Food Poisoning in Africa: A Silent Epidemic in Recent Era of Global Food Traffic

Abstract

Food poisoning is caused by consuming food contaminated with microbial or non-microbial contaminants. These contaminants can cause disease symptoms such as acute gastroenteritis, and in the worst-case scenario, death due to consumption of contaminated food or drink. Living bacteria, their toxins, or toxic chemical substances derived from plants and animals can all cause contamination. Africa is densely populated, but it is the poorest continent, with a high rate of resource mismanagement and slow development. Population growth, policy changes, weak institutions, poor infrastructure, and climatic factors all contribute to insufficient food production and food insecurity in many African countries. Food imports to the African continent are necessary, but they are poorly regulated. Food poisoning can occur as a result of the risks associated with food import. In South Africa, outbreaks of listeriosis occurred in three provinces: Gauteng (581 cases, 59%), Western Cape (118 cases, 12%), and KwaZulu-Natal (70 cases, 7%). Diseases were discovered in 674 patients, with 183 (27%) of them dying. Food poisoning outbreaks caused by Vibrio cholera, Shigella flexneri, Bacillus anthracis, and E. coli O157 H7 occur in several African countries. Food poisoning caused by food import is one of the reasons for the region's low economic growth. The costs of illness and death are high for individuals, families, and countries' health-care systems. Government policy should be regulated to protect the public from the importation of low-quality products and to prevent food poisoning.