Food is a mandate for human beings to sustain life. So, no matter how, what, or where we eat from certain health hygiene needs to be of utmost importance. Food is prepared by various people in different manners and not all of them follow the same methods. The food that is consumed consists of various microorganisms and some of them may pose a threat to our health. A microbiology test is the only way to determine and evaluate the safety of food.
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Food Adulteration and Food Poisoning
Food testing and analysis is a standard protocol to provide accreditation and quality evaluation of the food & beverages. Food needs to be tested and certified safe for consumer consumption. Food safety and regulation are globally seen while the criteria may change from place to place the hygiene standards are more or less the same.
Food Habits in India
Indian cuisines are globally adored by people for their style and flavours. Indian food can be a little overwhelming for some people as it has a lot of flavours and edges towards the spicy side. India is a country with a vast population and numerous eatery shops. This can be from roadside shops to 7-star hotels. However, the food quality and assessment are important. A microbiology test is vital for all packaged foods.
FSSAI is the autonomous governing body established to work towards food safety and all regulations in India. FSSAI license is a mandate in India for anyone interested to operate in the food business. The FSSAI license is mandatory for any e-commerce, food delivery apps, or even online sellers.
Even with this set-up, there is still much work to be done in the country to make it safe and healthy. The rules need to be stricken and much more harsh than it is. This purely owing to the fact that food adulteration and contamination are still an issue of major risk with a common occurrence.
Adulterated Food
The economy, population, and per capita income largely plays a role in people buying groceries, packaged foods, or other consumable products at subsidized prices. As a result of this people are forced to buy low-quality adulterated food. While this may be shocking for many people it is the sad reality of the majority.
These adulterated foods go unchecked and enter the market only for unsuspecting people to buy it. Only a microbiology test can help one understand the quality of the food, the level of contamination, or the health risk it may pose.
Food adulteration is very common in almost all sectors irrespective of the status and size of business. It is a very common scenario as businesses tend to focus on profits and compromise on quality to achieve the same.
Food Poisoning A Common Occurrence
The food scene in India is extravagant. People are food crazy without a doubt. The urge to try new places or check out places with raving reviews is common to almost every individual. This makes people forget the required health hygiene that needs to be observed. Apart from eating outside even home food can sometimes cause stomach upsets and sickness in individuals. This is normally a result of food poisoning.
Several reasons can lead to food poisoning from unclean kitchens, utensils, lack of hygiene, contaminated food, insects, etc. The most common reason for food poisoning is bacteria and viruses. These may feel similar to stomach aches but can be distinguished distinctively by its symptoms.
A run of the mill screening microbiology test would reveal in detail about the organisms and the morphology of the food. Bacterial poisoning is usually due to the toxins released and not the bacteria itself. Delhi Belly is a common type of food poisoning that most foreign people experience while eating food in Delhi upon arrival of the first few days. Though most food poisoning is not reported, a nationwide study indicated 13.2% of prevalence.
Prevention and Precaution
Food poisoning is a prevailing issue that needs to be controlled by the following required safety protocols. While the issue is a major risk and cannot be completely checked it can be brought under control by large by these protocols.
A microbiology test will help assess and evaluate the quality of the food, safety standards, chemical presences and so on that can help us deem it consumable. However, as individuals, each one needs to take responsibility to ensure one consumes food from healthy and hygienic places by following the required health regulatory cleanliness. Eat clean, stay safe and live healthily.