The purpose of food protection and safety - Research Paper Example

Purpose of Food Protection and Safety al affiliation Purpose of Food Protection and Safety Food protection has become one of the increasingly vital public health issues. Efforts to improve food safety have been on the rise from the relevant authority. The efforts have been as a result of increasingly food safety problems and consumer concerns being on the rise.Food protection is crucial due to the increase in the number of food borne diseases that are causing a growing public health problem. Some of these food borne diseases include diarrheal diseases that, according to Thomasson (2009), have led to the death of over one million people since 2005.

This has been taking root in developing countries due to parasite stimulated food borne illnesses, and presence of many industries that lead to emission of chemical into water sources contributing to the high level of food borne diseases. These factors have led to the formation of rules relating to food protection, and tribal and local agencies to inspect and oversee food establishment, to ensure food protection.The purpose of food protection is essentially to control the number of patients who undergo diagnostics related to poor food protection.

This has been through the introduction of models of the food code, program evaluation and scientifically-based guidance. This is in regard to a study carried out by Knechtges (2012). The aim of this food protection strategy is to ensure that people are productive, rather than getting ill from food related health complications, which retards national development.Food protection is purposeful to ensure that there is no burden on communities and their health systems. This is because food contamination leads to a colossal economic and social burden on the people who suffer from the complication and those that care for the sick.

This is because – according to a research study by NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Advances in Food Security and Safety against Terrorist Threats and Natural Disasters & Hefnawy (2011) – there is an indication that thirty five billion US dollars were set to cater for medical costs thus causing loss of productivity.Food protection has also to protect the reputation of a nation. This is because illnesses arising from food contamination like cholera and typhoid demean a country in that; it cannot protect its nationalities from food related diseases, hence the country cannot be helpful in terms of regional cooperation and exchanges (Thomasson, 2009).

This is due to the suspicion that the foods they sell are not pure.Food protection through biotechnology measures such as crop modification has been crucial to ensure that crops do not get attacks from pests, and help in the removal of allergens from food. This food protection measure is purposeful in that the pests that cannot be taken off from crops get off the crops at an earlier development stage of the crops. Thus, reducing the number of people falling sick due to food related illnesses.

Food protection has become indispensable to facilitate storage of food to cater for the dry spell. This measure, according to the Institute of Medicine, Wallace & Oria (2010), ensures that there is no food attack by pests and food does not decompose leading to disease causing antigens. This aspect ensures that humans do not pass on due to starvation or die due to food contamination during the dry seasons when food is scarce (Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators, World Health Organization., & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2002).

ReferencesGlobal Forum of Food Safety Regulators, World Health Organization., & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2002). Improving efficiency and transparency in food safety systems sharing experiences: Proceedings of the the Forum : Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators, 28-30 January 2002 Marrakesh, Morocco. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.Institute of Medicine (U.S.)., Wallace, R. B., & Oria, M. (2010). Enhancing food safety: The role of the Food and Drug Administration.

Washington, D.C: National Academies Press.Knechtges, P. L. (2012). Food safety: Theory and practice. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Advances in Food Security and Safety Against Terrorist Threats and Natural Disasters, & Hefnawy, M. (2011). Advances in food protection: Focus on food safety and defense. Dordrecht: Springer in cooperation with NATO Emerging Security Challenges Division. Thomasson, L. F. (2009). Food protection and safety. New York: Nova Science.