OVERVIEW OF FOOD SAFETY IN

BY IB TSHEKISO FOOD CONTROL UNIT Introduction

± Food safety is an increasingly important public health problem. ± Governments all over the world are intensifying their efforts to improve food safety. ± This is due to response to an increasing number of food safety problems and rising consumer concerns or complaints ± The fifty-third W o rld H ea lth A s s em b ly a d o p ted the R es o lu tio n W H A 5 3 .1 5 u rg in g a ll m em b er s ta tes to rec o g n iz e fo o d s a fety a s a n es s en tia l p u b lic hea lth c o n c ern .

± E v ery yea r m illio n s o f p eo p le w o rld w id e b ec o m e s ic k a s a res u lt o f c o n s u m in g c o n ta m in a ted a n d u n s a fe fo o d . ± The WHO estimated that 1.500 million children under five years of age annually suffer from diarrhoeaand over three million die as a result. A great proportion of these cases can be attributed to contamination of food and drinking water.

± The global incidence of food borne disease is difficult to estimate because of poor documentation or reporting. FOOD CONTAMINATION CREATES AN ENORMOUS SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BURDEN ON COMMUNITIES.

‡ people become sick ‡ lower productivity. PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD CONTAMINATION

± Food poisoning| Food borne illness ± Legal action and penalties ± Closure of the business ± Poor working conditions ± High running costs because food has to be thrown away The most vulnerable groups :

± The young ones between the ages 0 - 5 years. ± The old ± People who are ill or recovering or who have weakened immunity to disease. ± Pregnant women and nursing mothers. GOVERNMENT POSITION Government policies in place : ± Food Control Act enacted in 1993 to ensure the provision of safe and wholesome foods. ± The Food Control Unit was also established in 1993 to implement the provision of the act. ± A number of regulations were published. FOOD SAFETY MONITORING SYSTEM ± Food safety surveillance activities are very poor due to inadequate resources and poor reporting system. ± A few cases of suspected food-borne disease out-breaks are reported ± Follow up investigations to isolate causative agents has always proved difficult due to late reporting and improper sampling. ± government institutions mostly involved are primary and secondary school, prisons and the higher institution of learning like UB, Technical Colleges, Colleges of Education. ± other cases reported from various districts where people have suffered illness after consuming food from restaurants, community gatherings and homes. REPORTED CASES 1999 - 2004 YEAR PLACE PEOPLE SYMPTOMS AFFECTED 1999 Mannathoko 179 Abdominal pain, nausea, CJSS- fever, vomiting, and diarhoea. Fast Food 3 Abdominal pain, diarrhoea Outlet- after consumption of fried chicken. Tlhalogang 90 Stiff neck, continuous CJSS- nodding of head University of 40 Abdominal pain, nausea, Botswana diarrhoea 9 Abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, Salmonella sop isolated from leftover food 1999 Kanye 15 Diarrhoea ( eat beef from cow that had died on its own) Kanye 10 Diarrhoea, Salmonella spp. isolated from leftover food. Moshupa 9 Abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, Salmonella spp isolated from leftover food

total 355 2000 Gaborone 4 Intense red rash soon after Restaurant consumption of tuna fish salads, heart palpitations - Histamine Associated (Scombroid) poisoning. Gaborone 1 Abdominal pain, nausea, supermarket vomiting immediately after consumption of cake

Gaborone 1 Burning pain of stomach supermarket right up the throat after consumption of muffin cake. Maiphitshwane 289 Abdominal pain, diarrhoea Primary School- after consumption of cooked Kanye beans. 2000 Maximum Security 90 Abdominal pain, Prison-Gaborone diarrhoea

Francistown >100 Abdominal pain, Senior Secondary diarrhoea School

Total 485 2001 BobirwaSub District 18 Hallucination after - Mathathane consumption of sorghum-meal contaminated with Datura poisoning. Fast Food Outlet 1 Gastro-enteritis after Gaborone consumption of a snack

Letlhakane 4 Abdominal pain and diarrhea after consuming a soft drink la, contaminated with fungus.

Good Hope 17 Fever, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting after consumption of dried meat-biltong Abdominal pains, diarrhea.

TaumanthePrimary 67 School, Mmopane

TOTAL 107 2002 NalediSecondary >60 Abdominal pains and school, Gaborone diarrhea

Makoboprimary 18 Vomiting, dizziness, school, Tutume uncoordinated movement, frontal headache, fever (sorghum cooked using borehole water)

PhatsimoCJSS, 180 SelibePhikwe Fever, diarrhea Gaborone 3 Technical College Gastroenteritis

38 MmashoroCJSS, Abdominal pain, diarrhea

200 Day Care- Diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever TOTAL 499 2003 Sebele 37 Diarrhea Poor Vomiting hygienic Abdominal conditions. pain 2003 20 Cramps Poor Collage of Diarrhea hygienic Education Dizziness conditions. Salmonella sppisolated 2004 BIAC 50 Diarrhea Poor cramps hygienic vomiting conditions. E.coli isolated. CONSUMER COMPLAINTS

± These are issues of obvious poor quality foods that are reported to the FCU by the members of the public : ± 1. Foreign matter ( piece of cloth and hairs ) found in packed lunch purchased from supermarket. ± 2.Visible dirt in bottled soft drink. ± 3.Visible dirt ( cloud ) in a brand of clear beer. 4 Visible moulds in bread / buns. Other food safety concerns

± Growing number of street venders. ± Importation and the sale of expired or unlabelled food products. ± Food scavenging from the dumpsite and resale to the public. ± Ignorance of food safety issues by most members of the public and some food processors / manufacturers. ± Booming of powdered drinks and concentrated drinks. CONCLUSION

± FOOD SAFETY DOES NOT JUST HAPPEN; ± IT REQUIRES ONGOING TRAINING. ± ORGANISATIONAL C H ANGES. ± F REQUENTL Y INITIAL STRUC TURAL C H ANGES. ± FOOD SAFETY IS FOR EVERYONE, IT CAN NOT BE LEFT FOR THE GOVERNM ENT

± THE GOVERNM ENT CAN PASS LAW S

bbuutt THE LAW DOES NOT CLEAN KITCHEN

THE LAW CAN NOT SEPARATE RAW AND COOKED FOODS

So

IT IS UP TO US TO ENSURE THAT OUR FOOD IS SAFE !!!!!!