In a perfect world, foodborne illness would not exist. But according to public health officials, the likelihood of this happening is remote. Despite progress improving the quality and safety of foods, the CAST report explained that any raw agricultural product can be contaminated. Bacteria may survive despite aggressive controls at the processing level, or the food may become contaminated during preparation, cooking, serving and storage. Emerging pathogens demand even greater food safety vigilance than what was required in previous generations.
More food is prepared and consumed away from home.
Also, an increasing amount of food prepared away from the home is then taken home for consumption, thus creating new opportunities for mishandling. Adding to the challenge, microorganisms continue to adapt and evolve, often increasing their degree of virulence. At the same time, bacteria already recognized as sources of foodborne illness have found new modes of transmission. Salmonella Enteritidis, which once only contaminated the outside of egg shells, is now found inside many eggs, making uncooked eggs no longer safe to eat. For these reasons, food safety and public health officials agree that along with aggressive efforts to identify, assess and control microbiological hazards associated with each segment of the food production system, an intensified focus on education about safe food handling must become a national priority.