H&L Transport Managerial Control Manual March 2014 | Page 43

RMED
HIGH COST OF FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS

Reported and estimated annual cases and
costs of food-borne disease in North
America
Country

Reported
Cases

Estimated
Cases

Annual
Cost

Canada

6 – 10
Thousand

2 Million

$1
Billion

SOURCE: Buzby et al.
PREVENTION OF FOOD-BORNE DISEASES
Food-borne diseases present public health challenges related to food-handling practices, as described by Diane Roberts, who
analyzed causal factors in over 1,400 outbreaks, including;

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Globalization of the food supply, resulting in rapid, international distribution of raw and processed foods.
Economic pressures to provide products as cheaply as po ssible, requiring large scale production and distribution
processes.
Traditional food production and handling practices that may be inappropriate in the modern production and retailing
environment.
Public and political expectations about the safety of the food supply.
Population-health factors that may increase risk of illness, including age (the young and elderly), existing illness (e.g.,
cancer), inherited traits (e.g., sickle cell disease; HLA B-27 susceptibility to reactive arthritis), and depressed immunity
(from AIDS, cancer treatment, transplants, pregnancy, and poor nutrition).
New pathogens and antibiotic-resistant strains possibly related to environmental factors and changes in farming and
husbandry practices.

The response to these challenges involves government, the food industry, the public health community, and the public.
Government action encompasses legislation to regulate the conditions under which foods are produced, distributed, and
retailed, and the development of codes of good practice. Governments may collect statistics to monitor the incidence and
causes of food-borne disease, and they may act to protect the public by investigating disease outbreaks and withdrawing
unsafe products from sale.
Modern processors and manufacturers generally adopt procedures to minimize risks of contamination, (e.g., the Hazard
Analysis Critical Control Point [HACCP] approach) and to ensure product quality and safety through quality control procedures.
The public health community is concerned with the development and enforcement of standards in manufacturing, processing,
and retailing. Finally, the public, by becoming educated about food safety, can protect themselves by adopting appropriate
hygiene practices in food preparation, and by ensuring food retailers maintain high standards of hygiene by reporting poor
practices to public health authorities.
Roberts, D. (1986). "Factors Contributing to Outbreaks of Food Poisoning in England and Wales 1970–1979." In Proceedings of the World Congress of Foodborne

.

Infections and Intoxications 1. Berlin: Institute of Veterinary Medicine

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