Many Americans have always preferred their hamburgers rare and their eggs runny. Yet foodborne illness rates appear to be on the rise compared to earlier decades. Laura Landro for the Wall Street Journal examines this phenomenon and explains the marked increase in food contamination and resulting illnesses.
One reason for the observed increase in foodborne illnesses is that many illnesses had previously gone unreported. According to the CDC, just 20 years ago pathogens such as E. Coli O157:H7, Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogens, and Cyclospora cayetanesis were not recognized as causes of foodborne illness. Gastrointestinal problems that might easily be flagged as symptoms of foodborne illness today would have been designated as having an unknown cause two decades ago. While previous underreporting of these pathogens may attribute to a partial increase in foodborne illnesses, some changes in where we get our food and how we eat it can attribute for the rest.
Due to globalization of agriculture, Americans have come to expect seasonal produce year round. To meet this demand items, such as tomatoes, fruit, and spinach, are being grown abroad in countries with less stringent food safety protocols. Countries like China and Mexico increasingly have been found to be the source of food contamination. New proposed FDA legislation may help combat this problem by allowing the government body more control over inspections and power to halt production and distribution of contaminated foods. Through better inspection and monitoring of agricultural imports, many foodborne illness risks can be addressed.
Finally, the third reason for the increase in foodborne illnesses is one that cannot necessarily be prevented through inspections and new legislation. According to Ms. Landro, American diets have developed a taste for less processed foods such as raw milk and cheeses and unpasteurized juices. Since these foods have not been processed and treated with heat to kill bacteria, they potentially hold many dangerous bacteria than pasteurized foods. For this reason it’s important to check a food’s label for pasteurization, and that it has been made by a licensed dairy farmer or cheese producer.
New legislation granting more significant powers to the FDA is currently awaiting Senate approval. If it were to pass and become law, the FDA would be able to better monitor imported foods, set better safety standards for fresh produce, compel companies to recall contaminated products, and obligate companies to maintain better production records. In the meantime, consumers should remember to thoroughly wash all fresh produce, eat only pasteurized dairy and juices, clean hands and surfaces after touching raw meat, and cook all egg and meat products according to temperature rather than appearance (160°F for ground beef). If these practices are maintained, many risks for foodborne illness can be reduced.