The problem of food safety is on the world agenda today due to multiple cases of existing infections and contaminations. This is why this problem is one of the greatest environmental concerns that should be treated by nurses much more carefully. According to Food Safety and Inspection Service (2011), recent threats are specifically associated with spread of Listeria contamination of imported food products. This sort of contamination refers to the products that have been imported from other countries or regions. The presented issue constitutes a serious danger not only to the identified community but to safety of people in the country and outside it. Lack of food safety control, specifically inappropriate inspection of imported goods and failure to monitor the process of production, can lead to pandemic and decrease in the quality of the manufactured goods.
Part of the reasons for existing cases of infection spread is connected with the population’s lack of awareness of the norms for processing and consuming food products (Redmond and Griffith, 2004). In particular, consumers’ perception of control, risk, and responsibility to food preparation in domestic conditions play a crucial role contributing to the problem of microbial contamination. In addition, the government also fails to pay sufficient attention and introduce corresponding measures for reducing the risk of infection (Redmond and Griffith, 2004). Importantly, due to the fact that the environmental issues under consideration present serious health costs and risk to the community, nurses face a dilemma concerning the medications distribution and introducing information about the actual hazards of the microbial contamination of the imported goods.
With regard to the presented issues, close cooperation should be immediately established between the nurse professionals and the government to diminish the risk of infection and increase the quality of the food delivered. A nurse-led program, therefore, will consist in distributing information among the members of the community, which will be a kind of preventive measure. Keeping the population informed will decrease the risk of the contamination spread and provide a solid ground for developing a more safe environment (Food Safety and Inspection Service, 2011). In addition, the fruitful cooperation between nurses and local private and public organizations will contribute to broadening the community’s awareness of the actual threats and consequences of the presented problem.
The preventive measure, however, is not enough for introducing an effective contamination decrease policy because many people have already faced this dilemma. In such situations, the nurse program should seek to define the costs and budgeting for distributing medication among the population as well as the corresponding information on taking this medication. Specifically, there should strict prescription regulations to prevent serious problems linked to environmental issues (Food Safety and Inspection Service, 2011).
On whole, the main purpose of the initiated program should be oriented on much more common environmental issues as well for the population to be more conscious about the actual problems connected with improper food preparations as well as the products that require special treatment, such as meat, fish, and other exotic products. The community should also realize the urge for introducing the budgeting of food safety-related programs to build a healthy environment.
References
Food Safety and Inspection Service (2011). New Jersey Firm Recalls Imported Ham Products Due to Potential Listeria Contamination. Web.
Manderscheid, R. (2009). Aiming for a healthier population by 2020: Moving our fields towards prevention, early intervention, and population health. Behavioral Healthcare, 29(1), 51-52.
Redmond, E. C., and Griffith, C. (2004). Consumer Perceptions of Food Safety Risk, Control, and Responsibility. Appetite. 43(3), 309-313.