importance of food safety essay

Why Is Food Safety Important? (The Most Thorough Answer You'll Find)

Food safety is fundamental in food businesses, as it ensures the protection of consumers from potential health risks ...

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Food safety is fundamental in food businesses, as it ensures the protection of consumers from potential health risks and upholds the reputation and success of the industry.

All humans need food to survive. The nutrients we get from consuming food give us the energy and nourishment we use to sustain our daily activities. Foods also play a great role in the culture of society and give a certain identity to a community. Together with enjoyment, every consumer is entitled to food safety. With this, food business operators must ask themselves, "Why is food safety so important?"

This aspect of the food supply chain aims to protect customers from food poisoning and foodborne illnesses affecting  human life and business performance for establishment owners.

In this article, we will discuss the most important food safety aspects from the point of view of a consumer and a food business owner. 

Key points covered in this article:

• Food safety is crucial for maintaining and promoting the health of those who consume it.
• 600 million people all over the world become inflicted with foodborne infection after consuming unsanitary food, 420,000 of which die every year.
• Food businesses are required to implement food safety management systems to protect the health of consumers from any foodborne disease.
• The Food Safety or Quality Manager's most important food safety responsibility is training you to handle food safely.
• Food safety standards, laws, and enforcement measures significantly vary depending on the location context.
• Detailed safety programs enable your team to identify which points of your operational hazards are most likely to occur and what preventive and control measures are the most appropriate.
• FoodDocs' Food Safety Management Software helps production and advanced food service businesses digitize their food safety. Its monitoring and traceability systems and HACCP plan builder all work together to make food safety easy.

Get to know about the best smart Food Safety Management Solution that can help you maintain food safety compliance with smart solutions powered by artificial intelligence.

• Food safety definition – What is food safety?

Why is food safety important?

• How does food safety help to save lives?
• What are critical responsibilities for food safety?

How does restaurant food safety work?

What are common food safety jobs.

• How has food safety improved or changed during the last decades?

How does the food safety approach differ: UK vs US?

How to ensure food safety compliance with fooddocs, frequently asked questions (faqs), what is food safety a complet definition of food safety.

Food safety refers to the proper food handling procedures applied during food preparation , processing, storage, and distribution of the products you deal with in your food business. Food safety is crucial for maintaining and promoting the health of those who consume it.

The concern for the integrity of food safety remains within all parts of a food supply chain. The food safety production life cycle starts from agriculture to the packaging of finished products and delivery to the consumer's table.

Controlling food safety requires knowledge about what could endanger its integrity and stability. Food safety is negatively affected by a variety of food contamination along your food supply chain. Contamination of food products can be caused by biological , chemical , physical , and radiological hazards and can affect all key operations. Without a proper control program for food safety, issues such as foodborne illness and food-related injuries can occur.

Food handling practices that can be applied to keep food products wholesome are what food safety is made up of. All of the members of the food supply chain must comply with established food safety standards to protect public health.

Proper handling and industrial processes may include cooking at the right internal temperature using a food thermometer, preventing cross - contamination through proper segregation to prevent contact, storing chilled foods at cold temperatures , and other critical control points that help make potential infectious diseases ineffective.

Additionally, consumers also play a significant role when it comes to food safety . Customers are expected to follow storage and processing directions for the products they purchase, especially if these are raw materials. Participation of consumers towards food safety is also seen through consumer demand for high-quality, safe products and voicing their complaints if there are food safety issues. 

Food safety is essential to provide adequate access to safe, nutritious, and delicious food to all members of the community. 

Recent data and food safety news released by the World Health Organization have estimated that at least 600 million people all over the world become inflicted with foodborne infection after consuming unsanitary food . Of these people, at least 420,000 people die every year . Economic progress can be affected by productivity loss and medical expenses as a result of a foodborne disease burden.

In the United States specifically, the federal government estimates that 1 in 6 Americans get foodborne illnesses per year, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. 

The majority of food safety issues are caused by biological contaminations from pathogenic microorganisms , such as bacteria that cause food poisoning or food intoxication.

Consumption of pathogens in food can cause mild to fatal health consequences that include watery diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or even debilitating infections and long-term diseases.

In fact, the CDC estimates that there are 31 known pathogens that cause foodborne illesses, the top five of which are:

• Salmonella, nontyphoidal
• Clostridium perfringens
• Campylobacter spp.
• Staphylococcus aureus

And that's excluding all of the unspecific agents that don't have sufficient data to track.

The consequences of food safety issues may have fatal outcomes for both food business owners and consumers . Basic and everyday foods can easily become contaminated.

Some examples of foods involved in common illnesses include high-risk foods and any perishable food such as egg and egg products, poultry, fresh fruits, raw meat or deli meats, deli seafood salads, undercooked seafood, ground meat, raw sprouts, and raw milk products. These ingredients can become contaminated by intestinal pathogens, such as bacteria, and cause bacterial infection if preventive measures are not applied.

Why is food safety and hygiene important when preparing and handling food?

Here are six reasons why handling food safely is important:

1. Protection from foodborne illnesses and other food-related injuries

The main objective of food safety is to protect consumers of food products from foodborne illnesses or injuries related to food consumption. Foodborne illnesses are a major threat to food businesses and affect everyone all over the world as a result of inadequate food safety.

These effects are mainly caused by foodborne pathogens that may include harmful bacteria, fungi, yeasts, parasites, or viruses. Additionally, chemical contaminations, such as artificial chemical substances , heavy metals, and excessive food additives, can also cause foodborne illnesses and acute poisoning. Depending on the nature of your products, a microbiological hazard is expected to survive with inadequate food safety control measures.

Foodborne infections and injuries can also arise as a result of physical hazards such as shards of glass, pieces of metals, or any hard objects that have contaminated your food in production. Physical contamination can enter the food supply chain at any point. With proper food safety measures, you can ensure that the food you serve safe food and that the chance of infection is low.

2. Reduced cost from food safety issues

U nsafe food with proven safety issues may be deemed unfit for consumption and may merit being disposed of. Defective product recalls cost companies more will, affect profits, and can even cause business closure. The cost of food recalls is not only seen in terms of profits.

If the food safety issue has reached a widespread scale, you may be liable to pay for medical expenses or lawsuits concerning damages. Consuming unsanitary food may lead to hospitalization and contribute to the cost of human health care.

3. Reduced waste

Food products that have been proven to have food safety issues may be subjected to disposal. Through safe food handling, a food business can cut waste as a result of a better food production process .

Food safety management systems are also designed to detect and control food hazards even before they enter production, which can lead to more waste if processed further.

4. A better way of living

Any foodborne illness affects productivity in consumers. Once afflicted, consumers can function well and may even need hospitalization in extreme cases. These events cause dramatic disruptions in everyday activities.

If food safety practices are applied in a food service establishment, these cases can be prevented . Everyone can enjoy the delights that foods bring and healthy life without the inconvenience and dangers of food safety hazards.

5. Sustainable food production

Some food production practices have already received negative feedback from different communities because of the negative effects they contribute to the environment. Safe food handling includes food manufacturing processes that not only protect the consumer but also consider the environment.

Practices such as reducing synthetic fertilizers that can leach into food products are controlled under food safety legislation. In addition, food safety practices include assurance of clean drinking water and the reduction of air, sewage, and other environmental pollutants, which significantly contribute to the environment.

These practices go a long way and can significantly affect consumer confidence. Contaminated water can easily affect all other ingredients and enter the human body since water is a key ingredient in almost all processes.

6. Safer food globalization

All food hygiene legislations are designed to protect consumers from food safety matters . Adhering to these comprehensive guidelines makes your products as competitive as possible, especially in the fast-paced globalization of the food industry. With proper food safety management systems, routes to a broader distribution channel become open for your food business.

Secure food safety compliance using our smart Food Safety Management System . With our innovative and AI-powered software, food business managers can ensure compliance using smart tools, such as our real-time dashboard that shows the team's everyday food safety task progress. Users can also get task notifications that will remind them of important tasks that need to be done on time. 

Real-time dashboard from the FoodDocs software that will help food managers supervise the team remotely

The benefits of food safety: How does good food safety help to save lives?

Food safety plays a great role within the entire food chain more than we think it does. Food businesses are required to implement food safety management systems to protect the health of consumers from any foodborne disease. Beyond this concept, food safety contributes as well to solving food insecurity. 

When properly implemented, food safety practices can:

• Detect and control food safety risks and
• Contribute to economic prosperity, food security, and continuous and sustainable development .

By providing safe food for consumption, continuous food movement for everyone can be ensured. The many benefits of food safety in various aspects of life prove why food safety is important for everyone.

The concept of farm-to-fork (or farm-to-table) and principles of food hygiene and safety are well-known in the food industry.

This concept tells us that food safety should be observed right from the beginning when uncooked foods are just being produced, up until the finished product reaches the consumer. Standard food safety practices for growing produce have been established in laws such as the Food Safety Management Act in the United States. The farm-to-fork concept emphasizes how food safety hazards can occur at any point in the food supply chain.

The ultimate goal of food safety is to create a sustainable and secure food source for everyone. This goal aims to emphasize the enjoyable food experience while ensuring that the food we get is safe. When all participating parties in the entire food chain, food processors, suppliers, the government, and consumers, play their role in food safety, this goal can be achieved.

Who has responsibility to ensure the safety of food?

And what are critical responsibilities for food safety?  

Government regulatory bodies establish standards and laws for food safety

• The manager's most important food safety responsibility is training you to handle food safely

Customers must be knowledgeable about food safety

Each member of the food supply chain has a role to play in the food safety concept. All roles are vital and invaluable in the process. Whether you are a food business owner, government personnel, or a customer, your role cannot be replaced. Food safety is everyone's responsibility. 

Here are some ideas on the roles of major food industry players in the management of food safety:

Food regulatory bodies are responsible for establishing food safety standards on food handling, food and personal hygiene, and distribution.

Federal agencies are also responsible for ensuring that distinct consumer rights are upheld and that concerns about food safety are properly addressed. Some of the well-known regulatory agencies include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) in the United States and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK.

These agencies, together with the presiding government, create food laws and federal regulations that aim to prevent food safety concerns such as foodborne illnesses or infections . Government bodies are accountable for public health and also perform food safety risk communication. They also hold the authority for imports and regulate any food product that goes in and out of their countries . They regulate the use of chemical additives and ensure "pollution-free" food.

They are also responsible for monitoring the implementation of these laws and food safety rules to ensure active food safety compliance of food retailers, catering outlets, and other businesses. Government food safety regulatory bodies prepare appropriate sanctions for non-complying food businesses to uphold any international standard .

Some food agencies conduct food safety inspections and external compliance audits of food manufacturing companies. They provide certification programs and auditing services to update food businesses with the new laws and federal regulations that keep safe food. In the UK, the FSA is responsible for providing food hygiene rating to food businesses. 

Who is responsible for food safety in a food business or store?

The manager's most important food safety responsibility is training you to handle food safely.

As food business operators who manage manufacturing operations, some of your biggest tasks in managing food safety include:

• Implementing
• Reminding your team members about common food safety hazards and how to control them

You are similarly responsible for building an effective food safety protocol for the welfare of your food business to show your concern for health care. Your implementation of a food defense plan must follow international and domestic food safety standards and laws related to the industry you are in.

As such, you have to research and update the knowledge of your team about food safety regulations and related scientific disciplines.

Food business operators play a great role in maintaining food safety. Effective food safety management is achieved by applying a proactive approach to identifying the food safety hazards of your business and establishing control measures for all of them.

To achieve these responsibilities, a food handler must disclose its company information to the food safety regulatory bodies through an inspection for proper assessment and gain consumer trust. To further prove commitment to the health and safety of consumers, managers in charge of food safety can acquire certification for food manufacturers.

Although unusually emphasized, consumers also have a great role they should play in maintaining food safety. The first responsibility of a consumer is to demand safe foods from food manufacturing companies and food handlers.

Consumer opinions and demands emphasize the task of food business owners to uphold high food safety standards. In addition, it is also the responsibility of the consumer to be educated and aware of food safety practices and foodborne illnesses. Once the products arrive at your households safely, the responsibility to keep the product safe for consumption becomes yours partly. 

Some reports about foodborne illnesses have been linked to the consumer's lack of knowledge and awareness about proper food safety practices. Customers are required to know how to properly handle, process, and store the products they buy as instructed by the producer, as these are based on international standards. The information about food safety that customers must possess does not need to be very advanced.

Basic knowledge about cross-contamination , risks of hazards, and proper preventive measures would do great. Some activities that easily go unnoticed but are vital to maintaining food safety may include proper handwashing , sanitizing the working area, and proper segregation of fresh produce and cooked foods.

Food safety is a concept that only becomes effective if all food industry players work together. Food laws and regulations may be present, but without complying with them, food safety will not be effective. In the effort to control food safety within the whole food chain, education about food safety hazards, proper training, and certified food handlers are keys.

A model example of food safety practices is a restaurant food safety system. Restaurants deal with lesser complex raw material receiving, storing, processing, serving, and distributing food products when compared with big manufacturing operations. Despite this, a restaurant's food system is a simple yet great design for food safety systems . 

In a food business such as a restaurant, food safety is controlled by a mandatory food safety management system in compliance with food regulations stated in food laws . This program is implemented by the food business owner or manager and applied and practiced by the whole team, including the quality assurance supervisor, service personnel, chef, and even the visitors. Each member of the system contributes to controlling food safety.

Having detailed safety programs would enable your team to identify which points of your operation would hazards most likely occur and what preventive and control measures would be most appropriate .

During receiving, your food safety plan must contain thorough inspection directives to detect any outright visible hazards. An example would be passing the raw materials through a metal detector or more advanced technologies.

At the processing stage, your chefs and personnel must follow food safety standards for food preparation and cooking. Standards such as properly cooking the food to the correct internal temperature using a food thermometer to check, separating raw food items from cooked materials, and maintaining prescribed adequate temperature control during service are included in a food safety system.

Restaurants are expected to uphold a certain level of food sanitation . Contaminants in food must be found nowhere within the food service area. This can be achieved by properly and regularly sanitizing all surfaces, such as counter tops, that come in contact with food. 

As a food worker, the manager's most important food safety responsibility is training you to manage food safety hazards and apply corrective actions properly should standards be breached. All of these components are parts of a comprehensive food safety plan. For start-up businesses and even those that have been in the food industry for a long time, having a detailed food safety management plan would be the best way to ensure food safety.

Completing these documents and food safety procedures in the fastest way possible is our main goal at FoodDocs. Our services can help you create a HACCP Plan in 1 hour, set up your food safety management system in just 15 minutes, and implement it immediately. You are very welcome to browse and test our services at FoodDocs with our free 14-day trial .

Who is responsible for implementing food safety management systems?

To create a food safety system, your food business must come up with a team dedicated to food safety. Opportunities in the food safety sector range from food safety and health officials to food safety field inspectors and senior managers for food safety. With the ultimate goal of protecting public health from food illnesses and other food-related issues, these jobs play vital roles in  the food supply chain.

Food safety officer / Food safety leader

Quality assurance / control officer, operations manager, food safety and operations personnel.

A food safety officer is a qualified employee with extensive experience and knowledge about food safety. They are food safety experts and have a vast knowledge of regulations. An officer may be hand-picked or voted as the best representative to implement and monitor food safety management systems in a food business. They are overall in charge of food safety tasks in a business.

As a food manager, this employee must be knowledgeable and updated on the current food safety news, laws, and regulations locally and internationally for food protection. They must understand the core of food safety and advanced food safety principles. The food safety officer also must ensure that all other food business operators follow proper food safety practices during any operations process. Food safety officer compliance audits concern all fields of processing that can affect food safety.

Some of the other tasks of a food safety officer include:

• Lead the conceptualization and implementation of the company's food safety management system.
• Supervise and monitor employee practices before, during, and after operations.
• Conduct internal audits on the different sections of the food business as a food safety inspector.
• Suggest improvements for food safety practices and coordinate with involved departments. 
• Ensure a high level and control of food safety standards in the company.
• Issue notice and appropriate corrective action in case of questionable products.
• Conduct basic food safety training for employees.
• Coordinate with food safety agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for food safety inspections.
• Have an awareness of recall processes.

Although their title suggests mainly being concerned with the quality of the products, it is also part of a quality officer to detect malpractices and food safety hazards in operation. They are part of the inspection program personnel. Included in their task is to document and report any deviation from the standards of the production process. Other tasks involved in being a quality assurance officer may include:

• Collecting samples for comprehensive food safety hazard analysis.
• Monitoring production process and maintaining standards.
• Recording and archiving any deviations and appropriate corrective actions applied.
• Inspecting raw materials upon receiving.

An operations manager's main task is to facilitate the proper use of equipment, scheduling of production, and measurable cost reduction. They are concerned with compliance with standards on the factory floor and administrative duties. This role is vital as a part of a food safety management system team because they are concerned with the design and structures of the operations facility. Additionally, they are also involved in improving the overall performance of the whole production team. In terms of food safety, here are some tasks that an operations manager plays:

• Ensuring the safety of employees during the production process.
• Implementing directives of food safety officers in terms of food safety standards while maintaining operational efficiency.
• Initiating corrective actions and supervising their execution.
• Monitoring the release of food products with slight non-conformance.
• Ensuring accountability of food production personnel during operations.
• Conducting training for operations staff to prevent any accidents.
• Ensuring proper pre-operational and post-operational sanitation procedures.
• Preventing the release of unsafe food into the market.

Whether a frontline service employee, food production personnel, sanitation crew, or the chef, all food safety personnel are responsible for carrying out food safety mandates from their respective officers and the law. They focus on food safety compliance and prevent any issues from occurring.

As personnel of the food business, they are accountable for maintaining and executing proper food safety practices and preventive measures during your operations. These employees must secure a food handlers card as proof of their proficiency in working around food.

How has food safety improved or changed during the last decades? Has the knowledge of the topic increased?

In the previous decades, food safety issues have troubled nations worldwide . Widespread foodborne disease outbreaks such as the Jack-In-the-Box foodborne illness outbreak, which was caused by the widespread enterohaemorrhagic E. coli 0157:H7 in the United States, and the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy disease in cattle in the United Kingdom have prompted food safety agencies to seek more effective food safety standards .

These events have also highlighted the participation of consumers when it comes to food safety. The foodborne pathogens in these severe food poisoning outbreaks are still present and are commonly found in perishable food such as unpasteurized milk or raw meat.

This history of food safety has sparked the interest of food regulatory bodies in the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) system to increase significantly. After other major food safety issues, the food safety sectors have focused on implementing preventive measures to apprehend food poisoning. After the initial implementation procedures of the HACCP food safety program, incidences of foodborne illnesses have started to decrease significantly.

During the implementation years of the HACCP food safety plan , scientists and government food agencies have gained more information on the nature of different foodborne hazards. This information led to an increase in food safety awareness among food businesses and consumers alike. Initiatives and international benchmarking systems, such as the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), have also been created to certify similarly-natured food safety management systems.

In addition, laws such as the Food Safety Management Act of 2011 in the United States have shifted the focus of the whole food industry toward preventing food safety hazards. This proactive approach aims to detect food safety hazards before they even happen and prevent further issues . Soon after major outbreaks in the food industry, other international standards for food safety were established.

Although still a major concern, the developments in the field of food safety and advanced technology have made food safety issues manageable.

Food safety standards, laws, and enforcement measures significantly vary depending on the location context. Perhaps some of the most well-known food safety agencies that set international-level standards are from the UK and the US. Below are some differences and similarities between the food safety standards of the US and the UK.

Food legislation

• HACCP implementation
• Food allergens

Surveys and food safety inspections

The UK and the US food laws differ in terms of principles and focus. The main food safety legislation in effect in the United States is the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 (FSMA) which is the most recent reform made to the FDA food safety laws. This law shifted the focus of the food industry and governmental authorities from the containment of food safety issues to a proactive preventive approach. It was established to strengthen national food control systems in the U.S.

The FSMA includes directives on maintaining food safety within the whole food supply chain for local and international businesses of the US traditional food market, in addition to the FDA Food Code . 

The law mandates all food businesses to have a risk-based food safety system to identify hazards and establish preventive measures. It is the country's solution to control any foodborne illness outbreak and any concern with food products.

On the other hand, the United Kingdom's main food safety law is the Food Safety Act 1990 . This law is the main framework of all the food regulations of Wales, England, and Scotland. In addition, Northern Ireland mainly refers to The Food Safety Order 1991.

The Food Safety Act 1990 emphasizes the importance of ensuring that food businesses do not have or will remove any material that can damage public health and safety. It aims to protect the interest of the consumers and uphold the quality they demand. Under this food legislation, food safety guidelines on proper food labelling, advertising, and presenting information about food products are included.

HACCP Implementation

The United States food safety regulations do not mandate implementing the HACCP food safety program for most food businesses. Despite this, some industries under the FDA, such as the seafood and beverage industries, must have a HACCP food safety plan in place. In addition, the USDA mandates all food processors handling raw meat and poultry products to have a HACCP food safety system.

Despite having a HACCP plan not being mandatory, the FDA FSMA law requires all food businesses to have a risk-based system for food safety relevant to all other food businesses . This food management system specified by the FDA is called the Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls system or HARPC.

In the UK, the HACCP plan for food safety was only a recommended food safety system until the amendments passed in the early days of January 2006. Under Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, all food businesses in the UK are mandated to implement a HACCP food safety system. In addition to its mandatory implementation, the HACCP system of food businesses is due for scheduled auditing to measure its effectiveness. 

Food Allergens

There are a few differences when it comes to labelling food agents that can cause allergic reactions in the United States and the United Kingdom.

In the US, t he FDA mandates the disclosure of eight major food allergens in all of the food packaging of foods ready for sale. These common food allergen hazards include tree nuts, milk, egg, shellfish, soybean, fish, wheat, and peanuts. Most recently, the allergen sesame was added to the list as there have been increasing numbers of sesame-related food allergy cases in the US. 

The main food safety regulation that is used as a reference for labelling food allergens in any US food commodity is the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA). 

On the other hand, food regulations in the UK require the declaration of 14 different major food allergens. These allergens include celery, peanuts, wheat, soybean, fish, crustacean, tree nut, milk, egg, sulfite, mustard, lupin, mollusk, and sesame seed. Products containing these allergens must always have precautionary allergen labelling. 

Under Natasha's Law of the UK jurisdiction, food allergens must be clearly emphasized on product labels to inform customers of any potential food safety risk. 

The significance of proper handling of food allergens is critical for food businesses . Approximately 400 food allergen recalls are ordered each year. Food allergens can easily spread through cross-contact in food contact materials. 

Use our free Food Allergen Chart to guide food handlers on handling allergenic foods.

There have been several different surveys that aimed to compare the food safety laws of the UK and the US. Despite the many claims that the US food safety management laws are inferior to that of the United Kingdom, a global survey conducted by the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) in 2020 has shown that the UK and the US food safety standards are equally competitive.

The mentioned analysis was based on the evaluation of the core elements of food security:

• Affordability
• Availability
• Quality and safety

In the 2020 study, the UK and the US share the same spot in third place. In the most recent (2021) food security index, the US food security standing fell a few places but was still in the top 10 countries with the best food safety standards. In summary, legislation and food safety guidelines from both countries equally uphold high standards for food safety.

We also have an in-depth article about the Food Standards Australia New Zealand and other important regulations for these countries.

What is one possible function of a government agency that is responsible for food safety?

The main function of government agencies in terms of food matters is to ensure that businesses in the industry comply with all food safety regulations. This objective is supported by functions such as conducting training programs, implementing national food safety surveillance, and verifying compliance through regular inspections. Agencies help reduce food safety risks like food fraud . 

Food regulations may vary depending on your location, but the significance that this aspect of a food business will remain equally significant.

Maintaining compliance with food safety is a task that must be consistently performed in every food business to stay in the industry and prevent any food-related issues.

At FoodDocs, it is our objective to make food safety compliance easy and accessible to all food businesses . We have developed a digital solution that can help food safety teams fulfill tasks more efficiently and ensure that every food safety practice in line within a working day is done correctly.

Task notifications for keeping track of food safety tasks

Customizable monitoring logs with smart solutions for ensuring consistent compliance, real-time overview for verifying daily food safety progress.

Users can get a smart notification system through our mobile food safety application . This system sends food safety alerts to employees whenever a task needs to be done. With this feature, you can help your employees keep track of every task that needs to be done in a day and ensure compliance.

The notification system can also be used for team-management tasks and traceability functions. The system alerts users whenever a training program certification is about to expire, reminding the user to update training programs. Similarly, the system will alert food handlers of product batches that may expire.

Stay on top of food safety tasks and ensure that every operation is done on time by using our smart notification system for your team.

Smart task notifications from the FoodDocs software

After signing up, users can get automatically generated food safety monitoring logs based on the most significant operations needed for compliance.

These monitoring logs and checklist templates are preset according to the user's business profile and can be further customized to fit your operations .

Some of the most useful logs that we can generate for you include the following:

• Cooking temperature log. A monitoring log to help food handlers record the internal temperature for cooking foods.
• Fridge/Freezer temperature log. A log for recording the storage temperature condition of freezers and refrigerators.
• Master sanitation checklist. A checklist schedule that contains sanitation tasks that need to be done in intervals.

Customizable Master Sanitation Schedule from the FoodDocs software

These monitoring forms come with detailed instructions on how to perform the task correctly and how to monitor them . With these instructions, you can ensure that every food safety operation is done effectively. Users can also utilize this feature to help new employees with the onboarding process.

Secure proper food safety compliance with comprehensive step-by-step instructions on food safety operations.

In addition and to help employees save time, our monitoring forms are also equipped with a pre-fill solution , which automatically fills the logs based on your previously inserted data . This feature can help you improve the accuracy of monitoring and save a significant amount of time for your team .

Our system automatically inserts correct values to temperature readings, and assigned employees must only verify the information.

Our smart software features an essential smart tool that gives food safety managers an overview of their food safety progress status every day. Use our real-time dashboard that reflects an overview of your food safety operations . Save 20% of your time from supervising and micromanaging everything with this feature.

Easily identify areas that need more attention and address them right away. The dashboard shows which food safety operations have been correctly performed and finished and which ones have problems. Use this feature to verify compliance with overall food safety regulations in the food business . 

Always stay updated with the business' food safety compliance throughout all branches with just a glance at our real-time dashboard.

Powered by a machine-learning program and artificial intelligence , our digital Food Safety Management System can help you switch from a paper-based system to a completely digital one in a matter of 15 minutes. All you need to do is answer a few basic questions describing your operations to our system.

With our digital solution, food safety compliance can become more efficient and effective. We cater to the legal and regulatory requirements of major food safety regulations and can help you get compliant in just a few minutes.

Experience how our digital solution can help you and start becoming food safety compliant now. Use our free 14-day trial to try our food safety features first-hand. 

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What is the name of the legislation associated with food safety.

In the US, the Food Safety Management Act of 2011 (FSMA) contains the majority of the most significant regulations on food safety, whereas the Food Safety Act 1990 provides these food safety guidelines in the UK (England, Wales, and Scotland)

What is safe food?

Safe food is any consumable food material that is free from contaminants and has no risk of food poisoning and other negative effects on human health.

It is prepared, handled, and stored in a manner that prevents the growth and spread of harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances.

Safe food is produced according to strict safety and quality standards to prevent foodborne diseases. 

Why is it important to keep food safe?

Foodborne illnesses arise as a result of improper food handling procedures. Activities to keep food clean and safe protect consumers from these food-related issues.

Why are food safety and food hygiene important?

Proper food safety and food hygiene practices prevent food contamination concerns that can cause health issues. They prevent the production of unsafe food.

What is food safety, and why is it important?

The definition of food safety refers to the application of preventive practices at any point in food-related operations, such as receiving, storing, processing, handling, and distributing. Food safety practices ensure that all operation steps will not have any food safety hazards and that a company is delivering safe food to consumers.

What is the easiest way to prevent cross-contamination?

Some of the best food handling practices that can prevent cross-contamination of food include frequent handwashing with soapy water and proper segregation of cooked and uncooked foods to prevent direct contact. As an example, keep raw poultry, meats, unwashed fruits, and eggs separate from bread and other ready-to-eat foods. Utensils used to prepare these food ingredients must also be separated. Use separate cutting boards for raw and cooked foods.

What are the principles of food safety?

The four main principles of approach to food safety are to Clean, Chill, Store, and Cook food properly to control food safety hazards.

What is a food hazard?

A food or health hazard is any article that could contaminate food products at any point of the food processing operations and can cause foodborne illnesses and other food-related injuries. Contaminants in food can be biological, chemical, or physical. 

What are the 3 types of hazards?

The three main types of hazards include biological, physical, and chemical hazards. In recent developments, long-term exposure to radiological has been considered a major concern for people with weak immune systems, such as pregnant women and the elderly, in addition to allergen hazards.

A food handler's duties regarding food safety include all of the following practices:

• Food safety testing samples for microbiological soundness. 
• Following food safety guidelines.
• Maintaining personal hygiene at all times.
• Conducting food inspections and audits based on food safety. 
• Submitting complaints directly to the competent authorities or health departments.
• Serving or directly distributing food to consumers.
• Preventing contamination of food products throughout the food production life cycle.
• Addressing any concern about food safety.
• Controlling microbial food contamination and health hazards in the food business.
• Ensuring proper containment of food.
• Ensuring adequate food supplies for the company.

What makes enforcing safety standards a challenge for the Food and Drug Administration?

One of the biggest challenges for the United States FDA is handling any food import report. The FDA is responsible for ensuring that every batch of food shipment that comes to the United States must follow the established laws about food safety.

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Three types of hazards that make food unsafe.

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Food Safety Guidelines PDF - Free download

In this food safety guideline, we talk about which types of contamination greatly affect quality. Download this food safety guidelines PDF for free.

Food safety hazards - The ultimate guide

Food safety hazards are any substance or material that can work its way into any food item and cause any foodborne illness or injury.

The Importance of Food Safety in Live Essay

Introduction.

All living things require food for healthy growth and development. Despite its importance however, food can easily transmit disease-causing pathogens from one organism to another, in this case, people. According to Redman, food can also serve as a host or medium for growth and development of pathogens especially bacteria that cause food poisoning and conditions such as typhoid and cholera (59).

Therefore, to avoid hazards caused by food poisoning, authorities have adopted various regulations and standards that have to be followed to ensure food safety. Sherrow defines food safety as the discipline that deals and gives guidelines on appropriate ways of food handling, preparation and storage to avoid illness associated with improper food handling (23).

Food safety involves five key principles that include prevention of contamination, separation of raw from cooked foods, cooking food in the right temperature and length of time, proper storage and use of safe and clean water for cooking purposes.

The above-mentioned principles are part of an elaborate system that details handling of food for safety. The food control system is an internationally recognized system that details various elements that are involved in food handling and to ensure safety and fitness for human consumption.

Elements of Food Control System

The principles forming the food control system are generally described for every nation to adopt and modify according to its requirements. There is need for an effective national control system to ensure the safety of domestic consumers. Additional, they help national governments in ensuring that the foods entering international trade as well as those imported are safe and meet the quality and safety standards set nationally and internationally.

Hopper adds that the main objectives of a food control system are to protect the public of a particular country by reducing chances of the occurrence of food-borne illnesses, protecting consumers from dangers posed by mislabeled, unclean and unwholesome food and also contribution to economic growth and development through maintenance of consumer confidence (98).

The elements of a national food control system include a food law system, a food control strategy, food control functions, inspection services, laboratory or analytical services and compliance or enforcement services. According to Clute, the above-mentioned elements help in regulating safety of food that is produced, processed and marketed within a country including food that is imported.

Food law and regulation system

The successful implementation and maintenance of an effective food control system depend on adequate food legislation that is in place. Legislation which may also be referred to as food law consists of definitions of unsafe food and recommendation of effective tools that will be used to rid the market of unsafe foods and punitive measures of parties violating food safety standards. The regulation system gives a clear mandate and authority to those that are in charge to combat food safety problems.

In addition to legal powers and measures for ensuring food safety, the food law system creates competent body that does not combats food safety but has in place the capacity to develop preventive systems. Hopper asserts that an effective food safety law system needs to be updated to include evolving food safety needs for instance the growing need to aggressively enforce labeling requirements (102).

Hopper recommends that governments should include Codex standards as well as other countries’ experiences when drafting food safety regulations (108). That way, a national food regulatory system can meet both national and international standards.

Food control strategy

An effective food control strategy requires a sound control system that has both policy and operational coordination at the national level. The food law discussed in the section above normally determines the details of the food control strategy. The strategy is more or less the blue print that guides a national authority on the ways through which provisions of the food safety law are implemented. There is need to refine the strategy from time to time to seal loopholes that may arise due to food control dynamics.

Food control functions

Operational coordination is the main function that a food control system plays at the national level. More importantly however, is the establishment of a leadership function that will be responsible for administrative issues including the implementation of the above strategy. Other core functions of the food control system include the establishment of regulatory mechanisms, a monitoring system, a performance measurement system and a flexible plan that is open to improvement. Additionally, it plays the function of offering overall policy guidance in implementing the food control strategy.

It is important to note that both the food control strategy and the food control functions can be collectively referred to as food control management.

Food inspection services

According to Clute, administration and implementation of food laws will only be successful if there is in place a qualified and efficient inspection service (120). Clute adds that the food inspection service that is in place is the key to successful implementation of food laws (120). This is because, inspectors are in constant contact with the industry and the public. The reputation of a national food control system greatly depends on the integrity and skills of food inspectors.

Normally, the inspection service includes inspection of premises, evaluation of HACCP standards, plans and level of implementation, food sampling, identification of food decomposition and collection and transmission of evidence in cases where food law is breached. Inspection also encourages voluntary compliance through strict enforcement of quality assurance.

According to Hoper, proper training is a key requirement among inspectors if the system is to be efficient especially on the face of increases complexity in the international food movement chain (110). Some of the skills they need come with adequate training in food science technology and a mastery of the industrial process involved in the in food production. Besides, they need adequate training laboratory processes as well as HACCP systems.

Laboratory/ Analytical services

The laboratory and analytical services are a crucial component in the flood control system as they help in food monitoring and provision of epidemiological data. As mentioned earlier, the food control law that applies to a particular jurisdiction mainly guides the location of important facilities such as laboratories.

Depending on the needs and requirements of the national food control system, there could be one or more laboratories, strategically located and under the control of an agency or ministry of health. Hopper says that it is not the number or location of laboratories that matter but their level of equipment and the norms for food control that have been put in place to measure their performance (58).

Key to optimal performance of the laboratories is the adequacy of the facilities that will aid physical, microbiological and chemical analyses of food. Hopper says that the analyses conducted by these laboratories are important as they help in ascertaining the safety of food in circulation in the country (64). Additionally, the results are important in determining compliance and can also be used as evidence in court cases. As such there is need to ensure that staff working in these laboratories is well-trained and highly competent.

Compliance functions

One of the core functions of a national food control system is the compliance function. The law requires that every stakeholder in the food handling chain from production in the farm to the market comply with its provisions. The key to compliance according to Clute is adequate supply of information (79). There is need for concerned leadership to supply adequate factual information to concerned parties to ensure prescribed standards are met.

There is need for food control agencies to put in place information packages and educational programs to address specific training needs of food producers, processors and inspectors. Some of the key people involved in transmitting information are inspectors and laboratory analysts. For better compliance therefore, there is need to effect proper training on these professionals to ensure a high compliance rate effectively helping successful implementation of the flood control system.

Food Safety in Australia

The sections above dealt with food control in general, depicting a typical system of a country in a hypothetical situation. The following section however will focus on Australia’s food control system with emphasis on the Food Safety Australia and New Zealand Act (FSANZ) that seeks to establish a food control system such as the one describes above.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)

The Food Standards Australia New Zealand is the act that establishes a food control system for both Australia and New Zealand (Charter and Smith 33). The act put in place a bi-national food regulator body that works closely with Federal, State and Territory governments to develop and enforce food standards or regulations that will form part of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

The main objectives of the FSANZ act of 1991that established the boy include the protection of public health and safety in the two countries, provision of adequate information about food to help in sound decision-making by consumers, prevention of fraud and deception as well as prevention of deceptive and misleading conduct especially by food safety officials (Charter and Smith 35). The above is in line with the objectives of the national food control system discussed in the section above.

FSANZ is charged with the responsibility of regulating safe delivery of food in the two countries. Precisely, FSANS develops food standards that stipulate the composition, labeling and contaminants that apply to all foods produced in and imported to the two countries. Part of the FSANZ mandate involves the development and variation of existing food standards after which individuals states and territories implement and enforce through their acts.

Normally, the FSANZ board is involved in every stage of change or variation of food standards and must give final approval before any change is adopted by the Food Standards Code. The mandate of FSANZ operates within a ministerial council of the two countries that provides the regulatory framework that guides FSANZ in decision making (Charter and Smith 40).

In both Australia and New Zealand, FSANZ helps in developing standards that define parameters of food manufacturing, processing and labeling. It also aids in the development of standards that define primary production only in Australian territories. Besides, FSANZ has put in place mechanisms that help in surveillance and enforcement of the national food control system, collection and compilation of market intelligence and provision of risk assessment advice on imported foods (Charter and Smith 48).

In a nutshell, FSANZ performs the role of protecting and ensuring the safety of people in the two countries through maintenance of safe food supply regardless of its origin.

Regulation and Requirements of Food Imported to Australia

Under a framework guided by the FSANZ, Australia has in place comprehensive and detailed food import requirements. Food imported to Australia must meet certification or import requirements including quarantine requirements, imported food inspection scheme requirements, import permits and attestations on export certificates, risk category requirement, pre-market clearance, quality assurance systems and import procedure requirements.

According to Rees and Watson, all food that is imported to Australia must meet quarantine requirements as stipulated in the Imported Food Act of 1992 (63). Import requirements dictate that imported food consignments must be cleared before any examination is conducted on it by the Imported Food Inspection Scheme. Additionally, the importer must show that the consignment meets various Australian defined treatments including fumigation and temperature controls.

Under the Imported Food Inspection Scheme, the main body charged with implementing quarantine requirements on imported food is the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS). AQIS carries out various inspections including checking for food labeling compliance and visual food defects. If necessary AQIS may take samples for further laboratory analysis to determine its qualities as defined by the FSAN (Rees and Watson 66).

There is also a requirement to verify import permits and attestations on export certificates. These documents must be attested in the country of origin. Mostly, chicken meat, pork, beef and eggs are permitted under very strict conditions mainly if the food is processed to an extent that Australian authorities think the quarantine hazard has been eliminated.

Depending on the risk category of food, FSANZ advises AQIS on the level and frequency of inspection that is required to ascertain its safety. In determining the risk, the Australian authorities have in place an elaborate mechanism through which it determines the risk associated with imported food. Under this, the inspection categories include risk and surveillance.

Labelling requirements for Australian foods are contained in the General Food Standards (Rees and Watson 78). Labelling is mainly done in English but multi-language labeling is also allowed so long as the information conveyed is the same as that one in English. The general labeling and other information requirements are outlined in the ANZFSC.

Under these requirements, labels on food packages for retail sale must have a name prescribed on them to ascertain its nature, lot identification, business address, advisory warnings, date, nutritional information, storage directions and country of origin. There are however a few exemptions to the above requirements which include foods sold at fund-raising events and also whole and cut fresh vegetables and fruit (Rees and Watson 80).

Besides, the Food Products Standards may from time to time impose labeling standards as need arises on particular classes of food that pose a threat to the health of the public. Under each of the requirements mentioned above, there are specific requirements that apply to specific imports and that every importer needs to follow depending on the type of food dealt with.

Food Inspection

Before the enactment of the FSANZ act in 1991, Australia’s food standards were not harmonized to reflect a homogeneous approach to food safety. There was a general feeling that the country was relying too much on inspection services and neglecting the implementation of preventive mechanisms that were crucial to food safety.

Additionally, critics alleged that the inspection services in Australia were too decentralized to state governments with the approach blamed on the many loopholes that existed in the food safety system. Enactment of FSANZ however moved a step further and established a comprehensive inspection authority AQIS which mainly concentrated on imports and exports on a national scale.

The country has a rigorous system in place for inspection of all the food that is consumed by the public. Most of the standards implemented by AQIS on imported foods also apply on foods manufactured within Australia.

Like in the case for imported food, AQIS inspectors check for correct labeling on the food containers, the food’s microbiology status and also seek to determine if there was correct use of pesticides and additives. If need be may take samples for further laboratory analysis. Inspection is carried out regularly and inspectors sometimes rely on the compliance history of the producer in allowing some categories of food into the market.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points Program in Australia

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is an internally recognized program charged with the responsibility of identifying and managing risk (Clute 88). It is important to note that HACCP is versatile program that can be applied beyond food safety issues. When integrated into food safety programs, HACCP’s high degree standards assure authorities and consumers of unparalleled food safety because of the high quality management programs that are part of it.

HACCP Australia mainly offers cost effective solutions to the food safety program already in place. Precisely, HACCP helps in development of site specific systems, implementation and maintenance of the methodologies crucial to its success.

To ensure effectiveness in food safety, HACCP Australia undertakes detailed needs analyses that help in decision-making on what needs to be done to improve the quality assurance system (Hopper 39). HACCP Australia also develops food safety programs tailored according to HACCP standards including subsystems with features such as pest control and recall protocols. HACCP recognizes the importance of training to successful implementation of its subsystems.

Implementation is normally done on a site by site basis and staff that is manning the systems is trained using simple methodologies that take into account their level of skills to ensure healthy and safety of foods consumed by the Australian public. Additionally, there is regular maintenance of the system by highly qualified staff that carries out mini-audits and collects relevant data for efficiency evaluation. One of the main objectives of these maintenance rounds is to carry out sanitation checks and implement refresher courses for the staff.

Besides, HACCP Australia offers customer support and advice to ensure smooth running of food safety standards and also installs vendor safety quality assurance programs.

Works cited

Charter, Edward, and Smith, Jim. Functional Food Product Development , Thomson Learning: Melbourne, 2010. Print.

Clute, Mark. Food Industry Quality Control Systems , Chicago: Springer Verlag, 2008. Print.

Hopper, Marlynne et al. Strengthening national food control systems: guidelines to assess capacity building needs , New York: Springer, 2006. Print.

Rees, Naomi, and Watson, David. International standards for food safety , New York: Willey & Sons, 2000. Print.

Redman, Nina. Food Safety: A Reference Handbook , New York: Cengage Learning, 2007. Print.

Sherrow, Victoria. Food Safety , London: Sage Publications, 2008. Print.

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Food safety in the 21st century

Huei-shyong wang, suresh menon.

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Corresponding author . Department of Occupational Medicine, Sharp HealthCare/Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, 5135 Pacifica Drive, San Diego, CA 92109, USA. [email protected]

Received 2017 Dec 21; Accepted 2018 Mar 29; Issue date 2018 Apr.

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Food is essential to life, hence food safety is a basic human right. Billons of people in the world are at risk of unsafe food. Many millions become sick while hundreds of thousand die yearly. The food chain starts from farm to fork/plate while challenges include microbial, chemical, personal and environmental hygiene. Historically, documented human tragedies and economic disasters due to consuming contaminated food occurred as a result of intentional or unintentional personal conduct and governmental failure to safeguard food quality and safety. While earlier incidents were mainly chemical contaminants, more recent outbreaks have been due to microbial agents. The Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) attributed to these agents are most devastating to children younger than 5 years of age, the elderly and the sick. To ensure food safety and to prevent unnecessary foodborne illnesses, rapid and accurate detection of pathogenic agents is essential. Culture-based tests are being substituted by faster and sensitive culture independent diagnostics including antigen-based assays and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panels. Innovative technology such as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) coupled with nanoparticles can detect multiple target microbial pathogens' DNA or proteins using nucleic acids, antibodies and other biomarkers assays analysis. The food producers, distributors, handlers and vendors bear primary responsibility while consumers must remain vigilant and literate. Government agencies must enforce food safety laws to safeguard public and individual health. Medical providers must remain passionate to prevent foodborne illnesses and may consider treating diseases with safe diet therapy under proper medical supervision. The intimate collaboration between all the stakeholders will ultimately ensure food safety in the 21st century.

Keywords: Food safety, Foodborne illness, Microbial diagnostics, Disability adjusted, Life year

Introduction and historical perspective

Food safety is a basic human right.

Billions of people in the world are at risk of unsafe food. Many millions become sick while hundreds of thousands die every year because they consume unsafe food. Therefore, safe food saves lives. Safe food enhances individual and population health. Safe food improves economic growth of the region where food safety is practiced and enhanced. Safe food supply depends on both sound science and equitable law enforcement. With technological advances, new regulations must be enacted to protect a continuing supply of food products that are safe and wholesome for the health and wellness of people.

As the standard of living improves, concerns over food safety and potential contaminants will continue to be an important health issue. Consumers demand quality and safety of products they consume because food as energy and nutrient is necessary to sustain life. In general, consumers rely on government to ensure all food products not only are safe but are sold as what they claim to contain. For example, a jar of olive oil labeled as 100% virgin olive oil must contain exactly what the label says except the naturally occurring trace elements that are part of olive oil and which cannot be extracted or eliminated completely without destroying the olive oil.

Challenges and tragedies in food safety include chemical, biological, personal hygiene and environmentally related incidents. Historically, incidents of food products contaminated with industrial pollutants have been well documented. Japan, Iraq, United States and other nations experienced incidents where hundreds and thousands of people fell ill or died.

Most notorious is the Minamata disease (methylmercury poisoning) first discovered in 1956 around Minamata Bay in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. A second epidemic occurred in 1965 along the Agano River, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Symptoms of this disease included cerebellar ataxia, sensory disturbance, narrowing of the visual field, and hearing and speech disturbances. The discharged methyl mercury accumulated in fishes and shellfishes and caused poisoning on consumption [1] , [2] .

Before 1960, the local population in the Jinzu river basin of Japan suffered an endemic illness called “Itai–Itai” due to the residents in that area consumed rice contaminated with high level of cadmium. An investigation in 1961 determined that the Mitsui Mining and Smelting's Kamioka Mining Station caused the cadmium pollution and that the worst-affected areas were 30 km downstream of the mine. Not until 1968 the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan issued a formal statement about the symptoms of “itai–itai” disease is in fact caused by the cadmium poisoning [3] .

In 1968, a mass poisoning by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) occurred in northern Kyushu, Japan where rice oil that had become contaminated by heat-degraded PCBs during processing. These patients suffered a unique skin disease called chloracne. In addition, hepatic, reproductive, endocrine, neurobehavioral and carcinogenic effects have been described. The Illness was coined “Yusho” disease (literally oil syndrome). It should be noted that Yusho was not a deliberate contamination of cooking oil [4] , [5] .

In 1971–72, a large outbreak of mercury poisoning caused by the consumption of seed dressed with organomercury compounds occurred in Iraq. The source of organomercury came from seeds are treated with fungicides before planting, mainly to control infection by seed- or soil-borne fungi. Patients who consumed these seeds suffered tremor, confusion, hallucination, delusion and seizure [6] .

Similar food contamination incidents have appeared in Taiwan around 1979. It was discovered that cooking oil contaminated with PCBs and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) was sold to the public. The volume of contaminated oil and the nature of oil processing, packaging, labeling, distribution, sales, and usage were extensive that about 2000 people consumed contaminated eating oil. A recent study concludes that exposure to PCBs and PCDFs may increase mortality pattern even 3 decades later [7] . The short and long term health consequences of people consumed contaminated oil during recent (2014–5) oil incidents in Taiwan are yet to be studied.

In 1989, the United States Food & Drug Administration (US FDA) issued a “fats and oils” injunction against brokers buying and selling non-feed oils, such as waste industrial oil, and labeled them for animal feed use. One case evolved from findings PCB residue in turkeys marketed for human food. FDA field investigators traced the PCBs to waste oils from a chemical plant's scum pond, labeled “industrial waste not for animal feed use.” Further investigation showed that merchants “buy and sell” railcars and tankers of oils and invoice the products to feed manufacturers as feed grade regardless of source. The manufacturer might have blended it with other fats and oils so its original identity and any contaminants were greatly diluted. This US incident was not widespread because of the alert FDA field investigators program and state of the art food toxicology laboratory that stopped a major crisis [8] .

In the 21st century, food safety issues have not waned. Local outbreaks can turn into international emergencies due to the speed and range of product distribution. Serious foodborne disease outbreaks have occurred on every continent. In China alone, the 2008 contamination of infant formula with melamine affected 300,000 infants and young children, 51, 900 were hospitalized and 6 of whom died. In addition to renal damages, complications such as tumorigenesis or growth retardation in the future have been raised [9] , [10] .

In 2011, the Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli ( EHE coli ) outbreak in Germany linked to contaminated fenugreek sprouts, where cases were reported in 8 countries in Europe and North America, leading to 53 deaths. The 2011 E . coli outbreak in Germany caused US$ 1.3 billion in losses for farmers and industries and US$ 236 million in emergency aid payments to 22 European Union Member States [11] .

Unsafe food poses global health threats. The young, the elderly and the sick are particularly vulnerable. If food supplies are unsecured, population shifts to less healthy diets and consume more “unsafe foods” – in which chemical, microbiological and other hazards pose health risks, that in turn costs higher healthcare expenditure and drains national wealth [12] . In light of recurrent food contamination incidents, food safety in the 21st century should expand beyond improving nutritional profile, transparency of ingredients and regulations of unhealthy foods to include regular monitoring, surveillance and enforcement of food products in furtherance of the general public well-being and prevention of foodborne illnesses [13] . For up to date information, the Center for Science in the Public Interest provides comprehensive tracking and documentation of foodborne illness outbreaks since 1997  [14] .

Major challenges of food safety

Challenges of food safety include four major areas.

Microbiological Safety. Food by nature is biological. It is capable of supporting the growth of microbials that are potential sources of foodborne diseases. Viruses are more responsible for the majority of foodborne illnesses but hospitalizations and deaths associated with foodborne infections are due to bacterial agents. The illnesses range from mild gastroenteritis to neurologic, hepatic, and renal syndromes caused by either toxin from the disease-causing microbe. Foodborne bacterial agents are the leading cause of severe and fatal foodborne illnesses. Over 90% of food-poisoning illnesses are caused by species of Staphylococcus , Salmonella , Clostridium , Campylobacter , Listeria , Vibrio , Bacillus , and E . coli. For instance, in the US and France, in the last decade of the 20th century, Salmonella was the most frequent cause of bacterial foodborne illness accounting for 5700 to 10,200 cases, followed by Campylobacter for 2600 to 3500 cases and Listeria for 304 cases [15] .

Chemical Safety. Nonfood grade chemical additives, such as colorants and preservatives, and contaminants, such as pesticide residues, have been found in foods. Some food samples had higher levels of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, and copper than average food samples, suggesting possible leaching from the utensils and inadequate food hygiene.

Personal Hygiene. Poor personal hygiene practices of food handler and preparers pose considerable risks to personal and public health. Simple activities such as thorough hand washing and adequate washing facilities can prevent many foodforne illnesses.

Environmental Hygiene. Inadequate recycling and waste disposal equipment and facilities lead to the accumulation of spoiled and contaminated food. This leads to an increased pest and insect population that can result in risk of food contamination and spoilage. Poor sanitary conditions in the area where foods are processed and prepared contribute to poor food storage and transport as well as selling of unhygienic food.

Why is safe food supply important?

A safe food supply is important because of significant disease burden as well as economic burden to the society and nation. In US alone, foodborne illnesses each year result in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5000 deaths [16] . Worldwide, it has been estimated that more than one billion (1,000,000,000) episodes of food poisoning-related diarrhea occur annually [16] ; these poisonings are responsible for the deaths of about 3 million children a year, mostly in underdeveloped regions.

Foodborne illnesses associated with microbial pathogens or other food contaminants pose serious health threat in developing and developed countries. WHO estimates less than 10% of foodborne illness cases are reported whereas less than 1% of cases are reported in developing nations [17] . In a recent report, WHO estimates 600 million foodborne illnesses and 420,000 deaths in 2010. The most frequent causes of foodborne illness were diarrheal disease agents, particularly norovirus and Campylobacter spp. Other major causes of foodborne deaths were Salmonella typhi , Taenia solium , hepatitis A virus, and mycotoxins especially aflatoxins [18] , [19] .

Children are disproportionately bearing this burden - accounting for an estimated half of foodborne illness cases annually. Children are also among those most at risk of associated death and serious lifelong health complications from foodborne diseases. They are at high risk for foodborne illness for a number of reasons. Children have developing immune systems that are not always well equipped to fight infection; they are often smaller in size than adults, reducing the amount of pathogen needed to make them sick; and children have limited control over their diets and lack the developmental maturity necessary to carefully judge food safety risks.

From economic perspective, access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food is crucial to sustaining life, promoting good health and economic growth. According to one study, the average cost per case of foodborne illness (in US dollars) was $1626 for the enhanced cost-of-illness model and $1068 for the basic model. The resulting aggregated annual cost of illness was $77.7 billion and $51.0 billion for the enhanced and basic models, respectively. The study defines basic cost-of-illness model to include economic estimates for medical costs, productivity losses, and illness-related mortality. The enhanced cost-of-illness model replaces the productivity loss estimates with a more inclusive pain, suffering, and functional disability measure based on monetized quality-adjusted life year estimates [20] .

Major foodborne illnesses and burden

According to US Centers for Disease Control, foodborne diseases cause an estimated 48 million illnesses each year in the United States, including 9.4 million caused by known pathogens. The pathogen-commodity pairs most commonly responsible for outbreaks were scombroid toxin/histamine and fish (317 outbreaks), ciguatoxin and fish (172 outbreaks), Salmonella and poultry (145 outbreaks), and norovirus and leafy vegetables (141 outbreaks). The pathogen-commodity pairs most commonly responsible for outbreak-related illnesses were norovirus and leafy vegetables (4011 illnesses), Clostridium perfringens and poultry (3452 illnesses), Salmonella and vine-stalk vegetables (3216 illnesses), and C . perfringens and beef (2963 illnesses) [21] , [22] . Examples of unsafe food that commonly contain these hazards include uncooked foods of animal origin, fruits and vegetables contaminated with feces, raw shellfish and industrial pollution.

In a comprehensive estimation, the 2015 WHO report not only provides numbers of foodborne illnesses in terms of incidence but also number of deaths and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) as a measure of burden due to foodborne related morbidity and mortality. The DALYs data are based on the metrics established by WHO and are consistent with the Global Burden of Disease project [18] . Together, these foodborne hazards caused an enormous human burden of 33 millions DALYs with 40% among children younger than 5 year-old. With substantial global burden of foodborne diseases and deaths, the impact is most significant among young children living in low income regions where food hygiene and water sanitation are below optimal standards. Therefore, improving microbial, personal, chemical and environmental health will improve overall health of children and adults alike. It should be noted that antimicrobial overuse and misuse in veterinary and human medicine has been linked to the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria, rendering the treatment of infectious diseases ineffective in animals and humans [24] .

From a global perspective, most foodborne pathogens and toxins, along with morbidity, mortality and health burden are summarized in Table 1 . Commonly encountered microbial pathogens and toxins include the following categories. A brief description of their illnesses is provided below for a quick reference.

Bacteria: Salmonella , Campylobacter , and Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli ( EHE coli ) are among the most common foodborne pathogens. Symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Sources of salmonellosis include eggs, poultry and other products of animal origin. Foodborne Campylobacter is caused by raw milk, raw or undercooked poultry and drinking water . EHE coli are associated with unpasteurized milk, undercooked meat and fresh fruits and vegetables. Listeria infection increases the risk of spontaneous abortions and stillbirths. Listeria is found in unpasteurized dairy products and various ready-to-eat foods and can grow at refrigeration temperatures. Vibrio cholerae infects people through contaminated water or food. Symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting and profuse watery diarrhea, which may lead to severe dehydration and possibly death. Rice, vegetables, millet gruel and various types of seafood have been implicated in cholera outbreaks.

Viruses: Norovirus infections are characterized by nausea, explosive vomiting, watery diarrhea and abdominal pain. Food handlers infected with Hepatitis A virus are common source of contamination and spreads typically through raw or undercooked seafood or contaminated raw produce.

Parasites: Some parasites, such as fish-borne trematodes, are only transmitted through food. Others, for example Echinococcus spp, may infect people through food or direct contact with animals. Other parasites, such as Ascaris , Cryptosporidium , Entamoeba histolytica or Giardia , enter the food chain via water or soil and can contaminate fresh produce.

Worms: Cestodes, nematodes, trematodes and helminths are worms most prevalent in regions where food preparation and storage, personal hygiene, water sanitation and environmental health are not routinely practiced Even though worm related foodborne illness are not as fatal as virus and bacteria, they account for a substantial burned to foodborne disability.

Chemicals: Naturally occurring toxins and environmental pollutants have caused many outbreaks. In addition, chemical residues used to eradicate or control pests and worms can be an independent risk of foodborne hazard. Mycotoxins, marine biotoxins, cyanogenic glycosides and poisonous mushrooms are all natural toxins. Staple foods like corn or cereals can contain high levels of mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin and ochratoxin. A long-term exposure can affect the immune system and normal development, or cause cancer. Environmental pollutants are becoming major concerns for pediatricians and public health practitioners. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are compounds that accumulate in the environment and human body. Dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are byproducts of industrial processes and waste incineration. They are found in the environment and accumulate in animal food chains. Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and cause cancer. Finally, heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury can cause neurological and kidney damage. Contamination by heavy metals in food occurs mainly through environmental pollution of air, water and soil.

Common foodborne pathogens and their medical and economic impacts.

The Uncertainty Intervals (UI) are not shown

Source: Extracted and complied from Ref. [18]

Diagnostic advances to ensure food safety

Due to the globalization of the world's food trade, food has become a major pathway for human exposure to pathogenic microbials responsible for foodborne illness entering at many points along the value chain [23] . Thus, tracking and detecting microbials especially pathogenic bacteria in foods back to their sources pose challenges to producer, processor, distributor, and consumer of food alike. In addition, clinicians and epidemiologists are frequently confronted with diagnostic and treatment uncertainty of patients with potential foodborne infectious diseases at the point of care.

Rapid and accurate detection of foodborne pathogens is essential for public health bio-surveillance to prevent foodborne infections and ensure the safety of foods. Detection methods of microbials have improved over time [25] , [26] , [27] . Generally speaking, culture-based tests are being substituted by faster and more sensitive culture-independent diagnostic tests such as antigen-based assays and PCR panels [28] . However, these tests are used mainly in the public health laboratories not readily available for practitioners in the industry and clinical fields.

Non-culture based applications are gaining importance mainly because of their relatively quick results when compared with culture based methodologies. There are several diagnostic technologies to detecting pathogenic microbes such as Salmonella and Vibrio spp in animals and food. Ideally, microbial pathogens and contaminants can be detected at relatively low cost in the field because of assay and instrument simplicity. This will ensure higher sampling efficiency of analyte of interest as a result of higher sample measurement volume, detects with near 100% specificity and accuracy as a result of orthogonal measurement [29] of biomarkers with flexibility in sample type such as soil, feces, animal tissue, fruits, water and blood. The goals are savings in time due to higher speed of detection and savings to overhead expenses. However, Point of Need Test (PONT) devices for field diagnostics do not exist for many of the pathogens of interest in agriculture, animal farming, aquaculture, wild caught animals, and food safety in general.

NMR-nanotechnology

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) nanotechnology platform detects multiple target microbials hybridizing to pathogen's DNA or protein in same the device chamber that runs assays using nucleic acid, antibodies, and other biomarkers [30] . Orthogonal confirmatory tests can be achieved via multiple biomarkers of single microbial in same detection device. This raises specificity and accuracy thus serving as both screening and confirming tool at the same time. It has a dynamic range of 8 log before saturation, more sensitive than other systems due to standard amplification process plus signal amplification through the nanoparticles. Hence, this technology increases the sensitivity and specificity of detecting target microbial. End point PCR can be applied on DNA amplification while antibody ligands method can be used for protein structure amplification. Multiplexing with large sample volume enables multiple biomarker measurements to be analyzed thus further increases specificity of the detection method.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based assay enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) and instruments rely on extensive enrichment (up to 24 h) to produce enough cells for detection. Following enrichment, the assay requires DNA amplification and detection. The entire process from enrichment through detection may take several hours to days. Because of sample preparation processes and ancillary lab equipment (shakers, incubators, microplate readers) such detection system may not be practical as PONT devices. Another commonly utilized technology is based on either standard or real-time PCR (qPCR) depending on the instrument and takes up to 3.5 h for detection. The system is limited to using PCR method thus unable to perform multiple biomarkers detection. Table 2 provides an example of comparing two non-culture based detection systems for Salmonella [31] , [32] . The commercial testing brand names are not mentioned in this analysis.

Provides an example of comparing two non-culture based detection systems for Salmonella .

Source: Ref.  [31] , [32] Commercial testing brand names not mentioned

Medical provider's role in food therapy

Most medical professionals have focused on the treatment of diseases without seeking which are caused by long-term exposure to problematic food and food products. Some dietitians tend to keep counting the calories of macronutrients without considering chemicals adding in the food and food product that have no nutrient values. The food industry for business reasons may look mainly for continuous profit over the health of general population. Many diseases could be prevented or treated with appropriate and safe food under proper medical supervision. Ketogenic diet therapy for epilepsy is a good example. This medical food therapy began at least 100 years ago, but was abandoned gradually over the next five decades because of the appearance of antiepileptic drugs [33] , [34] . This approach has been revived about 20 years ago because 40% of epileptic patients are resistant to antiepileptic medications. As a result of medically promising indications of the ketogenic diet, it is expanding its therapeutic efficacy from epilepsy to diabetes mellitus, malignancies, and many selective neurodegenerative disorders [35] , [36] , [37] . Therefore, the important role of medical providers in food therapy cannot be over emphasized. The late Professor Ja-Liang Lin, aka Lin Chieh-liang [38] , renowned toxicologist–nephrologist left behind an important legacy that serves as a role model [39] for medical professionals to exercise the duty to improve and safeguard food quality and safety of Taiwan and international community for many years to come.

Government's role to regulate and enforce food safety

Safe food supply depends on both sound science and equitable law enforcement. Periodically, new laws and regulations must be enacted to further protect a continuing supply of food products that are safe and wholesome for the health and wellness of people.

In most countries, the overarching goal of having Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or similar agency is to take responsibility for compliance of food safety law to ensure a three-fold aim in protecting public health and safety: (1) inform citizens of nutrition and components of important food products; (2) enforce existing laws and regulations on food industry to ensure supply of safe food products; and (3) investigate and eliminate potential toxic contaminants and prosecute economic fraud via regular monitoring and surveillance on chain of food supply.

Once the laws are enacted, they must be enforced to ensure compliance by the entire food industry including industries that are directly or indirectly connected with the food source, labeling, packaging, transportation, distribution down to retail sales. The FDA is given resources and authority to write rules and regulations, assemble experts both as agency employees or consultants so to fulfill the three-prong aim of informing, enforcing and eliminating any food related safety and risk.

All governmental agencies involved in potential food chain supply must be given resources and authorities to discharge the 3-fold duty of (1) inform, (2) enforce, and (3) eliminate as described above. In addition to FDA, other governmental agencies collaborations are required. For example, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in charge of safe drinking water, clean air, and nontoxic natural resources such as soil and land; the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is in charge of ensuring animal and plant health, as well as food and nutrition services; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement of US Department of Justice are all involved in stopping illegal and contaminated toxic substances. Therefore, to enforce food safety, inter-agency sharing of information and database is necessary [40] . Some have proposed to expand FDA's discretionary authority as part of the anti-terrorism in the post-9/11 period, particularly with respect to FDA's authority to monitor and publicize potential health risks linked to food, dietary supplements, nonprescription drugs, and other consumer health products [41] .

To equitably enforce food safety laws, sound science must be the basis of setting the regulations and protocols to inform, enforce and eliminate unsafe foods. Risk assessment is a scientific process that puts the concern about food contaminations in proper perspective. As the purpose of scientific risk calculation is to get the best estimate of the true risk using available and current information.

Generally, to assure the public safety, regulatory agencies go beyond scientific risk. To calculate regulatory risk, agencies first start with the scientific risk level. Then, the maximum consumption is estimated as if that item is consumed daily for a person's entire lifetime. This risk is multiplied by a factor of 100 or 1000 [42] , [46] as additional safety factor for the vulnerable individuals. Animal toxicology studies and any available human reports and studies are extensively reviewed and analyzed for relevancy and validity. The sponsor (usually the food manufacturer) must establish scientifically that the substance is safe and free from contamination. The sponsor must also demonstrate that any residues remaining in a food product pose no threat to human health, both acutely and chronically. If toxicological studies raise the suspicion that a contaminant may cause cancer, the agency may require the sponsor to conduct chronic feeding studies in animals. If the results show that the chemical causes cancer, the FDA uses a conservative risk assessment procedure to determine how much contaminant presents the consumer with no significant risk of cancer. Under this procedure the FDA allows the upper limit of lifetime risk of cancer to be one in one million (that is, if one million consumers ingested the contaminant for their entire lifetime of 70 years, one of them might get cancer from the drug/chemical residue). Such a risk is approximately 10 times less than the risk of being struck by lightning [42] , [43] , [44] , [45] , [46] , [47] .

Programs and tools to ensure the safety of food supply

In general, periodic food monitoring provides a 95% assurance that microbial or chemical contaminant of any targeted food is detected if it occurs in more than 1% of product lots. Food surveillance is used to investigate and control the movement of potentially contaminated products. The field inspectors are granted the power of the agency vested by the executive branch of the government. Anonymous tips may trigger some food products for surveillance testing if they appear reasonably suspicious of foul play such as unclear labeling, or coming from questionable sources. Contaminants above legal limits are to be re-tested in split samples given to two separate laboratories to ensure fairness. Food safety inspector has responsibility to inspect foods during packaging, labeling, processing and distribution and storage. Similarly, inspector of different training may assume responsibility when the food products are in the grocery store or in retails.

The voluntary report of “accidental” exposure program has worked well in many countries. Food products may accidentally be exposed to contaminants without any deliberate or knowingly use contaminated products such as microbial, pesticides, industrial chemicals or natural toxicants. In such event, the merchant or manufacturer may voluntarily report such contamination to FDA. FDA may then send specially trained consultant to provide regulatory and scientific assistance to the food industry. Depending on the nature and extent of consultation, consultant or laboratory fees may be assessed to be paid by the company owner or corporation [48] .

In the US, programs such as the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) ensure safety of current and future food supply must be implemented. Regular monitoring, surveillance and voluntary report or recall are all part of risk management that will minimize mishaps and ensure safe food supply [50] . The Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points System has been implemented by US FDA so that food safety risks are addressed more adequately and the allocation of inspection resources is improved further [48] , [49] , [50] .

The future food safety

Safe food provides basic human necessity. It supports national economy, trade and tourism, contributes to nutrition security, and underpins sustainable development. Globalization has triggered growing consumer demand for a wider variety of foods, resulting in an increasingly complex and longer global food chain. As the world's population grows, the intensification and industrialization of agriculture and animal production to meet increasing demand for food creates both opportunities and challenges for food safety. The food producers, distributors, handlers and vendors must bear the primary responsibility to ensure food safety. Consumers should remain vigilant and literate on food safety issues. Government agencies such as FDA and EPA are the legal enforcers to protect public health and safety. They must enforce the law equitably and with fairness.

The legal professionals appear to be more active in advocating food safety in the global market. The medical and healthcare professionals should be equally passionate to take the lead in addressing food safety. After all, safe and nutritious food implies healthier population. Regardless of who is taking the lead in food safety, in the end, a close collaboration between all the stakeholders should be the goal in achieving a meaningful food safety for every person in a global perspective [51] , [52] , [53] , [54] , [55] .

In summary, food safety and nutrition are closely connected. Unsafe food creates a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition affecting infants, young children, elderly and the sick. Because food supply chains cross multiple national and regional borders, collaboration between governments, producers, suppliers, distributors and consumers will ultimately ensure food safety in the 21st century.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Peer review under responsibility of Chang Gung University.

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