Outbreak
Subtitle: Foodborne Illness and the Struggle for Food Safety
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Published: Apr 16, 2019
Language: eng
Format: paperback
Number of pages: 384
ISBN-13: 9780226611686
Description: "[This book] provides an up-to-date history and analysis of the US food safety system. [The author] pays particular attention to important but frequently overlooked elements of the system, including private audits and liability insurance. [The author] chronicles efforts dating back to the 1800s to combat widespread contamination by pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella that have become frighteningly familiar to consumers. Over time, deadly foodborne illness outbreaks caused by infected milk, poison hamburgers, and tainted spinach have spurred steady scientific and technological advances in food safety. Nevertheless, problems persist. Inadequate agency budgets restrict the reach of government regulation. Pressure from consumers to keep prices down constrains industry investments in safety. The limits of scientific knowledge leave experts unable to assess policies' effectiveness and whether measures designed to reduce contamination have actually improved public health. Outbreak offers practical reforms that will strengthen the food safety system's capacity to learn from its mistakes and identify cost-effective food safety efforts capable of producing measurable public health benefits."--
Notes: Source title: Outbreak: Foodborne Illness and the Struggle for Food Safety