Bad food costs world trillions

CONTAMINATION: BACTERIA, PARASITES, CHEMICALS CAUSE OVER 400 000 DEATHS ANNUALLY

Blamed for more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhoea to cancers.

Addis Ababa

Food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites and toxic chemicals is a mounting health hazard and a crippling economic burden, a global conference on food safety has been told.

The two-day forum is bringing together health bosses and experts from 125 countries to combat the peril of unsafe food, a hazard that kills more than 400 000 people each year, according to UN estimates.

“Today, the world produces enough food for everyone,” Jose Graziano da Silva, director-general of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), said at the conference. But much of this food “is not safe”.

“We estimate that each year, nearly one person in 10 falls sick after eating contaminated food,” said Kazuaki Miyagishima, who heads the World Health Organisation (WHO) food security department. Of the 600 million people who fall sick from unsafe food, about 420 000 die.

Children under five suffer most, comprising 40% of those who fall ill.

According to the WHO, contaminated food is to blame for more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhoea to cancers – and the economic impact is huge but often overlooked.

The FAO estimates the cost for low- and middle-income countries to be in the range of $95 billion (R1.3 trillion) per year.

The conference, attended by ministers and deputy ministers from about 20 countries, is expected to issue a call for better coordination and support.

“Africa has a major interest in this,” said Miyagishima, adding the continent, followed by Southeast Asia, is the worst affected by contaminated food.

Miyagishima said a multipronged approach was needed: stronger laws, better training and equipment and beefing up health systems to detect potential risks.

The risks are very diverse, ranging from bacteria such as salmonella or listeria, to chemicals such as cancer-causing heavy metals and organic pollutants.

For countries trying to better respect international norms and export certain food products, Miyagishima warned of a “situation where exported food is of a better quality than products destined for the local market”. –