IPGDx Blog

Tainted food surprisingly deadly in adults: WHO

Reuters Health

GENEVA – Millions of adults die every year from bugs and toxins in what they eat, according to new World Health Organization data that shows food-borne diseases are far more deadly than the U.N. agency previously estimated.

The research faults unsafe food for 1.2 million deaths per year in people over the age of five in Southeast Asia and Africa — three times more adult deaths than the Geneva-based WHO had thought occurred in the whole world.

“It is a picture that we have never had before,” WHO Food Safety Director Jorgen Schlundt said in an interview. “We now have documentation of a significant burden outside the less than five group, that is major new information.”

Food safety experts are now seeking to measure the burden of such afflictions in people over the age of five in the Arab world, Latin America and elsewhere in Asia including China.

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Tags: Food safety, food-borne diseases, frozen food, Junk food

Holiday Food Safety

The holiday season is a time for celebration and great food.But don’t let food-related illness ruin your holiday.

Many people don’t realize that food safety is the most important ingredient in preparing food for the holidays. This Holiday Food Safety Video shows how to store, prepare, and serve food safely to prevent food borne illness from ruining the holidays.

Check out the video from FDA which provides simple steps to help ensure that harmful bacteria won’t be a guest at your festivities.

Tags: Food safety, holiday cooking, safe preparation

Fresh Food or Frozen : Cell Membranes Tell The Story

Today, food routinely travels the globe to get to our kitchens, restaurants and grocers; during that trip events purposeful and incidental result in diminished quality, flavor and loss of goodness and value.Some food sellers deceive buyers by freezing food and selling it as fresh to take advantage of better pricing.

By electrically measuring the cell membranes of food the EFresh® technology can determine how good the food is and if it has been previously frozen.EFresh® device can be used to measure meats, fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables.

Here is a nice Presentation on how the EFresh® device system provides immediate and reliable test results to ensure food value, freshness and palatability.

Tags: food quality measurement, Fresh Food, fresh food vs frozen

Mercury in Seafood is the Topmost Consumer Food Safety Concern

A Nationwide Consumer Survey reported that Consumers Pay More Attention to Food Safety and Quality Claims When Making Purchasing Decisions.

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ — A recent nationwide consumer survey reported that Americans are paying closer attention to food safety and quality claims when purchasing food with mercury in seafood ranking as the top concern. The report was published by Context Marketing and conducted by MRops, Inc.

Sixty-one percent of respondents cited mercury in seafood as their top food safety issue above pesticides (60 percent); and artificial hormones (58 percent).

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Tags: Fish safety, Food safety, mercury in seafood, seafood