More research needed into foodborne diseases: WHO

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - Foodborne diseases appear to be on the rise in both rich and poor countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

More research is needed to determine how much sickness and death stems from contaminated food, such as the tainted Chinese milk that caused kidney problems in more than 50,000 children and killed four, and the U.S. salmonella outbreak that made more than 1,400 people ill, WHO director of food safety Jorgen Schlundt said.

An estimated 30 percent of new infectious diseases originate in bacteria, viruses, parasites, chemicals and toxins introduced along food production chains, he told an experts' meeting.

"There are some indications that the foodborne disease burden is increasing. But there is not very good data, it is difficult to say exactly what is happening," Schlundt said.

About 2.2 million children die each year from diarrheal illnesses including cholera caused by dirty water, food, and poor sanitation, according to the United Nations agency.

Food products needed to be monitored at every stage of their handling, Schlundt said.

"If you want to deal with food safety you have to go from the 'farm to the fork'. The notion that you can deal with it at the end of the food chain is clearly wrong," he said.

In many countries, regulatory authorities fail to work together, he said.  Continued...