The report presents the first global and regional estimates of the burden of foodborne diseases. The large disease burden from food highlights the importance of food safety, particularly in Africa, South-East Asia and other regions. Despite the data gaps and limitations of these initial estimates, it is apparent that the global burden of foodborne diseases is considerable, and affects individuals of all ages, particularly children

This book examines the economic incentives for food safety in the private marketplace and how public actions have helped shape those incentives. Noted contributors analyze alternative public health protection efforts and the benefits and costs associated with these actions to understand: why an excess of foodborne illness occurs what policies have worked best how regulations have evolved what the path forward to better control of pathogens in the U.S. and the international food supply chain might look like While the first third of the book builds an economic framework, the remaining chapters apply economics to specific food safety issues. Numerous chapters explore economic decision making within individual companies, revealing the trade-offs of the costs of food safety systems to comply with regulations vs. non-compliance which carries costs of possible penalties, reputation damage, legal liability suits, and sales reduction. Pathogen control costs are examined in both the short run and long run. The book's unique application of economic theory to food safety decision making in both the public and private sectors makes it a key resource for food safety professionals in academia, government, industry, and consumer groups around the world. In addition to Benefit/Cost Analysis and economic incentives, other economic concepts are applied to food safety supply chains, such as, principal-agent theory and the economics of information. Authors provide real world examples, from Farm-to-Fork, to showcase these economic concepts throughout the book.

Food-borne viruses are recognized as a major health concern, but their distribution, definition, and impact are poorly understood. The volume Food-Borne Viruses goes a long way in correcting that problem. Written by leading scientists in the field, it brings together the latest knowledge on these viral strains, their detection and control, and associated challenges.

Globalization of the food supply has created conditions favorable for the emergence, reemergence, and spread of food-borne pathogens-compounding the challenge of anticipating, detecting, and effectively responding to food-borne threats to health. In the United States, food-borne agents affect 1 out of 6 individuals and cause approximately 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths each year. This figure likely represents just the tip of the iceberg, because it fails to account for the broad array of food-borne illnesses or for their wide-ranging repercussions for consumers, government, and the food industry-both domestically and internationally. A One Health approach to food safety may hold the promise of harnessing and integrating the expertise and resources from across the spectrum of multiple health domains including the human and veterinary medical and plant pathology communities with those of the wildlife and aquatic health and ecology communities. The IOM's Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a public workshop on December 13 and 14, 2011 that examined issues critical to the protection of the nation's food supply. The workshop explored existing knowledge and unanswered questions on the nature and extent of food-borne threats to health. Participants discussed the globalization of the U.S. food supply and the burden of illness associated with foodborne threats to health; considered the spectrum of food-borne threats as well as illustrative case studies; reviewed existing research, policies, and practices to prevent and mitigate foodborne threats; and, identified opportunities to reduce future threats to the nation's food supply through the use of a "One Health" approach to food safety. Improving Food Safety Through a One Health Approach: Workshop Summary covers the events of the workshop and explains the recommendations for future related workshops.

This book examines the two major parasite groups that are transmitted via water or foods: the single-celled protozoa, and the helminths: cestodes (tapeworms), nematodes (round worms), and trematodes (flukes). Each chapter covers the biology, mechanisms of pathogenesis, epidemiology, treatment, and inactivation of these parasites. This important new text offers a better understanding of the biology and control of parasitic infections necessary to reduce or eliminate future outbreaks in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Foodborne Diseases, Volume Fifteen, is the latest release in the Handbook of Bioengineering series. This volume covers the ever-changing complex issues that have emerged in the food industry over the past decade. This is a solid reference with broad coverage to provide a foundation for a practical understanding of diseases and related industrial applications. It will help researchers and scientists manage foodborne diseases and prevent and control outbreaks. The book provides information on the most common and classical foodborne diseases, their emergence and inquiries, along with the most investigated and successful strategies developed to combat these health-threatening conditions. - Identifies the advances in biotechnology, emerging technologies, food safety and quality control that impact foodborne diseases - Explores advances in vaccines to fight foodborne illness - Addresses Campylobacter, Listeria, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Vibrio and Helicobacter - Discusses biosensor based methods for determining foodborne pathogens - Includes molecular typing of major foodborne pathogens

"These guidelines have been written for public health practitioners, food and health inspectors, district and national medical officers, laboratory personnel and others who may undertake or participate in the investigation and control of foodborne disease outbreaks."--P. 4 of cover.