Measures to be taken to prevent food poisoning

Food poisoning is a term applied to an acute intestinal disease acquired by the consumption of food or drinks (e.g. juice, water, wine). The toxic agents responsible for food poisoning include the following; microorganisms that occur naturally in humans, animals and/or the environment, naturally occurring toxins that occur in food naturally or produce toxins inside the food through normal biological processes. Food poisoning is often confused with food allergy and food adverse effects, which are, respectively, an immune-mediated reaction and a clinically abnormal response, attributed to an exposure to a food or food additive. Food poisoning results from exposures to toxic agents present in the food that may lead to harmful effects based on the reaction of the body to these agents or the food itself. The most common microorganisms involved in food poisoning are bacteria such as Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium botulinum, Vibrio cholerae, Escherichia coli and Shigella species and others that produce toxins that cause foodborne intoxications. Several contextual determinants affect the occurrence of food poisoning; these include the accessibility, the availability, the affordability of controlled chemicals and drugs that may be used for instance in para- or suicide, criminal food poisoning or harvesting of fish or hunting. Other associated determinants are the seriousness of the rule of law and the enforcement of food control regulations. Like any other health condition, food poisoning can be measured in terms of morbidity and mortality.The prevention or minimizing of food poisoning could be through interventions in certain areas. The reduction of microbial pathogen in food product is the most pressing food safety problem today.They are physical, chemical, and alternative intervention strategies for control bacteria contamination.