Food-borne microbial diseases and control: food-borne infections and intoxications

Food and water are excellent vehicles by which many bacterial, fungal, viral, and protozoal pathogens can reach a suitable colonization site in a new host. Although food manufacturing and production practices change, foods can be contaminated at any point in the farm to table continuum, even in consumers’ kitchens. Increased urbanization and travel contribute to an increase in large-scale production, wide distribution of food, and eating food prepared outside the home such as from street-food vendors or in small corner restaurants in which there is an inadequate application of good hygiene practices (GHP), and ultimately people being infected abroad possibly transmit the food-borne pathogen to the others at home. These circumstances cause an increased risk of food-borne microbial illnesses and also outbreaks. A change in the diet, as a result of international trade in food, and the increase in the number of people with a compromised immune system have also influenced the increase in food-borne microbial diseases. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 13,405 food-borne disease outbreaks, which resulted in 273,120 reported cases of illness, 9,109 hospitalizations, and 200 deaths between the years 1998 and 2008. Of the 7,998 outbreaks with a known etiology, 3,633 (45 %) were caused by viruses, 3,613 (45 %) were caused by bacteria, 685 (5 %) were caused by chemical and toxic agents, and 67 (1 %) were caused by parasites. Correspondingly, food-borne microbial diseases still represent an important global public health issue. Therefore, in this chapter we shall focus on bacterial, fungal, viral, and protozoal pathogens in the food chain and indicate their prevention and control ways throughout the food preparation process.