What is SANAQ
Using citric acid, tartaric acid and malic acid, Sanaq reduces the pH of water to 1.5 to 4.0. Most microorganisms cannot survive in very high or very low pH values. This reduction in pH level causes denaturing of the protein chains in most bacteria, viruses, yeasts and moulds.
Denaturing describes a structural change of biomolecules such as proteins or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is associated with a loss of biological function in these molecules in most cases, although their primary structure remains unchanged.
Where do viruses come from?
According to the WHO, ‘foodborne illnesses are usually infectious or toxic in nature and caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances entering the body through contaminated food or water.’
Some pathogens (bacteria, viruses, parasites) are connected to certain foods, particularly animal-based products but also plant-based items. Salmonella, for example, is associated with raw eggs and meat, e.g. EHEC is associated with unpasteurised milk and undercooked beef. Campylobacter is linked to undercooked poultry meat and unpasteurised milk, while Hepatitis A viruses are associated with seafood. Salmonellosis and EHEC have also been linked to the consumption of plant-based foods, such as tomatoes and sprouted seeds.
Food is usually contaminated during preparation in the kitchen or production facility, as the staff pass on infectious viruses. The viruses can also, for example, find their way onto food through contaminated water in the field or through handling by people during harvest, slaughter, storage and shelf stacking at the supermarket.
The pathogens are very environmentally stable, and remain infectious on and in foods, water and various surfaces such as tables and door handles for a long time. Pathogens are very easy to transfer to other people through poor hygiene or if basic hygiene rules are ignored. Infection can be transferred not just from person to person but also indirectly via inanimate carriers such as foods or commonly used objects. Viruses in particular are a major food hygiene risk in communal catering setups, such as nursery schools, hospitals, sheltered housing, pubs and large events, as they could be responsible for massive outbreaks due to the high numbers of people. A small number of foods, such as mussels, may contain viruses to begin with as they are kept in unclean water so trap viruses inside.
Which population groups are especially vulnerable?
The number of people vulnerable to foodborne diseases has increased massively. According to a comprehensive report from the WHO, over 23 million people in Europe become ill each year through consuming contaminated food. In particular, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may more often experience complications from foodborne infections. Children and pregnant women make up some of the population groups that are particularly sensitive to foodborne pathogens. These groups are often referred to as YOPI (young, old, pregnant, immunocompromised). It is believed that 20 percent of the world’s population now belongs to this risk group.
What’s the risk? What is the risk?
The consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as the increased demand for foods without preservatives, has increased the proportion of foods consumed before going through sufficient processes to reduce pathogens. Natural, untreated foods consumed raw are touted as healthy while processed products are less healthy and more fraught with risk.
Not only many bacterial pathogens, but also various viruses, such as noroviruses, rotaviruses, sapoviruses, adenoviruses, the Hepatitis E virus and Hepatitis A virus, can cause serious illness when passed on through the consumption of food. The majority of European and German foodborne illnesses are characterised by diarrhoea, triggered by norovirus infections and accompanied by nausea, vomiting and serious diarrhoea. Contaminated foods can also be responsible for symptoms in other organs, such as inflammation of the liver, whereby Hepatitis A and E play a major role. Even a small dose of pathogen is enough to result in a very infectious impact on the human body. Some pathogens even have long-term consequences: salmonella can lead to reactive arthritis, campylobacter to Guillain-Barré Syndrome and listeria to miscarriage and meningitis. Using Sanaq closes this gap, so you can very effectively care for you and yours