Agents and consequences of unsafe food

According to experts, unsafe food containing bacteria, viruses, parasites, or harmful chemical substances causes more than 200 types of diseases.

This creates a dangerous cycle of disease and malnutrition, particularly attacking the most vulnerable groups such as infants, young children, the elderly, and the sick.

Groups of foodborne pathogens

Risks from food are diverse, often divided into the following main groups of agents:

Bacteria: Familiar names like Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. coli cause outbreaks through eggs, poultry, unpasteurized milk, and contaminated vegetables.

In particular, Listeria bacteria can lead to miscarriage or neonatal death, while Vibrio cholerae causes acute dehydration leading to rapid death. More alarmingly, the overuse of antibiotics in livestock has increased antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, rendering treatments ineffective.

Viruses and parasites: Norovirus (causing severe vomiting) and Hepatitis A virus (causing chronic liver disease) are often transmitted through raw seafood or contaminated food. Parasites such as tapeworms and helminths enter the food chain through direct contact with animals or contaminated soil and water sources.

Special agent - Prions: Associated with neurodegenerative diseases, typically bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or "mad cow disease"), transmitted to humans through the consumption of meat products containing infected brain or spinal cord tissue.

Harmful chemicals: Natural toxins (such as aflatoxin mycotoxins in grains), persistent organic pollutants (dioxins, PCBs), and heavy metals (lead, mercury) cause neurological damage, kidney failure, etc., if they accumulate long-term in the body.

Health and economic burden

Although often underestimated due to incomplete reporting systems, real-world data is extremely concerning. According to reports from the World Health Organization (WHO), every year there are more than 600 million cases of illness and 420,000 deaths due to unsafe food.

Economically, the World Bank estimates that in low- and middle-income countries, the loss of labor productivity due to foodborne illnesses reaches 95.2 billion USD annually, accompanied by treatment costs of about 15 billion USD.

Challenges from supply chains and climate

Food safety is currently facing new pressures from food supply chains becoming longer and more complex; a local incident can quickly become an international emergency.

Rising air and water temperatures change the frequency and intensity of foodborne diseases, creating an environment for new types of pathogens to emerge.

Responsibility for ensuring food safety

To ensure food safety, multi-sectoral coordination based on a health-focused approach is needed.

Governments need to consider food safety as a public health priority, building flexible and evidence-based legal frameworks.

Producers and processors must strictly comply with clean production processes.

Consumers need to understand and implement the 5 keys to safer food: keep clean, separate raw and cooked food, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures, and use safe water and raw materials.

Food safety is not anyone's sole responsibility but a shared commitment from production at the farm to the dining table of every family.