The previous school term was interrupted by numerous incidents of disease outbreaks in schools, which the government linked to food poisoning. This led to some schools being closed indefinitely.
Students exhibited symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea, leading to four deaths and numerous others being hospitalised.
More than 200 diseases are caused by unsafe food that contains dangerous bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemicals, according to the World Health Organization.
The Ministry of Health states that preliminary investigations from samples sent to the Kenya Medical Research Institute laboratory tested positive for bacterial infections linked to Salmonella Typhi and Escherichia Coli.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Salmonella is spread by the faecal-oral route and can be transmitted by food and water, direct animal contact, and hardly from person-to-person, diarrhoea (sometimes blood-tinged), characterised by abdominal cramps, fever and occasionally nausea and vomiting.
Food contamination happens at different stages of food production, starting from the farm through harvesting, preserving, storage and preparation in the kitchen.
This calls for collaborative action from all individuals in the food production chain to ensure that the food reaching the consumer, more so in schools, is safe to preserve life. Most schools source their food, including maize, beans, rice, fruits, milk, meat and vegetables, from local farmers and nearby vendors.
Contamination starts at the first stage in the food production chain, which is the farm. When farmers use contaminated water for irrigation, and harmful pesticides and herbicides in their farms, fruits and vegetables can be contaminated before harvest.
During the processing of food, preservatives are used to prolong their shelf life. When used excessively, the chemicals may turn harmful to the consumer.
Microbial contamination happens when food is contaminated by micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, mould, fungi and toxins, which mostly happens during storage. Farmers and school managers should ensure that their storage facilities are well-ventilated, clean and free from moisture to decrease microbial contamination.
WHO advises all stakeholders in the food production chain to practice good personal hygiene like washing hands, wrists, in between fingers and under fingernails, and covering cuts and wounds as microorganisms found in human and animal waste, including infected wounds, can be transferred to fruits and vegetables by hands and clothing.
The world commemorates World Food Safety Day to draw attention to and help curb, detect and manage foodborne diseases. Let’s not forget about food safety in schools.
Stakeholders in the school food chain production can immensely reduce the risk of foodborne diseases by adopting low-cost practices such as using safe water for irrigation, washing produce in clean water, peeling off outer layers, cooking food thoroughly as well as observing personal hygiene while handling food.
Maize should also be sun dried thoroughly to eliminate moisture completely and sieved before milling to remove pesticides.
Statistics from WHO show that an estimated 600 million people fall sick after consuming contaminated food and 420,000 die every year, resulting in the loss of 33 million healthy life years.
Children under the age of five carry 40 per cent of the foodborne disease burden, with 125,000 deaths every year.
WHO states that hazards are responsible for 137,000 deaths and 91 million acute illnesses in Africa every year, mostly affecting children under the age of five.
To sustain life and promote good health, it is essential to have access to sufficient quantities of safe and nourishing food.
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