Overview:
Foodborne illnesses are a burden on public health and contribute significantly to the cost of health care. A foodborne outbreak occurs when 2 or more cases of a similar illness result from eating the same food.1 In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of a total of 1,270 foodborne disease outbreaks, which resulted in 27,634 cases of illness and 11 deaths.2
Understanding Food Safety:
Many factors determine the safety of the Nation’s food supply. Improper handling, preparation, and storage practices may result in cases of foodborne illness. This can happen in processing and retail establishments and in the home.
Social Determinants of Food Safety
Fewer consumers grow and prepare their own food, preferring instead either to use convenience foods purchased in supermarkets that can quickly be prepared or assembled, or to eat in restaurants. This gives them less control over the foods they eat.
The processing and retail food industries continue to be challenged by:
Large employee populations that have high rates of turnover
Nonuniform systems for training and certifying workers
Ability to rapidly traceback/traceforward food items of interest
In addition, changes in production practices and new sources of food, such as imports, introduce new risks.
Physical Determinants of Food Safety
Food hazards can enter the food supply at any point from farm to table. Many foodborne hazards cannot be detected in food when it is purchased or consumed. These hazards include microbial pathogens and chemical contaminants. In addition, a food itself can cause severe adverse reactions. In the United States, food allergy is an important problem, especially among children under age 18
A foodborne outbreak indicates that something in the food safety system needs to be improved. The food safety system includes food:
Production
Processing
Packing
Distribution/Transportation
Storage
Preparation
Public health scientists investigate outbreaks to control them and to learn how to prevent similar outbreaks in the future. Success is measured in part through the reduction in outbreaks of foodborne illnesses.
Why Is Food Safety Important?
Foodborne illness is a preventable and underreported public health problem. It presents a major challenge to both general and at-risk populations. Each year, millions of illnesses in the United States can be attributed to contaminated foods. Children younger than age 4 have the highest incidence of laboratory-confirmed infections from:
Campylobacter species
Cryptosporidium species
Salmonella species
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157
Shigella species
Yersinia species
References:
1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surveillance for foodborne-disease outbreaks: United States, 1988–92. MMWR CDC Surveill Summ. 1996 Oct 25;45(SS-5):1-55.
