Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
the food supply, as well as public health efforts to protect the food supply, vary from
country to country and have a direct impact on the number of food-borne illnesses
and deaths that occur. In addition to loss of human life, the economic costs are tre-
mendous. In the United States, it is estimated that the cost of food-borne illness is
up to $6.9 billion, which is attributed to such things as medical expenses, litigation
fees, and lost time from work. Economic data are less accurate for developing coun-
tries. Many challenges arise when addressing global food safety issues. In develop-
ing countries, much of the food is grown locally or may be traded in local “farmer's
markets.” The issues faced in developing countries include a lack of refrigeration
or other means of preservation, food contaminated by sewage due to inadequate
sewage treatment systems, and food contaminated by nonpotable water. In addi-
tion, food may be handled improperly by field workers because of inadequate hand
washing or restroom facilities in the field. In the United States and other developed
countries, there are different challenges. Food is typically processed in centralized
facilities and shipped to supermarkets where it is purchased by the consumer. Food
must be processed in sanitary facilities and maintained at proper temperatures dur-
ing processing and distribution. Targeted interventions to improve food safety are
generally implemented in these food systems as well as strict regulatory control of
the safety of many of the products. This chapter discusses details of the challenges
faced around the world as well as the varying health and economic statistics from
country to country.
IntRoductIon
According to popular opinion, the United States has the “safest, cheapest, and
most abundant” food supply in the world. While this popular conception may
be true, the food safety needs around the world are vastly different from those
encountered in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), there are an estimated 76 million cases of food-borne ill-
ness that occur annually, with 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths (Mead
et al., 1999). In 2007, ground beef recalls due to contamination with
Escherichia
coli
O157:H7 were again on the rise after subsiding in the previous years. In addi-
tion, in recent years recalls due to spinach and other leafy greens contaminated
with
E. coli
O157:H7 and
Salmonella
have been initiated. The Economic Research
Service (ERS) estimated annual cost of food-borne illness in the United States is
$6.9 billion (Mead et al., 1999). Most of the costs are due to recalls, loss of product,
litigation, time lost from work, and medical bills. Other developed countries face
similar food safety dilemmas.
The challenges faced by developing countries are dramatically different from
those faced in the United States and other developed countries. The World Health
Organization (WHO) reported (1999) that around the world there are 1.5 billion
cases of diarrhea annually that occur in children alone; these result in 3 million
deaths. In this chapter, a comparison of the different food safety needs encountered
around the world is presented.
