eHealth and mHealth are expanding rapidly, as mobile devices, such as smart phones, with sensing capabilities emerge. Food-borne pathogens, in all parts of the world, result in huge numbers of lost days of employment as well as in death in vulnerable people. What is the best approach to capitalize on the potential of smart phones or other mobile devices to prevent food poisoning and aid in the treatment? which pathogens should be targeted? Are there sensors for these already?
I do not know the extent of your expectations. We use web based food safety audit tools with the help of iPads. If this serves your purpose I could expand on this.
Thank you. I would be interested to hear of any application of mobile devices, including iPads, for food safety, security, or nutrition. So I would be pleased to hear more of your work on web based audit tools based on iPad. Thanks
I appreciate the question since this is an emerging field of concern from the point of human health. In developing countries, types of bacteria, viz., Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli & Salmonella are the main causes of diarrhea;
Among the parasites: Cyclospora cayetanensis, Cryptosporidium parvum, are also responsible for diarrhea through water contamination. presently i am studying both, but by conducting field work and laboratory testing. After completing the task will be using mHealth. The results emerging will be studied and then further studies can be done. Practically, each advanced device has its advantages and limitations; but we have to use the advantages of all the devices to reduce the risk of food-borne pathogens.
Same is the case with food security and nutrition.
Hope this reply gives you a new direction / options in your research.
Thank you for posing the question, many researchers will get new ideas to work using latest technology / modern devices.
Dhanashree, Thank you very much for your response to the question. It is good to know that you are planning to use mHealth technologies in your work on the main contaminants responsible for diarrhea. I wonder which technologies you are using now for the detection of the contaminants? Also what is your plan for moving to the mHealth technologies?
My work involves developing sensors for food/water contaminants, such as bacteria and parasites and toxins. The sensors are mostly based on optical and electrochemical techniques. Then the sensors interface with smart phones or tablets so that data can be processed and shared to build databases.
I envisage that in the future low cost sensors will be available with smart phones and tablets so that assessment of food and water can be carried out by individuals, with some form of central oversight to track potential wide-scale threrat to food and weater safety.
Dear Peter, my reply might not 100% suit your request. However, maybe having a look at wikifood (available on the Net and as App) would be of interest to you: http://www.wikifood.eu/wikifood/en/struts/welcome.do
WikiFood builds up a volunteer network of food product users that fill up the database by typing in the ingredients lists of products that may be interesting for the community of allergy patients and consumers. Digital photos of EAN codes, packages, and ingredient lists help to validate the data entries. The producers can demonstrate their care and interest in food security by delivering information about their products to the WikiFood community.
Dear Mike, Thank you for this very helpful suggestion. This wikifood approach is growing in popularity, not inly for food safety and security but also for other areas where statistical sampling is of great value e.g. environmental monitoring, disease reporting etc.
This approach is one aspect of the sector. Combined with mHealth and eHealth tools it becomes very powerful. The smart phones of the future, together with the Cloud, could ensure that health related events, be they of food, environment, or disease origin, can be picked up and acted upon swiftly.
Thanks Mike. Peter
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