Problems in Food
Foodborne infections
Foodborne infections remain a major public health problem.
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology estimated in its 1994 report, Foodborne Pathogens: Risks and Consequences, that as many as 9,000 deaths and 6.5 to 33 million illnesses in the United States each year are food-related. Hospitalization costs alone for these illnesses are estimated at over $3 billion a year. Costs for lost productivity for 7 specific pathogens have been estimated to range between $6 billion and $9 billion.
Bacteria and other infectious organisms are pervasive in the environment. Salmonella enteritidis, for example, enters eggs directly from the hen. Bacteria inhabit the surfaces of fruits and vegetables in the field. Molds and their toxic byproducts can develop in grains during wet growing seasons and when damp conditions prevail during harvesting or storage. Seafood may become contaminated from agricultural runoff, by sewage, microorganisms and toxins present in marine environments. Many organisms are part of the normal flora of the gastrointestinal tract of food-producing animals. Milk, eggs, seafood, poultry, and meat from food-producing animals may become contaminated due to contaminated feed, misuse of veterinary drugs, or poor farming practices.
Common foodborne pathogens
ˇ Staphylococcus
ˇ Salmonella species,
ˇ Campylobacter
ˇ Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other related strains
ˇ Parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium parvum;
ˇ Norwalk virus.
Immediate consequences of these infections include acute illness with abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting, Salmonella, E. Coli and campylobacter are bacteria that actively infect after an incubation period of 1-3 days with acute diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever as the chief symptoms. An infection may alter the immune reactivity of the GIT surface, leaving new food allergy in its wake. Many patients report an acute "food poisoning" episode at the onset of a long bout of digestive symptoms, often with delayed pattern food allergy downstream months later (fatigue, aching, headache, difficulty concentrating, memory loss.) Long-lasting conditions may follow foodborne infection - examples are reactive arthritis, sacroileitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS or "Hamburger Disease") which can lead to kidney failure and death, particularly in young children.
These discussions of food quality and safety are continued in The Book of Food Choices