Food safety is an increasingly important public health issue. The FDA is responsible for approximately 80 % of the US food supply (including food for humans and animals). Meat and meat products, poultry and poultry products, eggs and eggs products, and fish and fishery products are regulated by another government agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 76 million cases of food related diseases occur each year. Also, food related diseases cause 325,000 hospitalizations and 5000 death per year.

In addition to the effect on human health, food related diseases have also an effect on economics. Only in the US it was estimated (1997) that foodborne diseases, caused by the major pathogens alone, had a cost of near to US $35 billion annually in medical costs and lost productivity.

Major food related diseases include salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, and enterohaemorrhagic infections. Other major issues are related to Naturally occurring toxins, Persistant Organic Pollutants (POPs), and Metal contaminations of foods.

According to a FDA press release, the government agency has designed The Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards which will tested, on pilot scale, in the states of New York, Oregon, and Missouri before September 30, 2007.

The idea behind The Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards is to standardize efforts of state and national regulatory programs that oversee food facilities across the country.

Currently, the great variety of regulatory programs, based on voluntary adoption, may lead to inconsistencies and inefficacies in the early detection of possible food related outbreak and human mass intoxications.

With today's announcement, FDA is proposing to standardize all country and Sate efforts in regard to food safety under the same standards so as to increase consumer's protection against food transmitted pathogens.

The FDA has worked intensively for five years on this project, which aims to have a better food supply in the US. Under this program best practice across the country are defined in regard to the program's regulatory foundation, staff training, inspection, quality assurance, food defense preparedness and response (bioterrorism), foodborne illness and incident investigation, enforcement, education and outreach, resource management, laboratory resources, and program assessment.

The FDA aims to increase the safety of the US food supply all across the country with efforts such as the program announced today.

Sources:

FDA Announces Program to Enhance States' Food Safety Programs. FDA press release. URL: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01674.html

WHO. Food safety and foodborne illness. URL: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs237/en/

Some factors that may affect childrens health are heredity and the environment. Through heredity, this is when the childs characteristics are transmitted from the parents to their children at the time of conception to determine genetic traits. Understanding a childs heredity can help determine the predisposition of health problems including heart disease, cancer, allergies, etc. Environment can play an equally important part in a childs development. The environment includes physical, social, economic, and cultural factors. These factors often influence how children think, perceive, and act on certain situations in their surroundings. There are some positive environmental factors that can affect children such as good dietary habits, recreation with regular exercise and adequate rest, an access to medical and dental care, limited stress, and a safe and clean place for children, also opportunities to form stable and respectful relationships. 

Childrens safety is very important. Safety is the behavior and practices that protect children from risks or injury. Controlling safe environments for children such as having developmentally appropriate equipment, will help prevent accidents. Even minor accidents have immediate effects on a childs health. It is imperative that adults scan the area of which children are to eliminate and put away hazardous materials out of reach of young children. So strict monitoring is needed. Another form of protection is setting rules and limitations. Rules help children to learn what is expected, and ensures safety. 

Nutrition is defined as all processes used by a child to take in food and to digest it, absorb, transport, utilize, and excrete food substances. The substances found in foods are called nutrients. Eating food is a very important component of life. Eating proper foods that ensure good nutrients increases a childs energy, growth and development, normal behavior, resistance to illness and infection, and tissue repair. The intake of nutrients affects the behaviors of children. A child who is well nourished is usually more alert and attentive, and has better physical and learning experiences. The way a child responds to resistance of illnesses, proper nutrition plays an important part. Well nourished children are less likely become ill, and when they are ill recovery is quicker. 

All in all, health, safety, and nutrition play pertinent roles with each other. The way a child feels in each role is dependant upon the others. Each role affects the other. If a child becomes physically injured, they may become disinterested in eating. When this occurs, they begin to lack in certain nutrients causing the injury to last longer. Therefore, good nutrition plays an important part in accident prevention. There may even be cases where children who lack in nutrients become increasingly accident prone because of low blood sugar. Maintaining a healthy and safe weight can also prevent accidents. Through regular exercise, eating, and safety precautions, children can ward off many illnesses.

In my life I have heard about a lot of things like attacks, and murders. Most people were lucky and had light injuries; however, there is always a chance of being killed. The murder of a former classmate, Allison, and still haunts me today. She disappeared and was found months later, chopped up into pieces and hidden in a shack.

At the age of 17, I was attacked by a man in my apartment. I could tell what he wanted to do to me just by looking into his eyes. I fought as hard as I could, using every ounce of strength that I had in me. After a while, he gave up without reaching his goal and fled.

That incident has taught me to look at things in a positive way and learn from them. After all, I was not badly harmed or killed. I need to always take precaution. A strong will can give the needed strength or coordination for a good defense.

Over the years, I have established a few rules in life:

1. Use caution in trusting anyone.

2. Take Tai Kwan do lessons.

3. Avoid giving directions.

4. I only get rides from people I know.

5. Make sure there's enough gas in my car.

6. If I ever end up in a situation in a car, I will tear off a button or find some small object to put it into the ignition. This way, this way the car can't be started by anyone.

I interviewed a few students around campus. Aaron Watson said, “I tried to avoid dangerous situations and the bad parts of town. A few years ago I was into martial arts.”

Mary Cooper said, “I lived in Chicago until I was nine, and even in those short years, safety was instilled in me by my parents at an early age. We lived in a wonderful neighborhood; however, precaution was always present. Now whether I'm at Drake or shopping, I always assess my surroundings to make sure I feel comfortable. I always hold my purse in a secure grasp and I never set things down and leave them unattended. While in Chicago, My mom had a broach on her coat and while she had her hair done, it was stolen. Truthfully, I have never experienced a bad side of Des Moines; I feel safe wherever I go. Considering that when city workers in Chicago need to fix the road in a rough part of the city, they require a police escort or they will be shot at.”

Theresa Romano also shared some safety tips. “I watch my surroundings in the parking lot or garage. I lock my car doors when parked and depending on the area I may drive with the doors locked. I keep my billfold in a zipper compartment of my purse. I usually don't carry large amounts of cash.

Deborah Hills stated, “I park under a light in the parking lot and try to walk out with someone after a class ends at 10:00P.M. I also carry pepper spray.” If you have to be out at night and you don't have friends you can walk with, contact campus security and ask for an escort.

I then later interviewed Taylor Hurst, Who is an avid runner. Currently Todd is reading the book, Complete Book of Running by Amby Burfoot. Taylor said, “In the book I am reading, there is an entire section on women's running, which has a large question and answer portion about personal safety.:

Personally, I would have never guessed that personal safety is a part of running. However after Todd read some of the suggestions to me, I see that safety as a runner is important and should always be in place. She went on, stating, “I think the book is beneficial to women in all walks of life.”

There is a lot of information out there in the forms of ideas, books, internet articles and personal experience. Safety precautions should be taken seriously, regardless of the time day or location.