Chapter One

According to the Food Code, food-borne illness in the United States is a major cause of personal distress and preventable death and is an avoidable economic burden. The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology estimated 6.5 to 33 million people become ill from microorganisms in food, resulting in as many as 9,000 needless deaths every year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have consistently stated that where reported, food-borne outbreaks were caused by mishandling of food; most of the time the mishandling occurred within the retail segment of the food industry where ready-to-eat food is prepared and provided to the public for consumption.

Because many foods are agricultural products and have started their journey to your door as animals and plants, raised in the environment, they may contain microscopic organisms. Many foods contain nutrients that make them a place where microorganisms can live and even grow. Some of these organisms are pathogens, which means that under the right conditions and in the right numbers, they can make someone who eats them ill. Raw animal foods such as meat, poultry, fish and eggs often carry bacteria, viruses or parasites that can be harmful to humans.

Because foods are from the environment, they can contain objects such as stones that could cause injury. Food may be contaminated naturally, for example, from the soil in which it is grown or because of harvest, storage or transportation practices. Some foods undergo further processing and at times, despite best efforts, become contaminated. These inherent hazards, along with