How Food Becomes Viral: Spread and Prevention of Foodborne Illness

Have you ever opened up your phone and found another notification of food become Hepatitis A, Salmonella, or norovirus infected? Unlike on social media where certain food recipes can go viral, food itself becomes viral when it is able to spread foodborne illnesses usually caused by viruses. Bacteria also commonly causes foodborne illnesses. In order to protect public health, we must understanding how food becomes viral, how it spreads, and how to prevent it.

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How Does Food Become Viral?

Food can become contaminated with viruses and bacteria during all stages of food production, processing, and distribution (Miranda & Schaffner, 2019). Generally food be contaminated in several ways, including:

1. Contaminated Water and Soil: Crops irrigated with contaminated water or grown in contaminated soil can acquire harmful pathogens which are passed on after harvest.

2. Improper Handling and Hygiene: Food handlers without proper hygiene practices can transfer viruses and bacteria to food.

3. Cross-Contamination: Using the same cutting boards, utensils, or surfaces for raw and cooked foods can lead to cross-contamination. Other people can also transmit bacteria and viruses to food. That is why it is important to wash your hands before you cook or eat!

   

   
   

How Foodborne Illnesses Spread

Once food is contaminated, the spread of foodborne illnesses can occur rapidly (Petrović & D’Agostino, 2016). The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) explains several key causes in the spread of these illnesses:

1. Person-to-Person Transmission: Infected individuals can spread viruses and bacteria directly through contacting and contaminating surfaces, objects, or other people.

2. Consumption of Contaminated Food: Eating food contaminated with pathogens can lead to outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. Not only will you most likely acquire the illness, but you are more likely to spread the illness to others.

3. Global Food Distribution: The global nature of food distribution means that contaminated food can quickly reach a large audience, leading to widespread outbreaks all over the world.

   
   

   

   
   

Preventing Food from Becoming Viral

Preventing the spread of foodborne illnesses requires a multi-faceted approach (Affairs (ASPA), 2019). Several strategies for preventing food from becoming viral are:

1. Proper Food Handling and Hygiene: Implementing and practicing strict food safety practices can help prevent the spread of viral diseases in the food production phase.

2. Safe Food Preparation: Cooking food to the appropriate temperatures and using separate utensils and surfaces for raw and cooked foods to avoiding cross-contamination can limit the spread of during food preparation.

3. Regular Inspections and Monitoring: Regular inspections of food production and processing facilities can help identify and address potential sources of contamination.

   
   

Conclusion

Understanding how food becomes viral, how it spreads, and how to prevent it is essential for maintaining public health and food safety. By following proper food safety practices and staying informed about potential risks, there can be a significant reduction to the spread of foodborne illnesses to ensure that our food remains safe to eat.

References

1. Affairs (ASPA), A. S. for P. (2019, April 12). Bacteria and Viruses [Page]. FoodSafety.Gov. https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-poisoning/bacteria-and-viruses

2. Miranda, R., & Schaffner, D. (2019, December). Virus risk in the food supply chain—ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214799318300353

3. Petrović, T., & D’Agostino, M. (2016). Viral Contamination of Food. Antimicrobial Food Packaging, 65–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-800723-5.00005-X