This archive report was first published on 12 June 2020.
Published on June 12, 2020, an animal welfare organization has called for proper handling of livestock and their products to achieve food safety and control food-borne diseases.
According to Dr. Victor Yamo, World Animal Protection's farming campaigns manager, more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhoea to cancers, are caused by unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances.
Dr. Yamo noted that $110 billion (Sh11 trillion) is annually lost in productivity and medical expenses resulting from unsafe foods, especially in low and middle-income countries.
He emphasized that better management and care of livestock are crucial to improve productivity and food quality, thereby addressing food safety, nutritional deficiencies, and ultimately food security.
Dr. Yamo pointed out that food safety is a collective responsibility of governments, producers, and consumers, and that up to 600 million people around the world fall ill after eating contaminated food, with 420,000 of them dying every year.
"The government must ensure safe food for all. Producers should ensure they produce their products in a safe manner following safety requirements by adopting proper production systems and standards and consumers must interrogate the manner in which the food they buy for consumption is produced," Dr. Yamo said.
He also highlighted that animal welfare standards are a prerequisite to enhancing business efficiency and profitability, satisfying international markets, and meeting consumer expectations.
