Moessinger 1

Samantha Moessinger
Mrs. DeBock
6 October 2016
English 4
The Growth of Food Safety Issues
Since the 1993 Jack-in-the-Box E. coli outbreak in the Pacific Northwest in which four
children died and hundreds were made ill, the advent of new food safety regulatory mandates and
the introduction of more science-based systems and innovative technologies for food safety and
quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) programs has increased dramatically. Food can
become contaminated with harmful bacteria and other microorganisms during preparation,
serving, or storage, and chemical residues that remain on foods sprayed with insecticides may be
ingested by humans and cause an illness, even after produce has been washed and cleaned. Food
is vital to survive, making its safety an issue of utmost importance.
With the globalization of trade in food products and the consolidation of agricultural and
food industries, an increased risk of widespread outbreaks of foodborne illnesses exists. On
September 14, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which is the federal agency tasked with
monitoring foodborne illnesses, announced that fifty people in eight states had become ill as a
result in ingesting a particularly dangerous form of the E. coli bacterium (Escherichia coli)
linked to bags of fresh, uncooked spinach (Goldmark and Newton). A serious food-related illness
that has captured worldwide attention is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also called
mad cow disease (Gale). Between 2003 and 2012, only four cases of BSE have been identified
in the United States.

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As a matter of fact, many foodborne illnesses are known around the work but the main
ones people are most concerned about are Norovirus, Salmonella, and Clostridium perfringens.
Norovirus is an extremely contagious virus that can infect anyone. The virus causes a person's
stomach or intestines or both to get inflamed. This leads to you to have stomach pain, nausea,
and diarrhea and to throw up. Salmonella is a bacteria that makes people sick. Most people
infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps between 12 and 72
hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most individuals recover without
treatment. Clostridium perfringens is one of the most common causes of foodborne illnesses in
the United States. People infected with Clostridium perfringens develop diarrhea and abdominal
cramps 6 to 24 hours (typically 8 to 12 hours). The illness usually begins suddenly and lasts for
less than 24 hours.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that
approximately 48 million people get sick from food poisoning annually. Of all the cases, 128,000
people require hospitalization and 3,000 die. Most food poisoning results from eating
contaminated produce, beef, poultry, raw eggs, and seafood, and dishes prepared with these
ingredients (Driscoll and Sprague). Restaurant workers who forget to wash their hands and
handle foodstuff and equipment, or perishable foods that have been left out of refrigeration long
enough to grow bacteria are two common causes of food poisoning (Driscoll and Sprague).
Public eateries and similar establishments are subject to acquiring licensure and ongoing state or
federal inspection for safe practices (Driscoll and Sprague).
Food is vital to survive, making its safety an issue of utmost importance. With the
globalization of trade in food products and the consolidation of agricultural and food industries,
an increased risk of widespread outbreaks of foodborne illnesses exists. In the United States, the

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 48 million
people get sick from food poisoning annually. Of all the cases, 128,000 people require
hospitalization and 3,000 die.

Works Cited

Driscoll, Sally, and Nancy Sprague. "Food Contamination: An Overview." Points Of View: Food
Contamination (2016): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.

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"Food Safety." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2015. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.
Goldmark, S. M., and Heather Newton. "Counterpoint: The Government Should Monitor The
Agricultural Industry In Order To Reduce Food Contamination." Points Of View: Food
Contamination (2016): 3. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.