveloped countries. It is difficult to estimate the occurrence of food borne diseases globally, but the current reports put it that in 2005 only 1.8 million people succumbed to diarrhoal diseases. A big portion of this figure can be related to food and drinking water contamination (Clark, 2005).

In developed countries the percentage of people suffering from food borne disease each year is estimated at 30. U.S. alone recorded about 76 million cases of food borne illness which led to 325,000 people being admitted in hospitals and 5, 000 succumbing to the illness. Each year the figure recorded is almost close to that. Developing countries records the highest number of cases due to the presence of various food borne disease together with those caused by parasites. This fact is not well documented. The frequent occurrences of diarrhoal diseases in developing countries indicate the major underlying problem of food safety (Center for Foodborne Illness Research  Prevention, 2009).

Most food borne diseases are sporadic and most of the times not reported. It can result in a huge portion of the population suffering. A good example on how food borne disease can be serious is a case of salmonellosis of 1994 in America which resulted from eating contaminated ice cream and affected about 224,000 people. Another example is that of hepatitis A which occurred in China in 1988. It resulted from eating contaminated clams and it affected about 300,000 people (Clark, 2005).

The food safety measures which are derived from biotechnology require careful scrutiny. In order to provide scientific basis for decision making concerning human health, new methods and policies to asses current policies need to be developed and agreed upon internationally. The evaluation should reflect on health benefits and possible harmful health implications. Food crops should be modified so as to resist pests and foods having allergens withdrawn from the market. The assessment should include weighing the possible risk factors and benefits which can be derived from biotechnology. There is also need for clear communication of the basis for safety for the biologically modified foods both at national and international levels (Center for Foodborne Illness Research  Prevention, 2009).

There have been changes in animal husbandry practices which have been ignored by the existing food safety policies and measures. Changes like feeding may have serious impacts on food safety. Example of such a change is the increased feeding meat and bone meal from ruminants to cattle has played a significant role in the emergence bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Another practice which has not been checked is the addition of low levels of antibiotics to animal feeds so as to enhance growth rate. This practice results in transfer of antibiotics resistance to human pathogens (Clark, 2005).

With modern intensive agricultural practice, foods have become more affordable and available. Use of food additives has also improved the quality, quantity, and safety of food supply. Although this practice is contributing positively to food availability, appropriate controls have not been put in place to ascertain their proper and safe use across the food chain. Review of the foods before they are delivered to the market is also ignored in the current policies. If this is enacted, it will ensure safe use of agricultural chemicals like pesticides, veterinary drugs and also food additives (Clark, 2005).

Conclusion
In summary, the current food safety policies and measures have various loopholes which do not ensure food safety. There is dire need to review these policies once more and put in place measures which will ensure that the food availed in the market is fit for human consumption. Since developing countries lead in the number of victims of food borne diseases, the set standard should be made to cut across the globe.