Food borne infections are widespread around the world and are brought on by consuming tainted food and beverages. Every year, an estimated 600 million cases are reported globally, leading to over 300,000 hospital admissions and an estimated 42,000 fatalities. Numerous pathogens, or bacteria that cause disease, can contaminate food and cause a range of food borne diseases. In addition, toxic chemicals, or other potentially hazardous substances if get contaminated to the food, can also cause food borne diseases [1]. We dwell in a microbial environment, and there are several opportunities for food to get contaminated during preparation and production. During slaughter, low levels of intestinal contents may contaminate meat and poultry. In a similar vein, fresh produce becomes contaminated if they are cleaned or washed with contaminated water that may contains human or animal origin pathogens.

Bacteria, yeasts, molds, viruses, parasites and toxins are the main causes of food borne diseases. The most frequent cause of food borne illnesses is bacterial infestations. Due to their short-lived duration and self-limited nature, viral diseases are likely to occur but are seldom proven. This food originated diseases exhibit a variety of symptoms, but no single "syndrome" is distinctive to a specific food borne pathogen [2]. Furthermore, in the majority of food borne infections, a microbe or toxin enters the body through the gastrointestinal tract and frequently results in symptoms like nausea, vomiting, cramping in the abdomen, and diarrhea. Food contamination typically results from inappropriate food handling, preparation, or storage. Maintaining adequate hygiene before, during, and after food preparation helps lower the risk of infection. Process of handling, preparing, and storing food in a way that prevents food borne disease and ensures that it is safe for human consumption is known as food safety.

In most cases, no sensory test can detect the presence of harmful bacteria, and occasionally they go unnoticed. However, during processing, pathogens may get enter the raw materials. Additionally, the air, dirty hands, hygienic utensils and equipment, contaminated water, sewage, and cross-contamination between raw and cooked food can all introduce them into food during processing. Numerous high-risk viruses that infect people are spread via a variety of food products [2].

Food-borne illnesses cause enormous annual costs worldwide due to a rise in illness, which results in wasted time at work and decreased productivity. The number of instances of gastroenteritis, often known as problems in the gastrointestinal system, linked to food is estimated to be between 68 and 275 million annually since outbreaks of food borne diseases may be under reported by a factor of 30. Food-borne illness is a significant public health issue even at the lower end of this spectrum. Over 3 million people die from diarrhea every year in the under developed nations. Children continue to be more vulnerable, particularly those who are nutritionally deficient. Over 3 million children under the age of five have died from 1.5 billion episodes of diarrhea. These studies demonstrate food contamination is a significant factor in the etiology of diarrhea in addition to polluted water [3]. The likelihood of cross-contamination and food contamination increases, particularly in lower socioeconomic due to unsatisfactory conditions of environment, poor personal hygiene, poor quality and insufficient water supplies, unhygienic preparation storage and feeding of foods. Health education in food safety must be given top emphasis since environmental sanitation and personal cleanliness are crucial in preventing diarrhea [4]. In order to avoid diarrheal illnesses in young children, educating caregivers, especially mothers, on the fundamentals of food safety should be taken into considerations.

Table 1: Some of the common food borne pathogens [1].