Food Security, Safety, and Nutritional Concerns during a COVID-19 Pandemic: the Global Challenges

Abstract

The world has already been suffering from the long-standing problems of food security, safety, and nutrition. The situation intensifies severely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Around 2 billion people had no daily access to healthy, nutritious, and sufficient food as per pre-COVID-19 statistics of food and drug administration. This number has been increased exponentially during this pandemic situation. The efforts are being made by the government and several non-government organizations (NGOs) for the distribution of food among the needy people at the national and international levels. In India, the public distribution system (PDS-system) plays a crucial role in achieving the targets for food security. Similar operations are carried out by various countries to fill needy people's bellies during this corona pandemic. Apart from food security, food safety and nutritional security are the primary concerns that must be addressed to ensure proper nutrition and safety for the consumers. In India, people mostly purchase the food items from the mobile vendors moving around, mandis, and/or nearby markets where the fruits, vegetables, and other food items are sold in an open environment. This market culture is responsible for thousands of death due to foodborne illness annually. It is worst in India and other developing countries that foods are sold in the open while shoes in a controlled environment. So, there may be risks and hazards associated with the food items available in the market that may increase the severity of primary infection with the nCOVID. Therefore, precautionary measures should be taken by food employers and consumers to meet sanitation and hygiene requirements. People should also follow the food and nutrition guidelines have been released by WHO and other statutory organizations to rejuvenate and strengthen the immune system during the quarantine period. Although, in the world, a great deal of effort is being made. However, there is a significant lack, especially in underdeveloped and developing countries, of such resources and facilities that could have been used to raise awareness and save lives in this pandemic COVID-19 and future.