Food-Borne Illness

Any food contaminated with disease-causing microbes, chemicals or other substances that can be unhealthy to an individual and cause illness or injury.

Food-borne diseases remain responsible for high levels of morbidity and mortality in the general population, but particularly for at-risk groups, such as infants and young children, the elderly and those whose immune system is compromised.

CDC estimates that yearly 76 million people get sick,
300,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 Americans die each year from food-borne illness.
 

How Bacteria Gets in Food:

• Bacteria may be present on products when you purchase them. Plastic-wrapped boneless chicken and ground meat, for example, were once part of live chickens or cattle. Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs are not sterile. Neither is fresh produce such as lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, and melons.
• Foods, including safely cooked, ready-to-eat foods, can become cross-contaminated with bacteria transferred from raw products, meat juices or other contaminated products, or from food handlers with poor personal hygiene.