HYGIENIC ASSESSMENT OF FOOD SAFETY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASE PATTERNS
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Foodborne diseases represent a significant public health burden globally. This study aims to conduct a hygienic assessment of food products sold in various retail outlets (open markets vs. supermarkets) and analyze the correlation between food contamination levels and the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases in the local population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving the microbiological and chemical analysis of 500 food samples (meat, dairy, fresh produce). Concurrently, epidemiological data on acute gastrointestinal infections and chronic gastritis were analyzed for the same period. Results: Microbiological non-compliance was significantly higher in open markets (28.5%) compared to supermarkets (8.2%). A strong positive correlation (r = 0.78) was found between the seasonal peak of coliform contamination in dairy products and hospital admissions for acute gastroenteritis. Conclusion: The study confirms that violations of sanitary-hygienic norms in food storage and sales are direct drivers of GI morbidity. Strengthening sanitary control mechanisms and public hygiene education are essential for disease prevention.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain the copyright of their manuscripts, and all Open Access articles are disseminated under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC-BY), which licenses unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is appropriately cited. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.
How to Cite
References
1.World Health Organization. (2015). WHO estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases. WHO Press.
2.Havelaar, A. H., et al. (2015). World Health Organization Global Estimates and Regional Comparisons of the Burden of Foodborne Disease in 2010. PLoS Medicine, 12(12), e1001923.
3.Mensinga, T. T., Speijers, G. J., & Meulenbelt, J. (2003). Health implications of exposure to environmental nitrogen compounds. Toxicological Reviews, 22(1), 41-51.
4.Scallan, E., et al. (2011). Foodborne illness acquired in the United States—major pathogens. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17(1), 7-15.
5.Uyttendaele, M., et al. (2015). Microbial hazards in fresh fruit and vegetables. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 207, 1-3.