Food is essential for the survival of any living creature. At the same time food can cause problems to health if it is not properly preserved or processed or consumed. The importance of food safety goes on increasing day by day. Governments are taking hard efforts to ensure food safety.
Unlike other households items consumers are much concerned about the quality and safety of the food items they buy. The reason is that if they consume non-secure food that may cause problems to their health. The bacteria and other harmful invisible insects contained in the food items create health problems and it may even lead to hazards to life. These necessitate the need for a safe food supply system for ensuring a food safety. The food supply in America is not enough safe.
Food safety issues
Many factors can lead to food related disease outbreaks. Among this the severity of some diseases are less and it affect lesser number of people, but some others, are too severe and affects large number of people, such as cholera(Hui, 2001 p.172)
Sometimes the food items like non-processes meat might have infected with bacteria like E.Coil, Salmonella…etc. The consumption of food bacteria affected food item causes illness like cholera, hepatitis…etc. If a person is affected by food infection there may be symptoms of such infection, like vomiting, fever…etc.
Food supply and issues in America
It is the duty of every government to ensure food safety to its citizens. Through efficient and sophisticated supply food safety could be ensured. In United States of America the food supply system is not proper and enough care is not taken for ensuring the food safety. This is evident from the fact that there is a higher rate of death due to disease from contaminated food consumption (Food safety and food borne illness, 2007).
Fast food culture has swallowed the American food system. There are plenty of fast food stores and restaurants in the United States of America. “Over the last three decades, fast food has infiltrated every nook and cranny of American society” (Schlosser, 2001p.3).
Fast food always creates health problems, but even then people are interested in fast food. Though people can prepare food in traditional method of food preparation and can follow traditional food culture, majority are not opting for that.
Though there is a system namely Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in the country for ensuring supply of safe and healthier supply of food, it need to more active and efforts must be taken to reduce the death out of lack of food safety (Food Safety and Food Security: What Consumers Need to Know, p 2).
Majority of the people in the United States believe that, they have got a safe food supply system (Stinson et al. 2007). However, the fact is not like that, it is not that much safe as now the food items are imported from countries like India and safety of such food items is matter of concern.
Steps to be taken for ensuring food safety
The food poisons and other problems caused by lack of food security are increasing day by day. Efforts should be made to limit or eliminate these problems and ensure food safety in the country and thereby becoming a model country for all over the world. Following are some recommendations for ensuring food safety.
Implementing clean food preparation techniques: One of the chief causes for becoming the food items contaminated is lack of cleanliness in the food preparation place. Also the carelessness by those who make food items cause to become the food items infected by bacteria and other harmful creatures.
Ensure immediate consumption of the fast perishable items: The perishable food items are to be immediately consumed; otherwise it may cause to become the food item filled with insects and bacteria. By way of ensuring immediate consumption of this kinds of food items food safety can be guaranteed.
Conduct awareness programs: It is one of the better ways to ensure food safety. Majority of the people are not aware of the after effects of the consuming bacteria involved and expired food items. Awareness programs need to conduct for bringing the attention of consumers as well as workers in the food industry.
Efforts from the part of the government: Without the support of the government, it is difficult to make a food safety programs successful. The government has to contribute economically as well as non-economically for safety ensuring efforts. The policies need to be designed by the government in such a way that it does not allow any kind of violation of the rules of food safety.
Proper preservation of food: Once the food items are prepared they are to be preserved well. Otherwise it may cause to become the food contaminated. If the food item requires refrigeration it should be refrigerated.
Proper handling: Hands should be washed before touching the food item as there are chances that our hands may contain poisonous things or bacteria (Prevention of Food Poisoning).
Conclusion
Health is a matter of concern for everybody. Nobody would like to sacrifice health for wealth or any other purpose as health is considered the most rewarding wealth. However, improper food habits and food preservation and processing can cause many hazards to human life. The effective management of food and its utmost care in handling and processing can reduce the perils to a great extent.
Work Cited
“Food safety and food borne illness”. Media Center-World Health Organization. 2007. Web.
“Food Safety and Food Security: What Consumers Need to Know?” United States Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service. Web.
Hui, Yiu H. and Wai-Kit Nip, Meat science and applications. CRC Press, 2007.
Prevention of Food Poisoning, Food Poisoning. Mamashealth.com. Web.
Schlosser, Eric. Fast food nation: the dark side of the all-American meal, Part 10 Edition 001 Series. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001.
Stinson, F. Thomas, Jean Kinsey, Dennis Degeneffe, and Koel Ghosh. Defending America’s Food Supply against Terrorism: Who is Responsible? Who Should Pay? Choices, 2007. Web.