A Guide to Food Safety Sourcebook

Foodborne illness (sometimes called food poisoning, foodborne disease, or foodborne infection) is common, costly—and preventable. You can get food poisoning after swallowing food that has been contaminated with a variety of germs or toxic substances. Every year, an estimated 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that foodborne illnesses cost the United States more than $15.6 billion each year. During a multistate foodborne disease outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) serves as a lead coordinator between public health partners to detect the outbreak, define its size and extent, and identify the source.

A Guide to Food Safety Sourcebook, First Edition provides information on global food safety issues, antimicrobial use, food contamination, and protecting the food supply chain from intentional adulteration, among other topics. Foodborne pathogens and illnesses, such as common foodborne bacterial and viral infections, foodborne illness risk, safe drinking water, water-related diseases and contaminants in public water systems, bottled water beverages, and safety considerations are also included. Artificial sweeteners, natural toxins in food, and home food safety and consumer responsibility are also covered, as well as allergies, intolerance, and food safety, food recalls and outbreaks, and dining out: safety tips, as well as a glossary of related terms and directory of related resources.

Part 1: Keeping Food Safe from Farm to Table briefs about food safety, organic foods, and challenges in food safety. This part also describes food contamination, antimicrobial impact in food systems, controversies, and genetically modified food. It further discusses U.S. food safety monitoring and surveillance systems.

Part 2: Common Foodborne Pathogens and Illnesses briefs about the common foodborne bacterial and viral infections, and other foodborne parasite illnesses. It also explains the general principles of diagnosis and treatment for foodborne illness and helps to detect, track, and control a foodborne outbreak.

Part 3: An Overview of Toxins in Food briefs about natural toxins, mycotoxins, chemicals, and dangerous levels of heavy metals in the food system. It also talks about food additives and artificial sweeteners.

Part 4: Safe Drinking Water briefs about the water-related diseases, contaminants in public water systems, and water treatment options when hiking, camping, and traveling. It further explains the safety of water used in food production and how to make water safe in an emergency.

Part 5: Home Food Safety and Consumer Responsibility briefs about basic food safety while cooking, storing food, and dining out. It elaborates on basic hygiene and the importance of sanitation in the kitchen and during emergencies. The part also talks about the date labels on packaged food, how to minimize food wastage, the types of allergies caused by food, and gives a brief about dietary supplements.

Part 6: Additional Help and Information includes a glossary of terms related to food safety and a directory of resources for additional help and support.