World Health Day on April 7 marks the founding of the World Health Organization, with a theme for each year. This year it is ‘Food Safety’, to ensure that everyone has the answers to a few questions: What is in your meal and where did the ingredients come from?
Were they properly, and safely, handled at every stage, from farm to plate? WHO is asking for action to understand and streamline the supply chain and ask stakeholders to promote food safety.
Funding requirement challenges for cold chains to cut wastage figured in recent debates on foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail. With increasing pressure on groundwater resources and other factors, farm markets have moved towards ‘chemically managed’ crops. The deterioration in the quality of topsoil is an issue. There is a growing awareness of the need to grow food that is ‘natural’ and toxin-free. The organic food industry has spawned a new health awareness. Considering modern lifestyles that promote automation and restrict opportunities to do things manually, the stress on right eating has grown.
A recent news story that mentioned idli and sambar among the healthier and nutritious breakfast options, makes you ponder over the value proposition of traditional diets. Historically these were geography-specific, using locally available raw material and attuned to the seasons. With modern supply chain systems in place, the menu has changed in most homes. There could well be a correlation between the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and the growth of the agro-commodity industry. The obesity challenge facing Asian and Middle Eastern countries, with their increasing disposable incomes, has been chronicled.
While these relate to the collateral impact of food and lifestyle, in large parts of India and the rest of the world there is a lack of and disregard for food safety norms. Multiple factors including lack of awareness and training, absence of compliance or plain corruption are responsible. In India there have been instances of mass hospitalisation of children partaking food from publicly sponsored school midday meal schemes. Such episodes, even following wedding receptions, cause concern.
India has stringent food safety standards set in the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 and the Food Safety and Standards Rules and Regulations, 2011. Yet, the quality of food remains a concern.
Fitness and good health have more to do with dietary choices than number exercise regimes. On World Health Day, let’s pledge to eat healthy, beat obesity, and stay fit.
(Dr. Pillai is CEO, Aster Medcity , Kochi, Kerala)
