Actions to reverse the upward curve of foodborne illness

Contaminated food causes considerable health and economic consequences for individuals, families, population groups and entire countries. Epidemiological surveillance in several industrial countries during the last two to three decades indicates that there is even a considerable increase in the prevalence of foodborne illness. In developing countries, infant diarrhoea appears to be the most important health problem related to contaminated food. The paper identifies the factors responsible for this increase, most of which can not be influenced by national and international public health/food safety communities. One of the most important strategies to reverse the upward trend of foodborne diseases is, therefore, for the health sector to get fully involved in food safety. Food can’t any longer be considered only as an agricultural/trade commodity but must be seen as a public health issue and Ministries of Health have to accept food safety as an essential public health function, as recently recommended by the World Health Organization.