Preventing food-borne diseases

Dubai: A new venture between Dubai Municipality and Dubai Health Authority (DHA) will investigate all cases of transmitted food poisoning diseases.

Speaking at the Food-borne Disease Investigation and Sur-veillance Programme, Khalid Sharif Al Awadi, Director, Food Control Department (FCD), said: "Changing technologies, rapidly emerging and virulent pathogens and globalisation of the food supply present new and unique challenges to maintaining a safe food supply chain to protect consumers."

Dr Aizeldin Abdel Rahman Elgak Ebrahim, head of the preventive medicine section, said the disease surveillance system links hospitals to the food control system so that hospitals can provide real time reports on suspected food-borne illnesses to FCD. "Early detection is the key to controlling the spread of diseases," he said.

"The primary focus will be to investigate outbreaks of food-borne illnesses. Outbreaks typically involve two or more cases of illness caused by consumption of the same food," said Asia Abdul Wahab, head of research and food planning at Dubai Municipality.