Dirty Water and Food

Contaminated food and water is prevalent problem in Latin America and the Caribbean. There have been numerous cases every year of healthy individuals suffering of illnesses from food poisoning and water contamination. There are also many more cases that are never documented.

One recent example of this problem happened in Brazil on November 2, 2008. It was reported that 300 people where treated in hospital in Bahia for symptoms of food poisoning, all of these individuals where employees at a shoe company where they worked in a factory. The cause symptoms are still unknown, but it is suggested to be linked to the unsanitary water supply and food at the factory.

Another incident this pass February in Chile, the Santiago times reported that 86 of 125 tons of milk were contaminated with fecal matter and not sanitary for human consumption. The milk was distributed to over 50 businesses which went onto make cheese, chocolates and other milk products. This goes onto illustrate the lack of check and balances within the food processing industry. It is remarkable to think that milk of such low quality ever left the milk distribution center.

As a result of the high poverty rates throughout Latin America numerous shantytowns and other under privileged housing communities do not have access to clean water. Interestingly however 55% of the world’s renewable water resources is found in Latin America yet over 50 million Latin Americans do not have access to clean drinking water, part of this is because of the privatization of the water industry, making it difficult for low income areas to get access to clean water in countries such as Bolivia. Clean water protests and demonstrations have been seen through out Bolivia. This problem has also been recently illustrated in mainstream media; it was the topic of controversy in the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace.


There have been attempts to curve the problem UNCIEF has reported people without access to clean water has fallen between 1990 and 2004 from 74 million individuals to 50 million. While it is still a prevalent problem, it is important to see that steps are being taken to solve it and awareness about the subject is being raised.

Sources Used
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=34927

http://74.125.45.132/search?q=cache:M41YhCFhLssJ:www.lasc.ie/activities/law/law2008.html+contaminated+water+in+latin+america&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us

http://regionalnews.safefoodinternational.org/page/Latin+America:+Food%2FWater+Borne+Illness+Outbreaks?t=anon