Food

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year there are an estimated 76 million cases of foodborne illness in the U.S. that occur as a result of contaminated food. Approximately 325,000 cases of food poisoning lead to hospitalization annually, with more than 5,000 deaths resulting from foodborne illness complications. While most cases of foodborne illness, commonly known as “food poisoning,” are not serious, the condition can be serious or even fatal for at-risk populations including children, pregnant women, the elderly, or those with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Unsafe foods can include foods that are contaminated with pathogenic (infection-causing) bacteria such as E. coli, food products with undeclared allergens, or foods with toxic levels of certain chemicals or metals.

Food Recalls

The public does not often hear about recalled food products until months after the alert is issued, leaving them vulnerable to contaminated meat, fish, milk, peanut butter, spinach, or juices that still remain on retail shelves. Many times it is only high-profile food recalls that reach the media and the public, such as the E. coli outbreak in bagged spinach and beef, salmonella contamination in peanut butter in 2007 and again in 2009, and other large food recalls. Foods containing undeclared allergens are also frequently recalled when they are found to contain nuts, wheat, eggs, or other ingredients that can be dangerous if consumed by certain people with allergies.

Common Foodborne Bacteria

Food can be contaminated at any time during production, shipping, preparation, or storage. When food is contaminated by bacteria, parasites, or viruses and then ingested by consumers, it can cause a variety of foodborne illnesses, including diarrheal conditions, kidney failure, meningitis, botulism, permanent paralysis, or even death. Proper food safety measures must be taken to lower the risk of food contamination and foodborne illness.

Examples of bacteria that are often the cause of foodborne illness include:

• Salmonella in eggs, poultry, meats, raw milk or juice, cheese, ice cream, cookie dough, seafood, fruit, vegetables, chocolate, peanut butter, pecans, and many foods containing contaminated hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) such as chips and spices
• E.coli in undercooked hamburger or beef, unpasteurized milk or juice, vegetables, fruit
• Staphylococcus aureus in milk, cheese, salty foods, sliced meat, poultry, sandwiches
• Norovirus in shellfish, ready-to-eat foods such as salads and sandwiches, and other focally-contaminated foods
• Listeria monocytogenes in hot dogs, cold cuts, poultry, sausage, soft cheeses, unpasteurized milk
• Clostridium perfringens in meats, gravy, and in food left at room temperature or on steam tables
• Campylobacter jejuni in raw milk, raw or undercooked meat, poultry, or shellfish