It is not without good reason that Americans worry about the safety of the food they eat. In the past six months, the nation has seen 10 widely publicized food recalls, one of which resulted in the closure of a 67-year-old company. ...

These recalls involved the presence of harmful organisms like E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria.

In the past 18 months, the products subjected to recall have been notable for their variety: meats (beef and turkey), vegetables, salads, fast food, snack foods, including desserts. The different pathogens caused illnesses in over 1,300 people and deaths to at least 3 persons. The recalls affected nearly all states in the U.S. and included areas in Canada as well.

The number of outbreaks may have leveled off in the past years. However, what is noteworthy and troublesome to health authorities is their variety: the pathogens are now present in foods that have never been before associated with bacterial contamination and/or poisoning.

According to a deputy director at the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, health officials were surprised by the contaminations in spinach, peanut butter, and vegetarian snack foods. They need not only to find out how these staples became contaminated but also to find ways to pinpoint potential sources of contamination before unsafe food gets displayed on supermarket shelves.

One problem with assuring food quality is that the agricultural industry has become more concentrated in a handful of high-volume producers. This means that when food gets tainted, the contamination cannot be small in scope. Because of the emergence of mega-farms and distribution systems, any contamination will inevitably get worse by orders of magnitude.

Another problem is that the existing food surveillance system is outdated and no longer adequate to police the entire food supply.

The variety in the types of outbreaks is linked to Americans’ growing appetite for raw fruits and vegetables which, while good from the standpoint of nutrition, exposes people to issues of harmful microbes, which could have been killed by cooking.

Fresh produce has become a major concern among food safety experts. In current practice, produce is increasingly grown in fields close to cattle, or wild animals. Feces from these animals could harbor E. coli and contaminate water supplies and irrigation systems. Cattle areas are usually reservoirs for bacteria, because of manure on the ground.

These food safety concerns could offer opportunities for food-safety and food-testing companies to help food manufacturers address their need for tools and equipment to standardize food quality.

Safety Tips:

• Wash produce thoroughly. Consuming fresh produce is good, but be aware that pathogens could be present.

• Cook meat at 160oF or higher for several minutes to kill pathogens.

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