Top Food Pathogens: CDC – Data from the investigation into the foodborne disease outbreaks in 2007 has revealed the top list of food pathogens that are found in commonly consumed items. Nearly 1,100 outbreaks that involved 21,114 individual illnesses were covered by the data that was made available by all 50 states. The CDC researchers found that just a handful of the 76 million illnesses occur in the US caused by contaminated food.
Salmonella accounted for 142 of the bacterial outbreaks in 2007, including two of the three largest ones, according to the report that made its way online today. The outbreaks included 802 illnesses that were traced to tainted hummus and 401 illnesses that were from frozen pot pies. The Salmonella totals were close to the averages from 2002 to 2006, and were not all that high compared to other foodborne illnesses that experienced outbreaks.
“Enhanced food safety training for food employees that work with ready-to-eat foods, and the presence of a certified food protection manager in food service and retail establishments,” they wrote in the report, referring to how to go about fixing the situation.
All states and territories have adopted food safety codes, but went on to say that the implementation of some safety issues would speed up the process. They also recommended that potential outbreaks continue to be reported and investigated so that they can put a stop to the cause as quickly as possible. It will be interesting to see how this changes the food industry in the coming years.