Chapter one
Introduction
1.1 Introduction of the study
Food and drink are part of human basic needs as mentioned in Maslow's Theory of Needs. The hierarchy of human basic needs have five stages, such as biological and physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs (Maslow, 1943). Food and drink needs is part of biological and physiological needs which at the most bottom stage in the hierarchy of needs. It is the biggest part among others, meaning that it is the most basic needs that will motivate human behavior. Every human will have new motivation into the next basic needs, after they fulfilled the most basic needs and so on.
It is true customer will positively perceive food with good in its appearance, smell, texture or taste, if not they unlikely to eat (Hetherington and Rolls, 1996). Gillis (2009) argues that customer will consume food base on the quality of the food that is safe and has a nutrition value. Food has nutrition but there are two basic nutrients: macro and micronutrient that needed in human body (Guy, 2011). There are five main food groups which called as the best balanced nutrition from the food that are: carbohydrates, protein, fruits, vegetables, and dairy product as reported by United States Department of Agriculture (Anonymous, 2010). Consumers refers to that USDA food patterns to help them grab the most variety, nutritious, and moderation dietary guidelines. Some nutrition are gone while food processed, even though this procedure keep the food safe from the unnecessary substances. All the processed foods from the manufacturer have food labels to tell about ingredient list, serving sizes, nutrition fact for daily values. However, some manufacturer did not mention several item in their food labeling. This behavior can lead the hidden allergen react with the sensitive person that could represent a major problem (A”barro et al., 2007).
In the 1960s, FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recommended to Pillsbury company for developing an innovative method to make sure the food safety of NASA space program. This method name is Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP). This method has seven main principles to guarantee the food quality and purity by focusing on personnel hygiene of food handler, food hygiene, pest control, waste control, and sanitary condition of the kitchen (McDonough, 2001). By following the 7 principles of HACCP system, the food handler can control and cut the cause of food borne illness. As noted by Pearson and Dutson (1995), the food borne hazard refers to biological, chemical, or physical hazard that can cause illness or injury when consumed with the food. The chemical hazard can identify from naturally or added toxic substance. Food allergen can characterized enough by the chemical hazard which is from a plant bearing a toxin, pollutants, or geological origins (Renwick et al., 2003). According to FDA of United States graphics found that millions of Americans have allergic reactions that cause minor and mild symptoms, severe reactions, and even be life-threatening to food in every year (Anonymous, 2017).
1.2 Background of the study
Food allergy differ from food intolerant as stated by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a food allergy define as an adverse health response (Chaudhry and Oppenheimer, 2012). This reaction arise from a specific immunology that reproductive while exposure to a food given (Sackeyfio et al., 2011). Although only a small pieces of allergic food, there still have some response produce as the result between IgE antibodies and food protein (Gelinick et al., 2008). There are 170 and above foods that identified to stimulate food allergic reactions (Boye, 2012). The United States law identifies this eight foods (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans) design as a "major food allergens" (FALCPA, n.d.). The most severe form of food allergy is anaphylaxis, that may lead to death within minutes or hours (Sampson et al., 2006). Anaphylaxis is combining two or more following features after exposure such as involvement of skin, respiratory compromise, cardiovascular compromise, and/or persistent gastrointestinal symptoms (Ben-Shoshan and Clarke, 2011). In the United States Food and Drug Administration result (2017), they estimated that anaphylaxis to food results in 30,000 people go to emergency room visits, 2,000 people are hospitalizations, and 150 people deaths every year. Families genes can contribute allergic diseases with different percentage of the risk to developed allergies for every child from either allergic or nonallergic parent. For every parents who suffer food allergies (their children occur 40-60% risk), if only one (the risk falls become 20-40%), however if both are nonallergic (the offspring still have 5-15% risk). Base on Medical Student Association of India statistic above, all infants without exception are justify to have the allergy prevention (Anonymous, 2013).
The common allergy responses in children are asthma, food allergy, and others (Masoli et al., 2004). The prevalence of allergic diseases and asthma has increased sharply during the last decades, in developed and industrialized countries (Bateman, Jithoo 2007). An increasing trend of food allergy are expanding worldwide and affecting world population around 30 to 35 % throughout their lives, said Prof. Madya Dr. Intan Hakimah Ismail, a clinical specialist in pediatric allergy and immunology, Universiti Putra Malaysia (Anonymous, 2016). According to the past study that published in pediatric reported that more than 30% of children are the victims of bullying by their friends because of food allergies (Alvarez, 2013).
Around 119 cases (22.4%) occur because of hidden allergens distribution (A”barro et al., 2007). In United States restaurants, most of reported allergic reactions to peanuts cases occur cause of the hidden food allergen instead of cross-contamination cases (DeSimone et al., 2001). According to the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, these reactions occurred in restaurants and other food provider because of unclear communication between patron and food provider (Anonymous, 2001).
The increasing prevalence of food allergies in recent years has led food manufacturers to be more responsible and performing the effective allergen control programs (Chang, Sreedharan and Schneider, 2013). United Kingdom Committee on Toxicity approved the basic advise from European Union food information and follow the rule. This rule (No. 1169/2011) regulate food businesses to give labeling on unpackaged food, in example catering, bakeries, and sandwich bar (Anonymous, 2014).
World Allergy Organization and Worldwide Universities Network collect data from 89 countries to pile up a global picture of food allergy including Malaysia (Anonymous, 2013). According to Taylor et al. (2001) eating habit, age, and ethnicity may affecting the prevelance of food allergy. Peanut allergy is the most common among American citizen, and seafood allergy is the most common in Malaysian people (Taylor et al., 2001; Noor et al., 2008). In Malaysia’s neighbour, Singapore, recently had a case of food allergies. Ms Khoo, 60 years old, who moved around in a wheelchair and unemployed are died because of consuming prawn dumpling (Alkhatib, 2017).